Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Cleveland, OH make a median of $27,560 a year, or about $13.25 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.92), which stretches that salary to about $29,344 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,279/month, about 65.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $28K get you in Cleveland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cleveland’s Regional Price Parity (93.92). 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.
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What this looks like in Cleveland
Pay for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in Cleveland runs about 50% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,279/month, which is 63.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.92 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustratorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in metros near Cleveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $35K | $36K |
| Columbus | $35K | $37K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $58K |
| Pittsburgh | $44K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cleveland, OH
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $59K 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 with published data
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 Cleveland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cleveland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 63.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,279/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Cleveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,423/month. At HUD’s $1,279/month FMR, rent would take 90% 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 Cleveland?
Local pay runs 50% below the national median — $28K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Cleveland compare to the national average for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Cleveland pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -50%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.92), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in Cleveland, OH?
The median is $27,560 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,710, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $83,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Cleveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,012/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,279/month, which eats 63.6% 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 Cleveland?
Cleveland has a Regional Price Parity of 93.92 (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 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary is worth about $29,344 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.