Average Artist Salary in Austin, United States for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Artist salary for 2026 in Austin and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Artist Make in Austin?

An Artist working in Austin will typically earn around 88,500 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 41,000 USD to the highest average salary of 142,300 USD.

Average Annual Salary88,500 USD
Average Monthly Salary7,375 USD
Average Lowest Salary41,000 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary3,416 USD
Average Highest Salary142,300 USD
Highest Monthly Salary11,858 USD

These are average salaries for an Artist in Austin and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Artist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Artist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Artist Salaries in Austin

So we've looked at the average salaries an Artist will earn in Austin. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Artist can earn between 41,000 USD and 142,300 USD on average in Austin. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Artist in Austin is 97,100 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 97,100 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 97,100 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Artist salary in Austin, 25% of the population are earning less than 61,500 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 61,500 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 128,400 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 128,400 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Artist Salary by Experience Level in Austin

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Artist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Artist in Austin that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 47,600 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Artist salary would increase to 61,400 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Artist, the average salary would be 94,300 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 114,600 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Artist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 125,400 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Artist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 134,100 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
47,600 USD
2-5 Years+34%
61,400 USD
5-10 Years+48%
94,300 USD
10-15 Years+22%
114,600 USD
15-20 Years+9%
125,400 USD
20+ Years+8%
134,100 USD

Artist Salary by Education Level in Austin

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Artist in Austin based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. An Artist in Austin with a high school education can earn an average salary of 56,900 USD.
  • Certificate or Diploma. An Artist in Austin with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 66,100 USD.
  • Bachelor's Degree. An Artist in Austin with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 98,000 USD.
  • Master's Degree. An Artist in Austin with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 130,500 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
56,900 USD
Certificate or Diploma+18%
66,100 USD
Bachelor's Degree+45%
98,000 USD
Master's Degree+31%
130,500 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Artist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Austin, a male artist will earn an average of 78,200 USD, while a female artist will earn around 74,500 USD.

This means that a male artist earns approximately 5% more than a female artist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Austin

Male-
78,200 USD
Female-5%
74,500 USD

Artist Average Pay Raise in Austin

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Artist in Austin is around 11% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that an Artist in Austin can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Austin for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
4%
Energy-
8%
Information Technology-
3%
Healthcare-
7%
Travel-
2%
Construction-
6%
Education-
1%

Artist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Austin

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Artist is a low bonus based job, with 35% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

65% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
35%
No Bonus-
65%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
98,800 USD
Private Sector-6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Artist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Artist in Austin.

