Craft Artists Salary
Craft Artists in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO make a median of $53,680 a year, or about $25.81 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.78), so that salary is closer to $50,747 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,169/month, about 60.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $54K actually covers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Denver-Aurora-Centennial’s Regional Price Parity (105.78). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About craft artists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Denver-Aurora-Centennial sits well above the national pay line for craft artists, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,169/month, which is 60.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.78), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Entry-level craft artists (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Craft Artists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Craft Artists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $101K | +118% | 170 |
| Missouri | $62K | +34% | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +27% | 190 |
| Texas | $55K | +19% | 870 |
| Maine | $53K | +16% | 50 |
| Oregon | $51K | +11% | 170 |
| New York | $49K | +6% | 50 |
| Georgia | $49K | +6% | N/A |
| Florida | $49K | +6% | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +3% | 50 |
| Arizona | $46K | +0% | N/A |
| Washington | $44K | -4% | 80 |
| Colorado | $44K | -5% | N/A |
| Illinois | $43K | -7% | N/A |
| Alaska | $42K | -10% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | -10% | 230 |
| Alabama | $41K | -11% | 70 |
| Ohio | $38K | -17% | 180 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -24% | 70 |
| Connecticut | $34K | -26% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $33K | -29% | N/A |
| Minnesota | $28K | -40% | 140 |
| Michigan | $26K | -44% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track craft artists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Denver-Aurora-Centennial numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a craft artist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 60.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,169/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for craft artists in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new craft artists typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,742/month. At HUD’s $2,169/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is craft artist a high-paying job in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $54K here vs. $46K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for craft artists?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do craft artists make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $53,680 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,640, and experienced craft artists can clear $58,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,567/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,169/month, which eats 60.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a craft artists salary go in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has a Regional Price Parity of 105.78 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median craft artists salary is worth about $50,747 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do craft artists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.