How To Become A Scenic Artist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a scenic artist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted Expert

Paul Molnar

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a scenic artist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.28 an hour? That's $52,584 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 2,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Scenic Artist?

Paul Molnar

Associate Professor of Theatre, Independence Community College

I believe that flexibility, out-of-the-box thinking, and passion will be required. The good news is, those things have always been required. The difference is, individuals will have to look to create their opportunities more aggressively. Looking at the challenges we all face as potential opportunities is a start, and understanding that we are all in this together will be essential. Also, I think that focusing on one's community will serve the artists well. Even during lock-downs and social distancing, people still need theatre and the arts. Create local art to help your local community.

ScoreScenic ArtistUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,584

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

3.5

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 7.07%

Black or African American 4.46%

Hispanic or Latino 14.99%

Unknown 5.55%

White 67.30%

Gender

female 54.63%

male 45.37%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress Level

3.5

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.1

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.7

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a scenic artist

Explore scenic artist education requirements

Most common scenic artist degrees

Bachelor's

70.1 %

Master's

11.1 %

Associate

10.9 %

Start to develop specific scenic artist skills

Skills	Percentages
Theater Productions	18.41%
Art Directors	16.63%
Scene Painting	13.96%
Scene Shop	12.19%
Faux Finishes	11.96%

Research scenic artist duties and responsibilities

Airbrush, touch up guns, car sprayer equip.
Solo shows in NYC, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Maintain the integrity of the show by touching up paint on scenery and repairing costumes.
Work as a stitcher, sewing costumes, making alterations, and general maintenance of costume pieces.

Prepare your scenic artist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your scenic artist 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 a scenic artist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Scenic Artist Resume templates

Build a professional Scenic Artist 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 Scenic Artist resume.

Apply for scenic artist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a scenic artist 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 scenic artists rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Scenic Artist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022

Pros

I get to do what I love

Cons

It’s hard work, it feels like you will not make it and you’re jumping from job to job sometimes every now and then but the goal is to not give up, everyone is more than capable of achieving the things they put their minds too. :)

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019

Pros

Painting Use of all mediums Creativity Shows

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019

Pros

1) Makes my own art decor(I don't just paint I do other art as well) 2) It releases stress 3) Make my own gifts without having to go out buy one. 4)I am not hobbyist 5) tried to do digital art depends on program

What is a scenic artist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Scenic Artist?

Scenic Artist career paths

Key steps to become a scenic artist

Explore scenic artist education requirements

Most common scenic artist degrees

Start to develop specific scenic artist skills

Research scenic artist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your scenic artist resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Scenic Artist Resume templates

Apply for scenic artist jobs

How Did You Land Your First Scenic Artist Job

Average scenic artist salary

How do scenic artists rate their job?

Scenic Artist reviews