Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for multimedia artists in the United States
Are multimedia artist jobs in demand?
Multimedia artist job and salary trends over time
Multimedia artist jobs over time
Multimedia artist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 979 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,034 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,119 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,117 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,129 | 0.00% |
Average multimedia artist salary over time
Multimedia artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $69,030 | $33.19 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $66,872 | $32.15 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $64,428 | $30.98 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $62,660 | $30.13 | +8.0% |
| 2021 | $58,014 | $27.89 | +2.1% |
Multimedia artist jobs by state
Most common states for multimedia artists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,536,653 | 362 | 1% |
| 2 | New York | 19,849,399 | 106 | 1% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 77 | 1% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 62 | 1% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 61 | 1% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 56 | 1% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 53 | 1% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 48 | 1% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 32 | 1% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 32 | 1% |
| 11 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 27 | 1% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 22 | 1% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 20 | 1% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 12 | 1% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 11 | 1% |
| 16 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 9 | 1% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 7 | 1% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 4 | 1% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 4 | 1% |
| 20 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 5 | 0% |
Most common cities for multimedia artists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $62,067 |
Multimedia Artist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of multimedia artist experts
Louisiana College
Kansas City Art Institute
Wayne State University
Oakland University
University of Findlay
University of Missouri - Columbia
College of Central Florida
What general advice would you give to a Multimedia Artist?
Kathryn Baczeski: Recently, in the craft world of; ceramics, wood working, metalsmith/ jewelry, textiles, printmaking and photography - digital fabrication has been utilized as a step in the creative process more everyday. 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers and artificial intelligence are being implemented as tools to help make patterns and designs, used to make instruments to implement in the creative process and assist in the physical fabrication of objects and larger works of art.
Although the current access to these innovations is expediting the making process across multiple art mediums and fields, this popularity of technologies seems to be shortcutting the basic skill sets that are often foundational to many artistic processes. Therefore, a deep understanding and practice of traditional skills across mediums will be the most important to build upon in conjunction with these budding technological breakthroughs.
What Multimedia Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kathryn Baczeski: For visual art students leaving school and starting their careers, there is an emphasis in teaching professional development on setting up a studio or finding a space where you are able to continue your creative practice in any capacity. In some instances, this would be a work exchange at a community studio, an internship or apprenticeship at a production studio assisting in the making of work for another well established artist /design line or a job at an institution that supports creative practice such as a school or museum. Typically residencies and internships allow their staff to continue their creative practice and research so that purchasing a bunch of equipment is not an immediate expense or obstacle for someone fresh out of an undergraduate program. I have seen students who have graduated struggle making this step in aligning themselves with a job that supports them financially while also furthering their creative explorations. These opportunities are real life applications for continuing education and learning new skills which can not be replicated in the classroom. In taking a position such as those listed above, newly graduated students learn how to communicate with the public, carve out a schedule that can accommodate both their professional and personal practices along with all of the technical aspects that go into maintaining and running a studio, school or museum.
What will help Multimedia Artists increase their earning potential?
Kathryn Baczeski: The best way to maximize your salary potential is to learn as many skills as you can, specifically in your medium and any medium adjacent to yours. This will allow you to be able to work multiple positions in any career. For example, if you are a ceramic artist, learning how to work by handbuilding, wheel-throwing, and mold making/slip casting will enhance your chances of being able to work in a variety of capacities in a job as opposed to just one style of creating work. In addition to making art, the processes for finalizing those works can assist you in the technician end of working in any studio. Back to the example of someone working as a ceramic artist, learning how to fire work in electric, gas, atmospheric and wood kilns is a lot more versatile than just being able to finalize work in one method. On the backend of being able to know how to work all of those different machines, learning how to repair them is also a valuable skill so knowing the machines you work with, allows you to specialize in different areas of your field. Continuing this style of education by taking workshops and classes in similar mediums (for ceramics that could be glass or metal working courses) will allow you to understand similar processes in different studio applications, reinforcing those skills. Finally, learning how to teach first time learners what you know about an art practice of medium is also a way to maximize a salary potential in finding part-time opportunities, one on one lessons and teaching to those who might be interested and starting to learn about an artistic process. This opens the door to many ways of making income and diversifying your ability to earn money from multiple sources and employers.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Multimedia Artists?
John Ferry: I believe so - how can we have something this significant happen and not have it affect our lives in a noticeable way. I actually think there are advantages to having this happen . . . If you look for the positives you'll find them . . . if you look for the negatives you'll find them . . . I can't speculate on what that impact will be - but, we'll all be impacted, Professors and Students. At the very least we are all a lot more familiar with how to navigate virtual meetings.
Maria Bologna
Wayne State University
What skills stand out on Multimedia Artist resumes?
Maria Bologna: Highly sought after skills that employers are looking for related to interactivity (motion graphics, animation, video editing)
Carol Anne Ketelsen
Career Consultant for CAS and SONOakland University
School of Nursing, College of Arts and Sciences
What Multimedia Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Carol Anne Ketelsen: A gap year after you graduate can be beneficial if planned and used wisely. During the pandemic we have seen many universities and companies offer training programs, certifications, and micro-internships. If someone was going to take a gap year, they should plan how they will spend their time and how the activities they engage in will enhance their career goals. An employer will ask why they took the time off, what they did, what they learned, and how that applied to their future.
When it comes to skills, the graduate should use the time to expand their knowledge of their career. What skills are critical for this occupation? What skills does the candidate lack? A gap year is a great opportunity to develop those skills through volunteer opportunities, part-time work experiences, internships, travel, and enhanced learning. A graduate will want to explore the possibilities and determine how those will enhance their chosen career. Additionally, a graduate will want to review the technical skills needed for their field. If you choose to take the gap time, you do not want to fall behind when starting your career search.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Multimedia Artist job market given the pandemic?
Anne Beekman: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job outlook in Graphic Design is down 4%, with a loss of 10,900 jobs in the next ten years.
For students entering the job market as graphic designers, finding a position may be more difficult, but not necessarily due to Covid. Stay-at-home restrictions may be an advantage for some entry-level graphic designers. They may be able to work from home, not incurring the costs of relocation to a larger city.
This downward trend can be attributed to many things, foremost the movement from print to digital. As many magazines and newspapers cease publishing, there is no longer a need for page layout designers to go to an online format.
However, this trend may also be because those who have an education in graphic design do not report graphic designers. After all, their positions are so much broader; designers may list their occupation as advertising, marketing, social media, website development, technology, and more. Conversely, the availability of easy to use, low-cost design software, stock images, free fonts, and do-it-yourself web builders means that more people who are not graphic designers by profession are doing graphic design.
Dr. Julia Gaines
Director, Professor, PercussionUniversity of Missouri - Columbia
School of Music
What skills stand out on Multimedia Artist resumes?
Dr. Julia Gaines: Some experience with AV/IT. It will be necessary to be much more familiar with all platforms devoted to customer and student consumption.
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.
Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and HumanitiesCollege of Central Florida
Engineering Technology
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Multimedia Artists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: Technology is constantly evolving and changing the way we experience the arts, generally for the better. I anticipate great strides in the fields of digital media and digital music. Technology affords us the opportunity to connect with a larger, more global audience on the one hand, and also kindle in a younger generation an interest in the arts.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Multimedia Artists?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: A positive result of COVID-19 is a "coming together" of the academic community to embrace and adapt to the "new normal"-from instructors to publishers to instrument manufacturers. Each of the above has taken a difficult challenge and used it to push the arts forward offering, for example, livestreams when the concept of a live audience is not feasible. We have approached the challenge with creativity because that is what we do.