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Job outlook for lead artists in the United States
Lead artist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected lead artist job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 3,200 new jobs for lead artists are projected over the next decade.
Lead artist salaries have increased 19% for lead artists in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,145 lead artists currently employed in the United States.
There are 4,799 active lead artist job openings in the US.
The average lead artist salary is $83,041.
Are lead artist jobs in demand?
Lead Artist job and salary trends over time
Lead Artist jobs over time
Lead Artist job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,145 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 7,959 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,826 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 8,591 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,982 | 0.00% |
Average lead artist salary over time
Lead Artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,041 | $39.92 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $80,444 | $38.68 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $77,505 | $37.26 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $75,379 | $36.24 | +8.0% |
| 2021 | $69,789 | $33.55 | +2.1% |
Lead Artist jobs by state
Most common states for lead artists
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 278 | 21% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 102 | 18% |
| 3 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 537 | 17% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 183 | 17% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 111 | 15% |
| 6 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 226 | 13% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 139 | 13% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 112 | 13% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,558 | 12% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 225 | 12% |
| 11 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,329 | 11% |
| 12 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 730 | 11% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 658 | 11% |
| 14 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,006 | 10% |
| 15 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 443 | 10% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 302 | 10% |
| 17 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 293 | 10% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 203 | 10% |
| 19 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 282 | 9% |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 311 | 8% |
Most common cities for lead artists
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $93,988 |
Lead Artist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of lead artist experts
Florida Gulf Coast University
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Webster University
Louisiana College
Mississippi College
Kansas City Art Institute
Wayne State University
University of Oklahoma
Saint Xavier University
Oakland University
Duke University
University of Findlay
University of Missouri - Columbia
Wilson College
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Beth Secor: Keep your eyes and ears open for job opportunities, find a job at an arts non-profit, and never quit making art. Actively engage in the profession, as it can lead to unexpected opportunities.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Beth Secor: For studio artists, it is important to steer away from AI, as AI-produced artworks are devoid of real emotion or soul. A skill that is very important is having the ability to put yourself out there, promote your work on social media platforms or in exhibitions, and have a gallery representing your work.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Beth Secor: Many of the students I went to undergraduate and graduate school, including myself had aspirations of becoming famous artists, but it is best to develop other skills that are art-related that can help you make a living in the meantime. Internships with local arts non-profits organizations, museums, and/or galleries are a great place to start, and while working with them, it is a great opportunity to build networks with others in the arts community.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Michalis Andronikou PhD: Be open-minded and creative. You may need to combine a few different skills to find your own professional path.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Michalis Andronikou PhD: It’s difficult to predict what skills will become more important in the field in the next 3-5 years, but creative people and people with a will to improve their skills will find a way to prevail and lead.
Steve Hughart II
Laboratory Coordinator I/ Adjunct ProfessorFlorida Gulf Coast University
Fine And Studio Arts
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Steve Hughart II: Advice I would give to a graduate beginning their career in Art would be to enter as many shows and exhibitions as possible. Not just in Florida either, expand your focus to regional and national exhibitions as well. Gain as much exposure as you can and make a lot of work to show off. To put it simply, the more you make the better you will get. People will always appreciate a well-crafted handmade item before and artificially made one.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Steve Hughart II: If you want to maximize your salary potential, I always say you need to have a lot of tools in your toolbox. Take your foundation courses seriously and learn as much as you can from the faculty and staff here at FGCU. Ask questions, devote time outside of class to work, time management and understanding how long it will take to complete tasks is very important. Another important aspect is social networking. Meet as many people as you can in the field you are interested in. A lot of times finding the best position isn’t based on what you know, but who you know.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Steve Hughart II: The most important skills that I would suggest would be to learn and understand the Adobe Creative Cloud Applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator for example. These platforms will benefit you immensely in the art field in a ton of different ways. All artists will use these applications in one form or another. That being said, I would also encourage everyone to do as much work as possible with your hands. Learn to use power tools, pick up a piece of paper and pencil instead of the iPad, use a real camera instead of your phone. With AI growing so fast digital media work will all be AI generated, so focusing on improving your editing skills and creating with your hands will be where the jobs are.
