Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Colorado Springs, CO make a median of $49,480 a year, or about $23.79 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.71), that's roughly $49,131 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,474/month, about 42.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $49K actually covers in Colorado Springs, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Colorado Springs’s Regional Price Parity (100.71). 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 Colorado Springs
Pay for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in Colorado Springs runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,474/month, which is 44.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado Springs, CO
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $58K 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 annually. We'll email you when Colorado Springs numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado Springs?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 44.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,474/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Colorado Springs?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,477/month. At HUD’s $1,474/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Colorado Springs?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $49K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Colorado Springs compare to the national average for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Colorado Springs pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in Colorado Springs, CO?
The median is $49,480 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,450, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $94,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Colorado Springs?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,302/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,474/month, which eats 44.6% 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 Colorado Springs?
Colorado Springs has a Regional Price Parity of 100.71 (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 $49,131 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.