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Concept artist salary
Average concept artist salary
$85,713
Understanding Concept Artist Salaries
The role of a concept artist is integral to industries such as gaming, film, and animation, where visual storytelling begins. As of October 2025, the average salary for a concept artist is $85,713 per year, or $41 per hour. This figure reflects the diverse skills required, including character design, environment design, and storyboarding.
Salary Variations Across States
Location plays a crucial role in salary determination. States like California and New York tend to offer higher compensation due to the concentration of entertainment companies. For example, concept artists in California can earn significantly more than their counterparts in less populated regions.
Experience and Industry Impact
Experience also influences salary levels. Entry-level positions may start around $50,000, while seasoned artists with specialized skills can command salaries exceeding $100,000. Additionally, industries that require cutting-edge design, such as virtual reality, often offer premium salaries to attract top talent.
Explore Opportunities
Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring artists make informed career choices. For those interested in advancing their careers, exploring job opportunities on platforms like Zippia can connect them with roles that align with their salary expectations and career goals.
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Where can a Concept Artist earn more?
Concept artist salary estimates from across the web
Average concept artist salary by state
The average concept artist salary in Nevada, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average concept artist salary states are Missouri, Hawaii, and Ohio.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for concept artists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $137,913 | $66.30 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $123,615 | $59.43 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $121,175 | $58.26 |
| 4 | California | $103,253 | $49.64 |
| 5 | Maine | $86,088 | $41.39 |
| 6 | Washington | $91,876 | $44.17 |
| 7 | Maryland | $100,330 | $48.24 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $84,431 | $40.59 |
| 9 | New York | $92,204 | $44.33 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $123,226 | $59.24 |
| 11 | Delaware | $118,424 | $56.93 |
| 12 | Oregon | $84,780 | $40.76 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $114,956 | $55.27 |
| 14 | Michigan | $81,066 | $38.97 |
| 15 | Idaho | $90,730 | $43.62 |
| 16 | Iowa | $77,166 | $37.10 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $84,378 | $40.57 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $76,119 | $36.60 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $80,232 | $38.57 |
| 20 | Vermont | $73,617 | $35.39 |
| 21 | Illinois | $84,431 | $40.59 |
| 22 | Kansas | $74,481 | $35.81 |
| 23 | Utah | $71,802 | $34.52 |
| 24 | Arizona | $74,221 | $35.68 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $67,970 | $32.68 |
| 26 | Indiana | $74,898 | $36.01 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $70,655 | $33.97 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $77,366 | $37.20 |
| 29 | Virginia | $72,615 | $34.91 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $80,553 | $38.73 |
| 31 | Texas | $67,998 | $32.69 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $70,203 | $33.75 |
| 33 | Colorado | $74,259 | $35.70 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $58,181 | $27.97 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $69,698 | $33.51 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $52,650 | $25.31 |
| 37 | Florida | $63,478 | $30.52 |
| 38 | Montana | $52,286 | $25.14 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $50,799 | $24.42 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $58,699 | $28.22 |
| 41 | Alabama | $53,050 | $25.50 |
| 42 | Georgia | $54,356 | $26.13 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $57,065 | $27.44 |
| 44 | Alaska | $62,935 | $30.26 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $58,726 | $28.23 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $51,887 | $24.95 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $45,968 | $22.10 |
| 48 | Ohio | $49,383 | $23.74 |
| 49 | Missouri | $50,833 | $24.44 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $46,297 | $22.26 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $43,807 | $21.06 |
Highest paying cities for concept artists
The highest-paying cities for concept artists are Novato, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novato, CA | $112,820 | $54.24 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $92,612 | $44.52 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $92,347 | $44.40 |
| 4 | Oak Park, IL | $85,020 | $40.88 |
| 5 | Bend, OR | $84,211 | $40.49 |
| 6 | Cary, NC | $82,027 | $39.44 |
| 7 | Mesa, AZ | $74,026 | $35.59 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $73,984 | $35.57 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $68,294 | $32.83 |
| 10 | Alpharetta, GA | $54,447 | $26.18 |
Concept Artists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Concept artist salary details
A concept artist's salary ranges from $56,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $130,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a concept artist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $130,000 | $10,833 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| Average | $85,713 | $7,143 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
Highest paying concept artist jobs
The highest paying types of concept artists are interactive designer, visual designer, and animator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer/Production | $48,619 | $4,052 | $23.37 | 95,831 |
| Visual Merchandiser | $38,037 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 74,351 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
| Graphic Designer Internship | $35,800 | $2,983 | $17.21 | 93,292 |
| Web Graphic Designer | $52,574 | $4,381 | $25.28 | 51,462 |
| Animator | $76,853 | $6,404 | $36.95 | 551 |
Top companies hiring concept artists now:
Which companies pay concept artists the most?
Concept artist salaries at Meta and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average concept artist salary at companies like Netflix and The Walt Disney Company are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $160,292 | $77.06 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $144,314 | $69.38 |
| 3 | Netflix | $134,843 | $64.83 |
| 4 | The Walt Disney Company | $133,417 | $64.14 |
| 5 | Amazon | $123,184 | $59.22 |
| 6 | Dire Wolf Digital | $114,601 | $55.10 |
| 7 | Industrial Light & Magic | $100,990 | $48.55 |
| 8 | PlayStation | $99,287 | $47.73 |
| 9 | Gearbox Software | $98,724 | $47.46 |
| 10 | Nintendo | $98,541 | $47.38 |
| 11 | Sucker Punch Productions | $98,405 | $47.31 |
| 12 | Sony Interactive Entertainment America | $98,071 | $47.15 |
| 13 | 2k | $97,876 | $47.06 |
| 14 | Epic Games | $97,238 | $46.75 |
| 15 | Bungie | $95,092 | $45.72 |
| 16 | Ready At Dawn Studios | $94,823 | $45.59 |
| 17 | Hi-Rez Studios | $94,572 | $45.47 |
| 18 | ArenaNet | $94,563 | $45.46 |
| 19 | Certain Affinity | $94,150 | $45.26 |
| 20 | Sony Electronics | $94,098 | $45.24 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Concept artist salary trends
The average concept artist salary has risen by $18,610 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average concept artist earned $67,103 annually, but today, they earn $85,713 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for concept artists over the last decade.
Compare concept artist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average concept artist salary over time
Compare concept artist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Concept artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,700 | $41.21 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $83,000 | $39.92 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $80,000 | $38.46 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $77,800 | $37.41 | +7.4% |
| 2021 | $72,000 | $34.63 | +2.0% |
Recently added concept artist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Lead Concept Artist | Redmond, WA | 06/24/2025 | $153,600 |
| Naughty Dog | Senior Concept Artist | Santa Monica, CA | 06/22/2025 | $143,700 |
| Obsidian Entertainment | Contract Concept Artist (Senior) | Irvine, CA | 06/21/2025 | $125,220 |
| Meow Wolf | Concept Artist (Project Based Role) | Santa Fe, NM | 06/19/2025 | $60,629 |
| Ketchum | Creative Conceptor | Raleigh, NC | 06/09/2025 | $70,000 |
| Vast | Senior 3D Concept Artist | Long Beach, CA | 06/09/2025 | $120,000 |
| Playstation | SR Concept Artist (Characters) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/09/2025 | $115,900 |
| Playstation | Senior Concept Artist | Los Angeles, CA | 05/26/2025 | $115,900 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Lead Concept Artist | Redmond, WA | 05/22/2025 | $153,600 |
| Meta | Senior Concept Artist-Metaverse Entertainment | Hartford, CT | 05/21/2025 | $126,000 |
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