How To Become An Arts Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is an arts manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

An arts manager oversees and directs the art-related activities of an organization. They typically work in art galleries, film production companies, advertising agencies, and other companies that deal with creative design and production.

The responsibilities of an arts manager include managing and deciding the presentation of graphics, photographs, and other artwork to clients or the target market. They make necessary arrangements to meet the project's requirements, milestones, budget, and deadlines. They also hire, mentor, and supervise illustrators, designers, and other kinds of artists involved in the project.

People working in this position maintain the balance between artistry and business acumen. They weigh the risks and opportunities that come with the project, prepared to make last-minute adjustments to align the concepts and deliverables with the project's vision.

Pursuing a career as an arts manager requires a bachelor's degree in fine arts, business management, or other related fields. However, some employers favor candidates with a master's degree and years of prior experience in a contributory and supervisory position.

ScoreArts ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.9

Avg. Salary $88,844

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.7

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 7.60%

Black or African American 3.41%

Hispanic or Latino 12.05%

Unknown 4.71%

White 71.83%

Gender

female 48.83%

male 51.17%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress Level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an arts manager

Explore arts manager education requirements

Most common arts manager degrees

Bachelor's

65.6 %

Associate

18.8 %

Master's

6.4 %

Start to develop specific arts manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	89.49%
Art Direction	2.10%
Animation	0.85%
Art Assets	0.84%
Unity	0.80%

Complete relevant arts manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New arts managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an arts manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real arts manager resumes.

Research arts manager duties and responsibilities

Manage and create art for the purpose of embroidery and printing.
Manage all aspects of the operation of an in-house print shop including purchase of all print supplies and maintenance of printers
Manage all aspects of day-to-day operation of a desktop publishing and service bureau, including design, page-layout and typesetting.
Lead corporate rebranding efforts to reflect proprietary technology and high-end international market.

Prepare your arts manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your arts manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an arts manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Arts Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Arts Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Arts Manager resume.

Apply for arts manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an arts manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do arts managers rate their job?