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What is a medical illustrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Tess Elliot
The average medical illustrator salary is $52,144. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an medical illustration and informatics major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a medical illustrator. Medical illustrators with a Certified of Medical Illustrator (CMI) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 2,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a medical illustrator?

Tess ElliotTess Elliot LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma

Stay true to yourself. Be patient and have confidence in yourself and your work. Artists early in their careers often don't make money from their work. This is okay. Find a way to support yourself while continuing to make and share your work and things will fall into place. Seek out that unique path to career fulfillment.
ScoreMedical IllustratorUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,144

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
3.5

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 7.54%

Black or African American 4.30%

Hispanic or Latino 14.00%

Unknown 5.60%

White 67.91%

Gender

female 55.00%

male 45.00%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
3.5

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Medical illustrator career paths

Key steps to become a medical illustrator

  1. Explore medical illustrator education requirements

    Most common medical illustrator degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.5 %

    Master's

    22.2 %

    Associate

    2.6 %

  2. Start to develop specific medical illustrator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Animation22.22%
    Graphic Design16.19%
    Adobe Creative Suite14.06%
    Physiology7.20%
    Surgical Procedures6.51%
    Show more

  3. Research medical illustrator duties and responsibilities

    • Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
    • Serve as an executive member on departmental teams providing regulatory guidance and technical assistance on HIPAA privacy and security rules.
    • Conduct diagnostic testing, including abdominal, obstetrics/gynecology, small parts, and vascular procedures.

  4. Apply for medical illustrator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a medical illustrator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first medical illustrator job

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Are you a medical illustrator?

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Average medical illustrator salary

The average medical illustrator salary in the United States is $52,144 per year or $25 per hour. Medical illustrator salaries range between $35,000 and $76,000 per year.

Average medical illustrator salary
$52,144 Yearly
$25.07 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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