Carla Noack
Associate Professor of Theatre, ActingUniversity of Missouri - Kansas City
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Carla Noack: My advice is to be patient and generous with one’s self and others. A career in this field is built over time through nurturing relationships, staying curious, being kind, taking creative risks, and being willing to forgive and be forgiven. Any job “counts” in this field when viewed through an artistic lens. It’s about staying interested in the human condition, finding ways to express your perspective, and encouraging others to do the same.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Carla Noack: Be a good collaborator: always show up and on time; treat everyone as a potential scene partner; embrace surprises and challenges; connect with audience members; find “day jobs” between production work that are flexible and engaging; nurture a desire to learn everything about everything.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Carla Noack: The world needs humans who know how to solve problems creatively and joyfully; who can express themselves clearly and tell stories effectively; who are willing to connect to others in real space and time through vulnerability and empathy; who have skills in listening—helping others feel heard and valued; and who can inspire all of us to envision new ways of working, learning and living together.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Professor Kate Jordahl: It is an excellent time to begin in the visual and performing arts because we have such a need for creativity and our approaches to the problems of the world, the challenges of our society, and the ever-changing fabric of business. Whether you work directly in making things and performing or you are a supervisor who organizes other people's creative tasks, this is a very rewarding area with a balance of using all of your skills to create and make projects successful
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Kate Jordahl: Visual and performing arts professionals will do a variety of jobs and tasks. Part of the point of working in this area is both the creativity and the flexibility that a career a creative career can offer you. Many visual and performing arts professionals will work for themselves, so really, they are small business owners needing to negotiate, organize, and then create their artwork or perform their skill. Generally, creative professionals will find that they will spend approximately 30% of their time in their chosen area of creativity and about 70% of their time in the business of organization, negotiation, and client relations. These specialties need people who are self-starters, who really enjoy working collaboratively, and who can work independently to make deadlines and realize projects. For most visual and performing arts professionals, the last decade has been a time of great change, and being flexible is probably one of the most important things you can bring to the table.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Professor Kate Jordahl: People like that they can be flexible in the performing arts and that there is a myriad of ways to work and thrive in this area. People dislike that the pay is sometimes less than for other professions and that the hours can be very long. Being a visual and performing arts professional means working when the work needs to be done, and it can mean long days, but the rewards are worth it.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Jeffrey Fracé: An artist at the beginning of their career, unless they are lucky enough to have a trust fund, has the unique challenge of effectively managing at least two businesses at once. Most of you will begin as a freelancer, and earn most of your money not from your art. To minimize the time it takes to earn a living with your art, keep your cost of living low, and try not to wear yourself out at your day job. Create day-to-day stability, but put your energy — your best self — into your art. Keep meeting people, keep practicing, and keep creating and producing original work. The more you diversify your skills — scripted and improvised, stage and camera, artistic and commercial, learning and teaching — the better chance you’ll have achieving a balance of satisfying work and satisfying income.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jeffrey Fracé: More and more, the actor, director, or designer who is also a creator has a better chance of succeeding in the field. This means creating new work in any medium — original live performance, writing and shooting your own movie (low-budget or no-budget is absolutely legit), or creating online content, for example. This also means creating opportunities for yourself instead of waiting for them to arrive — “put yourself out there” is a cliché, but more necessary than ever. To have the best chances for success with your original work, you will also need to be a producer and marketer. The next most important skill is interdisciplinary collaboration. Learn how you work with other people and practice to get better at it. Hone your listening skills, and develop interest in other disciplines and how they intersect with yours. Practice bravery and flexibility in how you approach new projects and collaborative partnerships.