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What is a senior artist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.

Senior artists are responsible for guiding team members in the delivery of art content for a variety of graphic design projects. They develop digital graphics for their company's projects and work with managers to plan work and disseminate plans to functional team members. They also create original artwork and review the drafts of junior graphic designers to ensure quality work. Senior artists earn a median sum of $109,000 annually or $52 per hour.

Senior artists create and manage digital and print designs for their company's marketing needs. They review junior designer drafts to ensure quality and brand consistency throughout various marketing projects. They liaise between marketing and design teams to ensure deadlines are met and keep up-to-date with industry developments. A great senior artist possesses excellent communication and computer skills.

Senior artists typically hold a bachelor's degree in graphic design, fine arts, animation, or other related fields from an accredited university. They are expected to have some years of experience as a graphic designer or in a similar role. Some employers prefer candidates with a keen eye for detail and the ability to meet deadlines and collaborate with team members.

What general advice would you give to a senior artist?

Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.

Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and Humanities, College of Central Florida

I was once told if you do what you love you will never "work" a day in your life. I have found this true in my own career and hope our VPA graduates will find it true in theirs as well. The arts offer such a unique means of engaging and we, as arts educators, have an ability to "reach" those we have contact with in a unique way.
ScoreSenior ArtistUS Average
Salary
6.5

Avg. Salary $83,394

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.3

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.83%

Asian 7.56%

Black or African American 4.30%

Hispanic or Latino 14.02%

Unknown 5.96%

White 67.33%

Gender

female 28.23%

male 71.77%

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
6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Senior artist career paths

Key steps to become a senior artist

  1. Explore senior artist education requirements

    Most common senior artist degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.3 %

    Associate

    18.5 %

    Master's

    7.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior artist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Maya11.74%
    Animation6.89%
    AAA6.87%
    ZBrush5.86%
    In-Game5.70%
  3. Complete relevant senior artist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior artists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior artist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior artist resumes.
  4. Research senior artist duties and responsibilities

    • Lead a team of artists to create a series of space adventure games for the PC.
    • Edit video, write copy for television, radio, and web-base commercials while managing the scheduling of all studio employees.
    • Maintain servers, install software packages for Apple/Mac base computers and maintain editing suites for video and audio production.
    • Design and programme pop-ups using HTML.
  5. Get senior artist experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior artist. The most common roles before becoming a senior artist include artist, 3d artist team lead and art director.
  6. Prepare your senior artist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior artist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior artist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior artist resume templates

    Build a professional senior artist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior artist resume.
    Senior Artist Resume
    Senior Artist Resume
    Senior Artist Resume
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    Senior Artist Resume
    Senior Artist Resume
  7. Apply for senior artist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior artist 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 senior artist job

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Are you a senior artist?

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Average senior artist salary

The average senior artist salary in the United States is $83,394 per year or $40 per hour. Senior artist salaries range between $54,000 and $128,000 per year.

Average senior artist salary
$83,394 Yearly
$40.09 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do senior artists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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3 stars

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Senior artist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022
Pros

I get to do what I love

Cons

It’s hard work, it feels like you will not make it and you’re jumping from job to job sometimes every now and then but the goal is to not give up, everyone is more than capable of achieving the things they put their minds too. :)


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

Making stories. And proposing camera shots that enhances the story and character.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

Painting Use of all mediums Creativity Shows

Cons

I don't have anything to say about NOT like ART IS MY PASSION PASSION IS MY ART


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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.

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