How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree, then more than a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

1,387 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Arts, design, media & film · SOC 27-1013

$55,490US median pay, 2025

-2.9%Projected growth, 2025–35

2,200Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Long-term on-the-job training
Work in: fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Art/Art Studies, General	CIP 50.0701	725
Fine/Studio Arts, General	CIP 50.0702	625
Visual and Performing Arts, General	CIP 50.0101	270
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other	CIP 50.0799	77
Painting	CIP 50.0708	48
Ceramic Arts and Ceramics	CIP 50.0711	42
Sculpture	CIP 50.0709	40
Intermedia/Multimedia	CIP 50.0706	36
Printmaking	CIP 50.0710	28
Drawing	CIP 50.0705	27
Medical Illustration/Medical Illustrator	CIP 51.2703	9
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art	CIP 50.1101	0

See the 1,387 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree, then more than a year of training on the job. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make?: The US median is $55,490 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 1,387 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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