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Jeffrey Fracé: I recommend that before you graduate, you think about where you want to live and make a plan to move there. Consider factors such where are the artists doing the kind of work you are interested in doing, whom do you already know there, and are there opportunities to earn a living as you break into the field. Meet as many people as you can in your chosen place — whomever you want to work with, get to know their work better and reach out to them. Meanwhile, keep active by continuing to train yourself, because in theater or film/TV, it’s very common for there to be gaps between projects as you are starting out. Keep your cost of living low, and try not to wear yourself out at your day job. Do something every day that reminds you that you are an artist, whether it’s rehearsing your monologues, working on a scene with a friend, taking classes, writing, composing or playing music, whatever helps you feel creative.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Hartmut Austen: Go abroad for a while and travel. Build or become part of a community. Foster relationships with people that have an interest in your wellbeing and success. Maintain relationships with other artists and people in other professional fields. Attend professional development opportunities and consider continuing education towards an M.F.A. program.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Hartmut Austen: Apprenticeships in an artist's studio or workshop, embrace physical labor. Develop soft skills such as connecting with others, having a healthy sense of self, and curiosity.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Hartmut Austen: Attend graduate school or broaden your education. Declutter your life and studio. Make your art and yourself visible in the context you want to be seen. Build relationships, focus on your strengths, learn from others in the discipline, and maintain integrity.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Ananda Keator: 3D printing accessories, digital renderings, and (hopefully) revival of almost lost arts.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ananda Keator: Don't work for free, know your worth and fight for it. Also make sure there is 'life' in your 'work/life balance'. Figure out what success means to you, and it will look different for everyone. You don't have to move to NYC, you don't have to win lots of awards, etc., if that's not what makes you happy.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Ananda Keator: Be multifaceted, don't try to specialize just yet. And see #1
Christopher Aaron
Associate Professor of Media ArtsWebster University
Radio, Television, And Digital Communication
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Christopher Aaron: - NEGOTIATE! Always negotiate. Nobody is going to take away the job you got if you negotiate. If you are the final candidate, you are the final choice. I've found candidates who make themselves negotiate early make better pay, get more respect from their leadership, and this just sets up a precedent with your supervisor for other promotions and advancements.
- Technical skills can only increase your value as a candidate. Even 2D folks can stay abreast of the developing technology and software.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Aaron: - Procedural approaches will be a big deal. Procedural modeling, layout, texturing, etc. will continue to replace object-based modeling and manual layout.
- AI is here. Being able to work with it will be a reality many artists are wary of.
- Virtual production will grow exponentially. Learning game engines will open up all kinds of opportunities in the game industry as well as the film industry.
- Old skills will still be needed and may become more valuable. For example, traditional frame by frame animation will be increasingly sought after as less and less people will be practicing it. We've had alumni get great positions because they were the only animators in a region that could do frame by frame. When the industry goes in one direction (like using 2.5D and cut out rigs) the skills "left behind" sometimes become obscure and gain value.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Christopher Aaron: - Be open and adaptable and strategic. Know that most creatives do not get their dream job out of college. You may need to get a masters degree. You may need to get industry experience. So realize most need to build a career. That means starting for introductory positions, the kind that are the least popular. So maybe don't apply to Lead Character Designer at Blizzard right out of school, maybe apply for Environmental Artist or Texture Artist or Storyboard Artist at smaller studios. Once your foot is in the door, you can start networking and look to make moves to the positions you ARE interested in.
- Employers like seeing school assignments in your portfolio, but they will want to see outside work as well. I've had studio heads say they even ask candidates "Are all of these examples school assignments?" as a trick question to see if they are working on projects on their own time. If a student has more than just school assignments, it shows the drive of the potential candidate.
- Don't burn bridges and network. Students usually get their first really desirable positions from unexpected sources. Stay engaged with former peers online, use your connections for info and opportunities from your peers.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Kathryn Baczeski: Recently, in the craft world of; ceramics, wood working, metalsmith/ jewelry, textiles, printmaking and photography - digital fabrication has been utilized as a step in the creative process more everyday. 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers and artificial intelligence are being implemented as tools to help make patterns and designs, used to make instruments to implement in the creative process and assist in the physical fabrication of objects and larger works of art.
