Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD make a median of $65,520 a year, or about $31.5 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $62,705 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 43.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). 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 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson sits well above the national pay line for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $58K |
| Pittsburgh | $44K | $47K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $35K | $36K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $57K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $99K | +78% | N/A |
| Nevada | $82K | +47% | 160 |
| New York | $79K | +42% | 1,400 |
| Washington | $72K | +31% | 350 |
| Connecticut | $71K | +28% | 100 |
| Maryland | $66K | +19% | 80 |
| Georgia | $65K | +17% | 350 |
| New Mexico | $63K | +14% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +11% | N/A |
| California | $58K | +5% | 2,560 |
| Utah | $57K | +3% | 80 |
| Arizona | $56K | +1% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $54K | -2% | N/A |
| Illinois | $54K | -3% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $53K | -4% | 100 |
| Colorado | $52K | -6% | 250 |
| Florida | $50K | -9% | 1,010 |
| Missouri | $50K | -10% | 110 |
| Texas | $50K | -11% | 700 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -13% | 60 |
| Virginia | $48K | -14% | 230 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -14% | 60 |
| Maine | $46K | -17% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $41K | -27% | N/A |
| Nebraska | $40K | -28% | 40 |
| Michigan | $39K | -30% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $32K | -42% | 40 |
| Ohio | $32K | -43% | 510 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -45% | 100 |
| Kansas | $26K | -53% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 30 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,630/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $66K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $65,520 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,830, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $75,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,295/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 43.2% 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 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (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 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary is worth about $62,705 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators 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.