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Visual artist salary
Average visual artist salary
$81,873
Average Visual Artist Salary
The average salary for a visual artist in the United States is $81,873 per year or approximately $39 per hour. This figure varies based on several factors including geographical location, level of experience, and specific industry. For instance, artists in metropolitan areas tend to earn higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living.
Salary Variations by State
In states like California and New York, average salaries can exceed $90,000, while regions with lower demand may offer salaries around $70,000. Understanding these differences is crucial for artists considering relocation or career changes.
Career Opportunities
Visual artists can pursue various career paths, including roles in graphic design, illustration, and fine arts. Positions in advertising and marketing tend to offer higher salaries than those in non-profit organizations. By exploring different career options, artists can find roles that not only satisfy their creative passions but also meet their financial goals.
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Where can a Visual Artist earn more?
Visual artist salary estimates from across the web
Average visual artist salary by state
The average visual artist salary in Nevada, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average visual artist salary states are Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for visual artists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $112,346 | $54.01 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $113,371 | $54.51 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $112,323 | $54.00 |
| 4 | California | $105,432 | $50.69 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $106,250 | $51.08 |
| 6 | Washington | $103,628 | $49.82 |
| 7 | Nevada | $133,849 | $64.35 |
| 8 | Delaware | $108,684 | $52.25 |
| 9 | Idaho | $87,554 | $42.09 |
| 10 | New York | $82,339 | $39.59 |
| 11 | Maryland | $92,473 | $44.46 |
| 12 | Oregon | $82,098 | $39.47 |
| 13 | Illinois | $79,631 | $38.28 |
| 14 | Iowa | $73,484 | $35.33 |
| 15 | Maine | $80,461 | $38.68 |
| 16 | Michigan | $75,951 | $36.51 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $77,190 | $37.11 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $79,584 | $38.26 |
| 19 | Virginia | $75,085 | $36.10 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $74,138 | $35.64 |
| 21 | Utah | $68,239 | $32.81 |
| 22 | Indiana | $70,140 | $33.72 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $73,621 | $35.39 |
| 24 | Arizona | $71,066 | $34.17 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $64,402 | $30.96 |
| 26 | Colorado | $70,887 | $34.08 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $71,908 | $34.57 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $65,654 | $31.56 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $56,055 | $26.95 |
| 30 | Kansas | $70,957 | $34.11 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $73,246 | $35.21 |
| 32 | Vermont | $68,111 | $32.75 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $66,165 | $31.81 |
| 34 | Texas | $54,262 | $26.09 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $65,022 | $31.26 |
| 36 | Florida | $55,233 | $26.55 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $53,952 | $25.94 |
| 38 | Georgia | $50,283 | $24.17 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $55,014 | $26.45 |
| 40 | Alaska | $63,076 | $30.32 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $49,582 | $23.84 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $54,305 | $26.11 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $49,709 | $23.90 |
| 44 | Alabama | $49,524 | $23.81 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $44,286 | $21.29 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $49,207 | $23.66 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $43,660 | $20.99 |
| 48 | Montana | $50,839 | $24.44 |
| 49 | Ohio | $46,091 | $22.16 |
| 50 | Missouri | $48,235 | $23.19 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $40,402 | $19.42 |
Highest paying cities for visual artists
The highest-paying cities for visual artists are Sparks, NV, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sparks, NV | $144,259 | $69.36 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $116,008 | $55.77 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $106,495 | $51.20 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $104,631 | $50.30 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $82,450 | $39.64 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $80,222 | $38.57 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $77,766 | $37.39 |
| 8 | Sarasota, FL | $56,221 | $27.03 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $54,536 | $26.22 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $54,337 | $26.12 |
| 11 | Boston, MA | $54,066 | $25.99 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $50,415 | $24.24 |
Visual artist salary details
A visual artist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $127,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a visual artist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $81,873 | $6,823 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying visual artist jobs
The highest paying types of visual artists are technical artist, storyboard artist, and texture artist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D Modeler | $75,946 | $6,329 | $36.51 | 1,245 |
| 3D Animator | $73,596 | $6,133 | $35.38 | 571 |
| Character Animator | $72,126 | $6,011 | $34.68 | 416 |
| Animator | $76,853 | $6,404 | $36.95 | 551 |
| Motion Graphics Artist | $67,079 | $5,590 | $32.25 | 4,288 |
| Concept Artist | $85,713 | $7,143 | $41.21 | 3,596 |
Top companies hiring visual artists now:
Which companies pay visual artists the most?
Visual artist salaries at NVIDIA and ZERO POINT ZERO are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average visual artist salary at companies like Amazon and Sony Pictures are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVIDIA | $144,858 | $69.64 |
| 2 | ZERO POINT ZERO | $121,457 | $58.39 |
| 3 | Amazon | $120,994 | $58.17 |
| 4 | Sony Pictures | $101,968 | $49.02 |
| 5 | Safran | $98,681 | $47.44 |
| 6 | 2k | $97,410 | $46.83 |
| 7 | Gearbox Software | $97,315 | $46.79 |
| 8 | DreamWorks Animation | $96,254 | $46.28 |
| 9 | Blue Sky Studios | $94,437 | $45.40 |
| 10 | Electronic Arts | $92,743 | $44.59 |
| 11 | Wizards of the Coast | $91,942 | $44.20 |
| 12 | Iron Galaxy Studios | $91,576 | $44.03 |
| 13 | Riot Games | $91,207 | $43.85 |
| 14 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $91,108 | $43.80 |
| 15 | Rooster Teeth | $90,757 | $43.63 |
| 16 | Zynga | $90,360 | $43.44 |
| 17 | Activision Blizzard | $89,926 | $43.23 |
| 18 | Halon Entertainment | $86,312 | $41.50 |
| 19 | Ingenuity Engine | $85,392 | $41.05 |
| 20 | Pocket Gems | $83,300 | $40.05 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Visual artist salary trends
The average visual artist salary has risen by $17,776 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average visual artist earned $64,097 annually, but today, they earn $81,873 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for visual artists over the last decade.
Compare visual artist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average visual artist salary over time
Compare visual artist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Visual artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81,900 | $39.36 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $79,300 | $38.13 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $76,400 | $36.74 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $74,300 | $35.73 | +7.4% |
| 2021 | $68,800 | $33.08 | +2.0% |
Recently added visual artist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Pictures | Visual Development Artist | Los Angeles, CA | 06/09/2025 | $107,710 |
| Scanline VFX | Visual Pioneering Artist | Vancouver, WA | 06/09/2025 | $100,000 |
| Nbcuniversal | Dreamworks Feature-Visual Development Artist | Glendale, CA | 05/22/2025 | $86,300 |
| Sony Pictures Entertainment | Visual Development Artist | Los Angeles, CA | 05/06/2025 | $107,710 |
| Scanline VFX | Visual Pioneering Artist | Vancouver, WA | 05/03/2025 | $100,000 |
| Sony Pictures | Visual Development Artist | Los Angeles, CA | 04/30/2025 | $107,710 |
| Scanline VFX | Visual Pioneering Artist | Vancouver, WA | 04/28/2025 | $100,000 |
| Skybound, LLC | Lead Visual Effects Artist (Games) | Los Angeles, CA | 04/28/2025 | $130,000 |
| Scanline VFX | Visual Pioneering Artist | Los Angeles, CA | 03/28/2025 | $80,000 |
| Skybound, LLC | Lead Visual Effects Artist (Games) | Los Angeles, CA | 03/28/2025 | $130,000 |
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