Although the current access to these innovations is expediting the making process across multiple art mediums and fields, this popularity of technologies seems to be shortcutting the basic skill sets that are often foundational to many artistic processes. Therefore, a deep understanding and practice of traditional skills across mediums will be the most important to build upon in conjunction with these budding technological breakthroughs.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kathryn Baczeski: For visual art students leaving school and starting their careers, there is an emphasis in teaching professional development on setting up a studio or finding a space where you are able to continue your creative practice in any capacity. In some instances, this would be a work exchange at a community studio, an internship or apprenticeship at a production studio assisting in the making of work for another well established artist /design line or a job at an institution that supports creative practice such as a school or museum. Typically residencies and internships allow their staff to continue their creative practice and research so that purchasing a bunch of equipment is not an immediate expense or obstacle for someone fresh out of an undergraduate program. I have seen students who have graduated struggle making this step in aligning themselves with a job that supports them financially while also furthering their creative explorations. These opportunities are real life applications for continuing education and learning new skills which can not be replicated in the classroom. In taking a position such as those listed above, newly graduated students learn how to communicate with the public, carve out a schedule that can accommodate both their professional and personal practices along with all of the technical aspects that go into maintaining and running a studio, school or museum.
What will help Lead Artists increase their earning potential?
Kathryn Baczeski: The best way to maximize your salary potential is to learn as many skills as you can, specifically in your medium and any medium adjacent to yours. This will allow you to be able to work multiple positions in any career. For example, if you are a ceramic artist, learning how to work by handbuilding, wheel-throwing, and mold making/slip casting will enhance your chances of being able to work in a variety of capacities in a job as opposed to just one style of creating work. In addition to making art, the processes for finalizing those works can assist you in the technician end of working in any studio. Back to the example of someone working as a ceramic artist, learning how to fire work in electric, gas, atmospheric and wood kilns is a lot more versatile than just being able to finalize work in one method. On the backend of being able to know how to work all of those different machines, learning how to repair them is also a valuable skill so knowing the machines you work with, allows you to specialize in different areas of your field. Continuing this style of education by taking workshops and classes in similar mediums (for ceramics that could be glass or metal working courses) will allow you to understand similar processes in different studio applications, reinforcing those skills. Finally, learning how to teach first time learners what you know about an art practice of medium is also a way to maximize a salary potential in finding part-time opportunities, one on one lessons and teaching to those who might be interested and starting to learn about an artistic process. This opens the door to many ways of making income and diversifying your ability to earn money from multiple sources and employers.
What type of skills will young Lead Artists need?
Benjamin Ivey: Employers want to know that you are a good problem solver. New software, social media platforms, and computers are always coming down the pipe, so younger generations are expected to understand those needs and trends. If you are the kind of employee who can suggest better/faster/cheaper ways of working, then you are a golden investment for any company.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Lead Artists?
John Ferry: I believe so - how can we have something this significant happen and not have it affect our lives in a noticeable way. I actually think there are advantages to having this happen . . . If you look for the positives you'll find them . . . if you look for the negatives you'll find them . . . I can't speculate on what that impact will be - but, we'll all be impacted, Professors and Students. At the very least we are all a lot more familiar with how to navigate virtual meetings.
What experience really stands out on Lead Artist resumes?
John Ferry: I think for a student that internships really stand out. Showing you've worked for an agency or freelance artist and received payment for this experience. It shows you can work with other people and demonstrate some professional experience. At Kansas City Art Institute, where I teach in the Illustration Department, we require all students to take either an internship or mentorship.
I also think showing published work is important. One internship that used to be available in the past was at The Kansas City Star Newspaper. The students were able to do weekly illustrations featured in their publication. It gave them an excellent opportunity to work with art directors, illustrate a concept and work on their portfolio.
