Craft Artists Salary
Craft Artists in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN make a median of $44,720 a year, or about $21.5 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.7), that's roughly $46,729 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,473/month, about 47.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $45K actually covers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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
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What this looks like in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
Craft artists pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,473/month, which is 48.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for craft artists in metros near Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $26K | $26K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
Entry-level craft artists (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $32K 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a craft artist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 48.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,473/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for craft artists in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new craft artists typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,051/month. At HUD’s $1,473/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood compare to the national average for craft artists?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do craft artists make in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?
The median is $44,720 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,720, and experienced craft artists can clear $76,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,051/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,473/month, which eats 48.3% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median craft artists salary is worth about $46,729 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.