Post job

Visual artist vs concept artist

The differences between visual artists and concept artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a visual artist and a concept artist. Additionally, a concept artist has an average salary of $85,713, which is higher than the $81,873 average annual salary of a visual artist.

The top three skills for a visual artist include animation, maya and visual development. The most important skills for a concept artist are storyboards, maya, and animation.

Visual artist vs concept artist overview

Visual ArtistConcept Artist
Yearly salary$81,873$85,713
Hourly rate$39.36$41.21
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs7,2093,596
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

What does a visual artist do?

Visual artists are the type of artists that engage their audience through their eyes. This type of artist expresses their feelings in different ways. They can use any material to make their feelings known. Sometimes, they express their feelings using carved wood, digital imagery, and installations from objects they find randomly. They may use water vapor or bee pollen to let the world see their feelings, thoughts, and ideals. They can also choose to work independently or work with studios that produce cartoons, develop games, and have a fixed schedule to work on a project.

What does a concept artist do?

The job of a concept artist is to make visual representations of creatures, characters, environments, vehicles, and other artistic assets. You should know about the design and how to create one that needs to blend well with any creative project. Your typical job includes drawing or painting these creative assets and providing references for any ideas you need to illustrate. The general qualifications needed to become a successful concept artist include illustration skills, design understanding, and knowledge of Photoshop.

Visual artist vs concept artist salary

Visual artists and concept artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Visual ArtistConcept Artist
Average salary$81,873$85,713
Salary rangeBetween $52,000 And $127,000Between $56,000 And $130,000
Highest paying CitySparks, NVNovato, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaNevada
Best paying companyNVIDIAMeta
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between visual artist and concept artist education

There are a few differences between a visual artist and a concept artist in terms of educational background:

Visual ArtistConcept Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorFine ArtsGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Visual artist vs concept artist demographics

Here are the differences between visual artists' and concept artists' demographics:

Visual ArtistConcept Artist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 59.5% Female, 40.5%Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between visual artist and concept artist duties and responsibilities

Visual artist example responsibilities.

  • Edit video, write copy for television, radio, and web-base commercials while managing the scheduling of all studio employees.
  • Design creative materials, including advertisements, media kits, logo and promotional materials for several collaborative projects.
  • Model, texture and integrate 3D mesh FX with 3DSMax
  • Modele and shade 3D facial replacements and simulate smoke effects in Maya.
  • Design texture sheets and unique materials and shaders for particles and mesh FX.
  • Used Maya and Photoshop to create matte paintings and landscape environment using modeling and camera projection techniques.
  • Show more

Concept artist example responsibilities.

  • Create many MEL scripts to help automate routine daily tasks and improve overall productivity.
  • Rig character for animation in Maya.
  • Create pitches for new and old IP.
  • Sketch concept art for an online game
  • Design & animate VFX for mobile games!
  • Prepare 3D models for production using Maya 3d.
  • Show more

Visual artist vs concept artist skills

Common visual artist skills
  • Animation, 15%
  • Maya, 11%
  • Visual Development, 9%
  • Visual Effects, 7%
  • VFX, 6%
  • Motion Graphics, 5%
Common concept artist skills
  • Storyboards, 8%
  • Maya, 8%
  • Animation, 7%
  • Sketch, 6%
  • Art Direction, 6%
  • Graphic Design, 5%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs