Visual artist demographics and statistics in the US
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Visual artist demographics by:
Visual artist gender statistics
40.5% of visual artists are women and 59.5% of visual artists are men.
- Male, 59.5%
- Female, 40.5%
Visual artist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 59.5% |
| Female | 40.5% |
Visual artist gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$77,379
Female income
$72,189
Visual artist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in visual artist positions over time. Currently, 40.5% of visual artists are female.
Visual artist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.71% | 34.29% |
| 2011 | 63.38% | 36.62% |
| 2012 | 66.52% | 33.48% |
| 2013 | 62.79% | 37.21% |
| 2014 | 59.81% | 40.19% |
| 2015 | 62.04% | 37.96% |
| 2016 | 58.92% | 41.08% |
| 2017 | 61.26% | 38.74% |
| 2018 | 60.95% | 39.05% |
| 2019 | 59.42% | 40.58% |
| 2020 | 59.50% | 40.50% |
| 2021 | 59.45% | 40.55% |
Visual artist related jobs gender ratio
We compared visual artists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, exhibit builder and senior industrial designer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Decorating Consultant | 9% | 91% |
| Floral Designer | 11% | 89% |
| Floral Manager | 11% | 89% |
| Visual Artist | 59% | 41% |
| Craftsman | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Industrial Designer | 91% | 9% |
| Exhibit Builder | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Visual artist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among visual artists is White, which makes up 67.0% of all visual artists. Comparatively, 14.4% of visual artists are Hispanic or Latino and 7.8% of visual artists are Asian.
- White, 67.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.4%
- Asian, 7.8%
- Unknown, 5.7%
- Black or African American, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Visual artist race
| Visual artist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.4% |
| Asian | 7.8% |
| Unknown | 5.7% |
| Black or African American | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Visual artist race and ethnicity over time
See how visual artist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Visual artist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.61% | 2.97% | 6.94% | 10.54% |
| 2011 | 76.17% | 3.60% | 6.83% | 10.09% |
| 2012 | 74.85% | 3.48% | 6.06% | 11.62% |
| 2013 | 75.32% | 3.65% | 6.93% | 10.58% |
| 2014 | 74.52% | 3.51% | 7.23% | 10.81% |
| 2015 | 74.07% | 3.31% | 6.81% | 11.31% |
| 2016 | 73.71% | 2.75% | 8.31% | 11.09% |
| 2017 | 73.02% | 3.61% | 7.65% | 12.44% |
| 2018 | 72.65% | 3.43% | 8.48% | 11.88% |
| 2019 | 72.91% | 3.95% | 7.70% | 11.70% |
| 2020 | 69.93% | 3.29% | 8.07% | 12.44% |
| 2021 | 67.03% | 4.36% | 7.75% | 14.39% |
Visual artist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian visual artists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american visual artists have the lowest average salary at $69,093.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $78,300 |
| White | $77,036 |
| Black or African American | $69,093 |
| Asian | $83,370 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $79,839 |
Average visual artist age
See how the average age of visual artists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Visual artist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38.5 | 34.5 |
| White | 41 | 36 |
| Black or African American | 34 | |
| Asian | 37 | 33 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 38.5 |
Visual artist age breakdown
The average age of visual artists is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the visual artist population.
Visual artist age breakdown
| Visual Artist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 47% |
| 30-40 years | 38% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Visual artist educational attainment
The most common degree for visual artists is bachelor's degree, with 70% of visual artists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Visual artists by degree level
| Visual artist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 70% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Master's | 9% |
| High School Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Visual artist jobs you might like
Visual artist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, visual artists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $95,323 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, visual artists earn a median annual income of $92,725 compared to $77,674 for visual artists with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,323 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $70,344 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,725 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $77,674 |
Visual artist employment statistics
Most visual artists work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where visual artists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where visual artists work.
Visual artist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Visual artist jobs by company type
Employees with the visual artist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most visual artists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Visual artist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 12% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 5% |
Visual artist jobs by industry
The most common industries for visual artists are media, retail and technology.
Visual artist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 14% |
| Retail | 14% |
| Technology | 10% |
| Fortune 500 | 9% |
| Education | 9% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Start-up | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Visual artist turnover and employment statistics
Visual artist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for visual artists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Visual artist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Visual artist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.96% |
| 2011 | 8.02% |
| 2012 | 8.31% |
| 2013 | 6.45% |
| 2014 | 5.83% |
| 2015 | 5.42% |
| 2016 | 4.83% |
| 2017 | 5.07% |
| 2018 | 4.28% |
| 2019 | 4.56% |
| 2020 | 8.18% |
| 2021 | 8.63% |
Average visual artist tenure
The average visual artist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,186 visual artists resumes in Zippia's database.
Visual artist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 20% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 25% |
Visual artist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of visual artists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Artist | 11.32% | - |
| Scenic Arts Supervisor | 12.35% | 1,424 |
| Pattern Designer | 13.05% | 44,235 |
| Floral Decorator | 14.26% | 2,182 |
| Visual Merchandising Specialist | 16.91% | 32,782 |
| Fashion Internship | 17.98% | 49,151 |
| Commercial Interior Designer | 22.51% | 74,082 |
Similar visual artist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Scenic Arts Supervisor | 12.35% | 1,424 |
| Pattern Designer | 13.05% | 44,235 |
| Floral Decorator | 14.26% | 2,182 |
| Visual Merchandising Specialist | 16.91% | 32,782 |
| Fashion Internship | 17.98% | 49,151 |
| Commercial Interior Designer | 22.51% | 74,082 |
Foreign languages spoken by visual artists
The most common foreign language among visual artists is Spanish at 25.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.6% and German is the third-most popular at 10.4%.
- Spanish, 25.0%
- French, 14.6%
- German, 10.4%
- Italian, 10.4%
- Korean, 6.3%
- Other, 33.3%
Visual artist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 25.0% |
| French | 14.6% |
| German | 10.4% |
| Italian | 10.4% |
| Korean | 6.3% |
| Other | 33.3% |
