Featured Online School

The Art Institutes offers real-world education programs in design, the culinary arts, media arts, and fashion. Here you'll get the competitive edge to succeed as a creative professional - in your field of interest! Online programs also satisfy a need for budding creative professionals.

Featured Online School

Earn your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication degree with a concentration in
WEB DESIGN!
Click here to learn more.

For almost 70 years, Harrington has focused on preparing leaders in today's interior design industry. You can be one of those people. Click here to learn how!

Explore your artistic creativity with all that technology has to offer. Click here to learn more.

NYFA offers workshops in Filmmaking, Digital Filmmaking, Acting, Producing, Editing, Music Video, Screenwriting, 3D Animation, and Movie Camps as well as Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking. Click here to find a location near you!

Related Sites: Career Training; Web Design Schools; Game Design Schools; Online Schools; Continuing Education; Bachelors Degrees; Masters Degrees; Online Graduate Schools; Top Graduate Schools; Working Student

Art Careers, Jobs & Salaries

You're creative. You love to draw, paint, sculpt, write, or design. But what does it take to have a career as an artist? What paths can or should you pursue, and how valid is the stereotype of the starving artist? Pursuing a career as a full-time artist is possible, if you have the passion and the energy.

Career Paths

Artists can typically be categorized into four groups:

Art Directors: Art directors develop design concepts for media pieces and oversee the entire creation and production process.

Craft Artists: Craft artists hand-make objects, such as candles, tapestries, quilts, and pottery, to be sold or shown.

Fine Artists: Fine artists create items such as paintings, sculpture, and illustrations that are often displayed in museums and galleries.

Multimedia Artists: Multimedia artists create images for film, video and other forms of electronic media.

About 62% of artists are self-employed. Many, however, find work with museums, galleries, schools, advertising agencies, magazines, newspapers, and movie studios. Through 2014, employment opportunities are expected to grow as fast as average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), though competition in all art and design fields is generally quite keen. The outlook is most favorable for multimedia artists, as the demand for special effects in movies and television, animation, and video games increases.

Salaries vary greatly for artists. Median earnings for salaried artists in October 2007 ranged from $35,118 for illustrators to $105,85 for art directors. Freelance artists, however, do not have a steady salary and must work to ensure a constant stream of income.

Career Tips

Statistics on Art Careers -- The numbers you need to know...

Art Industry Trends -- Which art careers are hot? Some of the art industry's best career markets...

Careers, Jobs, and Salaries for Artists -- The various art disciplines, and the salaries you can expect...

Fashion Design Education & Careers -- Influence fashion trends today...

Interior Design Education & Careers -- Consider color, fabric, space, and functio in an interior design career ...

Careers and Education in Photography --The jobs, education, degrees, and financial aid available for photography students...

Graphic Design Education & Careers -- Top-notch designs grab attention. Make your mark...

Top 10 Qualities of a Great Artist -- What's it take to be great in the art world?

Related Resources

Career Descriptions & Outlook: Visual Artist - The Occupational Outlook Handbook entry for visual artists.; Career Alternatives for Art Historians - A list of job possibilities, compiled by Charles Rosenberg for the University of Notre Dame.; Careers in the Arts - Career descriptions related to the visual arts, from SUNY Oswego.; Careers in Art: An Illustrated Guide - Provides an overview of the various career possibilities in art, including steps on how to be successful in each career field.; Opportunities in Arts and Crafts Careers - A book to help you as you consider a career in one of 25 different art concentrations.

Internships: MonsterTRAK - Advice and opportunities through MonsterTRAK, the launching pad for college students and recent grads.; Idealist - Search for internships in non-profit organizations worldwide.; National Network for Artist Placement - Links to assorted publications about internship and job placement for artists.; National Gallery of Art - Graduate internships and fellowships administered by different divisions within the institution.

Cover Letter & Resume Books: Cover Letter Magic: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers - This book features more than 150 sample cover letters, as well as great tips on writing a winning cover letter.; Designing Creative Resumes: A Complete Resource for the Creative Professional - A guide for the design elements of a creative resume.; Crisp Designing Portfolios - Guide for creating a portfolio.

The Interview: The Top 10 Tips for a Successful Job Interview - Good advice on sticky issues like acknowledging your weaknesses without making yourself look bad.

The Self-Employed Artist: Advice on Art - Career skills for artists. Focuses on fine art topics such as dealing with galleries, photographing your work, etc.; Selling Your Art at Online Auctions - Tips on how to successfully sell art through online auctions.; ArtDeadline.com - Professional art opportunities available to subscribers.; Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market (Annual) - Annual guide for freelance contacts in the art market.; Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines - A comprehensive guide to buying and selling art work.; How to Survive and Prosper As an Artist : Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul - Resources for prospering as an artist.; The Artist's Marketing and Action Plan Workbook - Guide for the successful sale of artwork.; Taking the Leap : Building a Career As a Visual Artist - Great information on establishing a visual arts career.