Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in St. Louis, MO-IL make a median of $42,160 a year, or about $20.27 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $44,337 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month — about 42.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $48K 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
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +131% | 1,760 |
| Massachusetts | $84K | +38% | 30 |
| Indiana | $79K | +31% | 40 |
| New York | $79K | +30% | 960 |
| Washington | $78K | +29% | 840 |
| South Carolina | $73K | +21% | 190 |
| Connecticut | $73K | +20% | 140 |
| Maryland | $73K | +20% | 30 |
| Minnesota | $64K | +5% | 70 |
| Arizona | $63K | +5% | 80 |
| Oregon | $63K | +5% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $63K | +4% | 50 |
| Georgia | $62K | +2% | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -2% | 140 |
| Virginia | $59K | -3% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $58K | -5% | 190 |
| Illinois | $54K | -11% | N/A |
| Nevada | $53K | -12% | 90 |
| Alabama | $52K | -14% | 40 |
| Missouri | $52K | -14% | 180 |
| Florida | $48K | -20% | 820 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -21% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -25% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -26% | 260 |
| Maine | $45K | -26% | N/A |
| Idaho | $44K | -28% | 40 |
| Utah | $44K | -28% | 140 |
| New Mexico | $43K | -29% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $43K | -29% | N/A |
| Iowa | $39K | -36% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $39K | -36% | 90 |
| Michigan | $35K | -42% | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $35K | -43% | 110 |
| Texas | $35K | -43% | 1,140 |
| Louisiana | $32K | -47% | 190 |
| Ohio | $31K | -48% | 680 |
| Kansas | $25K | -59% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 37 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 St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $42,160 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,580, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $73,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,892/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 42.1% 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 St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (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 $44,337 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.