Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Santa Fe, NM make a median of $72,610 a year, or about $34.91 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers.
So what does $73K get you in Santa Fe?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Fe’s Regional Price Parity (98.8). 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 Santa Fe
Santa Fe sits well above the national pay line for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, local pay runs about 31% 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 $1,685/month, which is 35.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.8) 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 Santa Fe, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | $49K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $55K | , |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $50K | , |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $63K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Fe, NM
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $34K 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 Santa Fe numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Fe?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 35.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,685/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Santa Fe?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,723/month. At HUD’s $1,685/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Santa Fe?
Local pay is 31% above the national median — $73K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Santa Fe compare to the national average for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Santa Fe pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in Santa Fe, NM?
The median is $72,610 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,380, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $79,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Santa Fe?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,742/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,685/month, which eats 35.5% 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 Santa Fe?
Santa Fe has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary is worth about $73,492 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.