Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Illinois make a median of $53,850 a year, or about $25.89 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $57,379 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in Illinois?
About fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
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What this looks like in Illinois
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 39.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $67K spread from bottom to top.
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $55K | +2% | N/A |
Compare to other states
Track fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 39.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,963/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Illinois pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in Illinois?
The median is $53,850 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,720, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $99,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,553/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 39.6% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $57,379 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.