What do they do?

Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.

Also known as:

Artist, Automotive Artist, Blacksmith, Caricature Artist, Fine Artist, Ice Carver, Illustrator, Muralist, Non-Representational Metal Sculptor, Painter, Portrait Artist, Sculptor, Stained Glass Artist, Water Colorist, Watercolor Artist

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 6.1%

    Change

    Ranks #29 in job growth rate
    110

    Job Openings

    Ranks #8 in net job growth

Best colleges for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (2%)
  • Master's degree  (13%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (42%)
  • Associate's degree  (8%)
  • Some college, no degree  (19%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (13%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (3%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

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People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.
  • Build models, patterns, or templates.
  • Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.
  • Arrange artwork, products, or props.
  • Draw detailed or technical illustrations.
  • Collaborate with others to determine technical details of productions.
  • Prepare materials for preservation, storage, or display.
  • Send information, materials or documentation.
  • Present work to clients for approval.
  • Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work.
  • Coordinate logistics for productions or events.
  • Maintain records, documents, or other files.
  • Entertain public with comedic or dramatic performances.
  • Estimate costs for projects or productions.
  • Perform marketing activities.
  • Research new technologies.
  • Collaborate with others to prepare or perform artistic productions.
  • Apply finishes to artwork, crafts, or displays.
  • Monitor current trends.
  • Operate still or video cameras or related equipment.
  • Create computer-generated graphics or animation.
  • Teach classes in area of specialization.
  • Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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