Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Also called: 3D Artist (Three Dimensional Artist), 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist), Animated Cartoons Painter, Artist, Artist in Residence (AIR), Automotive Artist, Balloon Artist, Blacksmith
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
What Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators do
Typical tasks
- Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
- Integrate and develop visual elements, such as line, space, mass, color, and perspective, to produce desired effects, such as the illustration of ideas, emotions, or moods.
- Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
- Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
- Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
- Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
- Monitor events, trends, and other circumstances, research specific subject areas, attend art exhibitions, and read art publications to develop ideas and keep current on art world activities.
- Photograph objects, places, or scenes for reference material.
- Model substances such as clay or wax, using fingers and small hand tools to form objects.
- Create sculptures, statues, and other three-dimensional artwork by using abrasives and tools to shape, carve, and fabricate materials such as clay, stone, wood, or metal.
- Set up exhibitions of artwork for display or sale.
- Render drawings, illustrations, and sketches of buildings, manufactured products, or models, working from sketches, blueprints, memory, models, or reference materials.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators salary
The median annual wage for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators is $55,490 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $31,630 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $144,210. The mean annual wage is $73,150.
The mean hourly wage of $35.00 is 4.8× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $55,490 → in 3 years $60,000 → in 5 years $63,200 → in 10 years $71,900 (10-year range $61,800–$83,500). The model assumes pay growth of +2.6% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators United States | イラストレーター Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $55,490 | ¥4.92M ≈ $31,302 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $71,900 | ¥5.53M |
| Outlook score | 49 | 26 |
| AI replacement risk | 51% Moderate | 60% Moderate |
| Workers | 11K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.