Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Virginia make a median of $47,930 a year, or about $23.04 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $50,564 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 50.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Virginia?
About fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
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What this looks like in Virginia
Pay for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in Virginia runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 51.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $58K spread from bottom to top.
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators salary by metro in Virginia
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $62K | +29% | 50 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $35K | -27% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 51.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,778/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 Virginia?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $48K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Virginia pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make in Virginia?
The median is $47,930 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,640, and experienced fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators can clear $87,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,193/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 51.6% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $50,564 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.