The average wage for an illustrator in the United States is around $23.74 per hour.
Avg Wage
This is 5% below the national average. Updated in 2018.
Illustrators earn an average hourly wage of $23.74. Salaries typically start from $9.62 per hour and go up to $58.56 per hour.
Illustrator earnings by seniority
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Illustrator salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $64,070 |
| California | $65,190 |
| Oklahoma | $67,440 |
| New Jersey | $62,170 |
| Virginia | $59,130 |
| Oregon | $51,020 |
| Massachusetts | $47,120 |
| Minnesota | $56,490 |
| Kansas | $51,270 |
| Maryland | $52,330 |
| Indiana | $46,844 |
| North Carolina | $43,310 |
| Michigan | $42,090 |
| Vermont | $42,670 |
| Arizona | $45,804 |
| Georgia | $48,460 |
| Texas | $55,830 |
| Washington | $35,360 |
| Louisiana | $37,640 |
| Colorado | $37,720 |
| New Hampshire | $47,380 |
| Nebraska | $44,440 |
| Iowa | $44,380 |
| Florida | $38,940 |
| Tennessee | $37,570 |
| Utah | $43,140 |
| Kentucky | $39,730 |
| Illinois | $38,422 |
| Ohio | $37,360 |
| Missouri | $36,130 |
| Montana | $34,110 |
| New Mexico | $33,910 |
| Puerto Rico | $33,340 |
| South Carolina | $19,650 |
| Arkansas | $19,590 |
How do illustrator salaries compare to similar careers?
Illustrators earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than industrial designers but more than model makers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Industrial designer salary | $67K |
| Film and video editor salary | $60K |
| Tattoo artist salary | $39K |
| Calligrapher salary | $65K |
| Cinematographer salary | $40K |
| Illustrator salary | $49K |
| Exhibit designer salary | $54K |
| Camera operator salary | $50K |
| Interior designer salary | $52K |
| Model maker salary | $53K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)