Maria Bologna
Wayne State University
What skills stand out on Lead Artist resumes?
Maria Bologna: Highly sought after skills that employers are looking for related to interactivity (motion graphics, animation, video editing)
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Tess Elliot: Stay true to yourself. Be patient and have confidence in yourself and your work. Artists early in their careers often don't make money from their work. This is okay. Find a way to support yourself while continuing to make and share your work and things will fall into place. Seek out that unique path to career fulfillment.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Lead Artists?
Cathie Ruggie Saunders: Yes, absolutely. Events of this caliber become imprinted memories that never go away. All a student will have to say is that they are a graduate of 2020, and everyone will know what that means. A collective consciousness of the nightmare kind. But aside from the abrupt goodbyes they were forced to do were the myriad of opportunities lost. So many of Saint Xavier University's graduates are first-generation. Not only were they looking forward to their graduation, but their parents were, since the parents were not able to do it themselves. And on a larger theatre, they are graduating into a world barely recognizable, despite the fact that they have been exposed, in their lifetime, to 9/11, school shootings, drastic climate change, systemic racism and more. Now, a global health crisis that has affected every facet of life as we knew it.
Carol Anne Ketelsen
Career Consultant for CAS and SONOakland University
School of Nursing, College of Arts and Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Lead Artist job market given the pandemic?
Carol Anne Ketelsen: The biggest trend we have seen through the pandemic is of companies reevaluating how they conduct business. In March, employers were cancelling internships and holding off on hiring. Now employers have figured out how to conduct business remotely and that it does not negatively affect workers' performance. Many employers are expected to make a permanent shift to remote work with some expected to hire staffs of 100 percent virtual workers. This trend requires candidates to be nimble, innovative, solution-oriented, and tech savvy.
Another trend is that companies are struggling to find qualified workers. Early on there was job loss, then many of those jobs recovered. Seasoned workers who were laid off are not returning to their positions for a variety of reasons due to the pandemic. This is good news for new graduates and opens up many opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Lead Artist?
Carol Anne Ketelsen: When interviewing for a position remember that you are also interviewing them. As a candidate you need to determine if this company and culture is a fit for you. Although you want that job, be patient, be selective, and be realistic; you don't have to take the very first thing that comes your way. Do your homework on the company, position, and pay. Know your worth, and don't sell yourself short.
Once in the career, be professional. Dress professionally. Talk professionally. Act professionally. Learn the unwritten rules of the organization. Follow the chain of command. Ask the best way to connect with your supervisor. Accept personal responsibility. Share the credit on projects. Collaborate with others, and be a team player. Workplace professionalism is judged by your communication - verbal, nonverbal and written - your image, your competence, and your demeanor.
What skills stand out on Lead Artist resumes?
Victoria Szabo Ph.D.: Aside from some experience with some basic coding packages and systems (think Python, R, and web frameworks), I would say that experience with project management, success in working on team-based projects, and the ability to demonstrate growth and development over time are the most important. Sophisticated understanding of search algorithms, metadata standards, and user tracking would also help.
What Lead Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Anne Beekman: Designers with a broad range of skills- technology, creativity, and communication-with a strong aesthetic will continue to find jobs.
Dr. Julia Gaines
Director, Professor, PercussionUniversity of Missouri - Columbia
School of Music
What skills stand out on Lead Artist resumes?
Dr. Julia Gaines: Some experience with AV/IT. It will be necessary to be much more familiar with all platforms devoted to customer and student consumption.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Lead Artists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Julia Gaines: Education is still a top market, and that will be needed in every state. Even private studios have evolved to teaching online, all over the world. The location has now become a bit more irrelevant. As long as you can work with a computer well, you should be able to get a job in the education field. Even international opportunities will be more relevant to students, at this point.
What type of skills will young Lead Artists need?
Philip Lindsey: Communication skills, creative and critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, work well independently, and in a team, tech-savvy, broad knowledge (liberal arts) + disciplinary knowledge.