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Average visual and performing arts major salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$52,654

What is the average visual and performing arts major salary in the US?

The national average salary for a visual and performing arts major graduate in the United States is $52,654 per year or $25.31 per hour.There is a huge gap between the top 10 percent earners and the bottom 10 percent earners -- about $64,000. The top 10 percent earn over $93,000, while the bottom 10 percent make less than $29,000 annually.technology companies and retail companies have the most job opportunities for visual and performing arts major graduates.New York, Washington, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are some of the states with the best salaries for visual and performing arts major graduates in the US.
Best paying cities
$64,938
$63,004
$61,905

Average visual and performing arts salary by company

There is good job security for visual and performing arts major graduates. However, some industries offer better pay and benefit packages than others.The most abundant employment opportunities for visual and performing arts majors are in technology companies and retail companies.School of Visual Concepts and InfoSpace are the best paying companies for visual and performing arts major graduates.Companies like The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and New York Film Academy also pay high salaries to visual and performing arts major graduates.

Average visual and performing arts major salary by city

The national average salary for a visual and performing arts major graduate in the United States is $52,654 per year or $25.31 per hour.The top city when it comes to salaries for visual and performing arts majors is San Francisco, CA at $64,938 per year.Not only that, San Francisco, CA also has an average entry-level salary of $33,000.Other cities that offer high paying job opportunities for visual and performing arts majors are New York, NY, Des Moines, WA, Washington, DC, Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, and Hartford, CT.New York, Washington, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are the top 5 highest earning states for visual and performing arts major graduates.Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Oklahoma are at the bottom for competitive pay.

Average salary by location

RankCityAverage visual and performing arts salarySalary range
1San Francisco, CA
$64,938
$34k
$92k
2New York, NY
$63,004
$34k
$92k
3Des Moines, WA
$61,905
$34k
$92k
4Washington, DC
$58,745
$34k
$92k
5Boston, MA
$58,175
$34k
$92k
6Arlington, VA
$55,781
$34k
$92k
7Hartford, CT
$55,571
$34k
$92k
8Albany, OR
$54,262
$34k
$92k
9Baltimore, MD
$53,868
$34k
$92k
10Providence, RI
$53,719
$34k
$92k
11Philadelphia, PA
$52,308
$34k
$92k
12Chicago, IL
$50,992
$34k
$92k
13Portland, ME
$50,104
$34k
$92k
14Las Vegas, NV
$49,855
$34k
$92k
15Washington, UT
$49,601
$34k
$92k
16Saint Paul, MN
$48,721
$34k
$92k
17Urban Honolulu, HI
$48,353
$34k
$92k
18Denver, CO
$48,013
$34k
$92k
19Raleigh, NC
$47,366
$34k
$92k
20Phoenix, AZ
$47,023
$34k
$92k

Average visual and performing arts major salary by state

The darker areas on the map show where visual and performing arts majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average salary

Visual and performing arts major average salary by state

StateAverage visual and performing arts major salaryAverage hourly rate
New York$62,936$30.26
Washington$61,454$29.55
California$60,639$29.15
Massachusetts$58,417$28.09
New Jersey$57,538$27.66
Connecticut$56,040$26.94
Alaska$54,828$26.36
Oregon$54,095$26.01
Virginia$54,052$25.99
Rhode Island$53,831$25.88
Maryland$53,743$25.84
Pennsylvania$51,977$24.99
New Hampshire$51,449$24.74
Illinois$50,673$24.36
Michigan$50,484$24.27
West Virginia$50,347$24.21
Nevada$50,290$24.18
Delaware$50,265$24.17
Maine$49,712$23.90
Minnesota$48,671$23.40
North Dakota$48,510$23.32
Vermont$48,495$23.31
Hawaii$48,284$23.21
Colorado$48,102$23.13
Utah$47,094$22.64
Ohio$47,019$22.61
Wisconsin$46,937$22.57
Arizona$46,917$22.56
Idaho$46,678$22.44
North Carolina$46,626$22.42
Wyoming$45,955$22.09
Texas$45,749$21.99
Kansas$44,936$21.60
Indiana$44,157$21.23
New Mexico$43,873$21.09
Tennessee$43,550$20.94
Nebraska$43,485$20.91
Iowa$43,354$20.84
Kentucky$43,349$20.84
Georgia$42,693$20.53
Missouri$42,377$20.37
Arkansas$41,979$20.18
Florida$41,863$20.13
Montana$41,647$20.02
Alabama$41,380$19.89
Louisiana$41,057$19.74
Mississippi$40,758$19.60
South Carolina$40,597$19.52
Oklahoma$38,915$18.71
South Dakota$38,548$18.53

Average visual and performing arts major salary by industry

The type of industry that a visual and performing arts major graduate works in can influence their earning potential.By looking at our data, we can see that technology companies, professional companies, and finance companies pay visual and performing arts major graduates well.technology companies pay visual and performing arts major graduates the highest wages, averaging $66,489 per year. Professional companies and finance companies pay well too, at $56,641 and $54,058, respectively.The average visual and performing arts major salary in the government industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $40,799.

Average salary by industry

RankIndustryAverage visual and performing arts major salaryRange
1
Technology
$66,489
$35k
$87k
2
Professional
$56,641
$35k
$87k
3
Finance
$54,058
$35k
$87k
4
Media
$53,748
$35k
$87k
5
Manufacturing
$53,631
$35k
$87k
6
Retail
$49,626
$35k
$87k
7
Education
$48,766
$35k
$87k
8
Government
$40,799
$35k
$87k

Salary history for visual and performing arts major graduates

This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Visual And Performing Arts major graduates.

Visual and performing arts major salary by experience level

Average salary by experience level salaries by experience level

The salary for a visual and performing arts major graduate can range from $34,380 to $74,692 depending on the amount of work experience that the person has. Data on how experience level affects salary is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of their National Compensation Survey, which is based on factors such as knowledge, complexity, contacts, and environment.
Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level average salary by experience level$34,400$16.53
Mid-level average salary by experience level$48,200$23.20
Senior-level average salary by experience level$74,700$35.91

Salaries for related majors

RankMajorAverage salaryRange
1Design And Visual Communication
$61,809
$33k
$85k
2Interior Design
$56,785
$33k
$85k
3Music
$52,899
$33k
$85k
4Art Studies
$52,801
$33k
$85k
5Music Performance
$52,211
$33k
$85k
6Graphic Design
$50,589
$33k
$85k
7Fine Arts
$50,533
$33k
$85k
8Theatre
$50,427
$33k
$85k
9Entertainment Business
$48,049
$33k
$85k
10Photography
$47,855
$33k
$85k
11Dance
$45,818
$33k
$85k