Job TitleCategorySalary
Advertising Account ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events102,700 USD
Advertising Account ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events116,400 USD
Advertising Account PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events58,400 USD
Advertising CoordinatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events73,500 USD
Advertising ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events151,800 USD
Advertising Operations ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events160,700 USD
Advertising Sales DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events166,600 USD
Advertising Strategic PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events102,700 USD
Advertising Team LeaderAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events90,900 USD
Advertising and Promotions ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events158,700 USD
AnimatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events73,700 USD
Art DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events92,100 USD
Art ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events99,400 USD
ArtworkerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events57,200 USD
Assistant Art DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events76,000 USD
Audio EngineerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events68,900 USD
Audio and Video Equipment TechnicianAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events58,100 USD
Audiosual TechnicianAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events54,700 USD
Broadcast AdministratorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events103,600 USD
Catering SalesAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events64,800 USD
Catering TrainerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events71,200 USD
Commercial and Industrial DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events59,200 USD
Conference OrganiserAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events69,200 USD
Content and Media Production LeadAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events109,700 USD
CopyWriterAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events65,700 USD
Creative DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events71,900 USD
Creative DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events94,100 USD
Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events54,600 USD
Desktop PublisherAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events49,400 USD
Digital Campaign ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events100,300 USD
Digital Media ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events117,100 USD
Digital Media StrategistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events116,400 USD
Director of EventsAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events157,600 USD
Director of Graphic DesignAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events92,000 USD
Director of Social Media MarketingAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events124,500 USD
Events DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events165,900 USD
Events and Promotions ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events160,700 USD
Exhibit DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events75,900 USD
Exhibit Display CoordinatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events68,500 USD
Exhibit Display ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events96,500 USD
FinisherAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events46,700 USD
Graphic ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events58,600 USD
Graphic Design SpecialistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events69,400 USD
Graphic DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events63,200 USD
Graphics ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events59,000 USD
Graphics Design SupervisorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events84,800 USD
Group Creative DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events102,700 USD
Imagery AnalystAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events57,400 USD
Imaging TechnologistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events52,300 USD
Interaction DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events48,600 USD
Media AnalystAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events77,000 USD
Media ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events95,500 USD
Media PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events83,400 USD
Media Production CoordinatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events70,800 USD
Media Production ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events127,600 USD
Media Project ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events130,400 USD
Media Relations RepresentativeAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events107,300 USD
Media Sales ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events127,700 USD
Meeting and Event PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events74,500 USD
Multimedia ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events64,100 USD
Multimedia SpecialistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events52,300 USD
PPC Campaign ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events93,600 USD
PhotographerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events51,300 USD
Print Production ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events105,800 USD
Product and Brand ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events157,600 USD
Sales Promotion ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events152,900 USD
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO)Advertising / Graphic Design / Events65,800 USD
Sketch ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events63,200 USD
Social Media ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events117,100 USD
Social Media ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events123,000 USD
Social Media Marketing ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events128,200 USD
Social Media StrategistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events115,600 USD
Special Events SupervisorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events96,500 USD
Technical TypistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events41,500 USD
UX DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events59,100 USD
User Experience UX DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events67,300 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Atlanta81,600 USD
Baltimore81,600 USD
Boston86,200 USD
Bristol66,900 USD
Chicago99,500 USD
Cincinnati75,200 USD
Cleveland75,500 USD
Dallas94,400 USD
Denver91,600 USD
Detroit88,850 USD
Honolulu69,600 USD
Houston99,600 USD
Indianapolis87,750 USD
Iowa City67,250 USD
Jacksonville91,250 USD
Kansas City83,050 USD
Kent68,900 USD
Las Vegas84,700 USD
Long Beach77,600 USD
Los Angeles101,250 USD
Memphis85,100 USD
Miami79,150 USD
Minneapolis73,900 USD
New Orleans78,950 USD
New York104,900 USD
Oakland80,000 USD
Oklahoma City86,200 USD
Orlando72,550 USD
Philadelphia96,850 USD
Phoenix100,550 USD
Sacramento83,300 USD
San Antonio99,700 USD
San Diego93,850 USD
San Francisco89,000 USD
San Jose93,750 USD
Seattle93,200 USD
Tampa74,700 USD
Vancouver71,200 USD
Washington D.C.88,250 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

StateAverage Salary
Alabama85,000 USD
Alaska73,750 USD
Arizona86,700 USD
Arkansas82,200 USD
California95,600 USD
Colorado85,650 USD
Connecticut83,600 USD
Delaware75,150 USD
District of Columbia76,800 USD
Florida93,850 USD
Georgia92,800 USD
Hawaii78,050 USD
Idaho78,150 USD
Illinois91,650 USD
Indiana88,750 USD
Iowa83,550 USD
Kansas81,800 USD
Kentucky86,150 USD
Louisiana85,250 USD
Maine79,450 USD
Maryland88,150 USD
Massachusetts90,250 USD
Michigan90,000 USD
Minnesota87,650 USD
Mississippi84,850 USD
Missouri88,100 USD
Montana80,900 USD
Nebraska80,850 USD
Nevada85,550 USD
New Hampshire78,500 USD
New Jersey93,400 USD
New Mexico81,300 USD
New York97,350 USD
North Carolina87,700 USD
North Dakota73,000 USD
Ohio92,700 USD
Oklahoma83,500 USD
Oregon83,500 USD
Pennsylvania92,100 USD
Rhode Island77,250 USD
South Carolina83,500 USD
South Dakota75,100 USD
Tennessee86,300 USD
Texas94,700 USD
Utah81,650 USD
Vermont73,900 USD
Virginia92,600 USD
Washington88,350 USD
West Virginia79,550 USD
Wisconsin86,000 USD
Wyoming76,100 USD

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