Art Directors
Median $114,850
Occupation · SOC 27-1012
Craft Artists: pay and where the jobs are
What craft artists earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$46,080 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $49,740
- Median hourly wage
- $22.15
- Mean hourly wage
- $23.91
- Employment
- 4,580
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-1012.
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See where your pay falls among craft artists nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do craft artists make?
The median annual wage for craft artists was $46,080 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $25,960 and the highest-paid 10% more than $71,990. As an hourly rate, the median is $22.15. About 4,580 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in California ($100,540), Missouri ($61,780) and Wisconsin ($58,650). California also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for craft artists looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $25,960 | $12.48 | $2,163 | $1,916 |
| 25th percentile | $35,020 | $16.84 | $2,918 | $2,527 |
| Median | $46,080 | $22.15 | $3,840 | $3,267 |
| 75th percentile | $58,240 | $28.00 | $4,853 | $4,081 |
| 90th percentile | $71,990 | $34.61 | $5,999 | $4,956 |
Craft Artists: pay by state
23 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$66,065 take-home in national prices
2
$54,895 take-home in national prices
3
$50,271 take-home in national prices
Where a median craft artist paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 170 | $100,540 | $55,290 | $204,390 | $73,148 | $66,065 |
| Missouri | 140 | $61,780 | $37,830 | $73,560 | $49,854 | $54,895 |
| Wisconsin | 190 | $58,650 | $25,990 | $73,790 | $47,302 | $50,271 |
| Texas | 870 | $54,690 | $35,790 | $71,990 | $46,123 | $47,522 |
| Maine | 50 | $53,380 | $34,560 | $57,320 | $42,879 | $44,182 |
| Oregon | 170 | $51,060 | $39,740 | $78,000 | $39,615 | $38,326 |
| New York | 50 | $49,020 | $33,650 | $89,790 | $39,275 | $36,392 |
| Georgia | Not published | $48,880 | $19,600 | $95,210 | $39,764 | $41,295 |
| Florida | 270 | $48,710 | $35,530 | $80,800 | $41,318 | $39,954 |
| Massachusetts | 50 | $47,660 | $38,320 | $76,010 | $38,093 | $36,019 |
| Arizona | Not published | $46,300 | $31,430 | $58,840 | $38,618 | $38,359 |
| Washington | 80 | $44,120 | $39,150 | $54,720 | $37,018 | $34,592 |
| Colorado | Not published | $43,620 | $36,580 | $58,470 | $35,826 | $34,765 |
| Illinois | Not published | $43,040 | $33,670 | $68,080 | $34,777 | $34,792 |
| Alaska | Not published | $41,600 | $41,600 | $41,600 | $35,398 | $34,582 |
| Pennsylvania | 230 | $41,600 | $32,140 | $61,000 | $34,299 | $35,153 |
| Alabama | 70 | $40,800 | $21,520 | $44,270 | $33,299 | $37,489 |
| Ohio | 180 | $38,070 | $30,060 | $50,450 | $32,173 | $34,679 |
| South Carolina | 70 | $35,050 | $26,010 | $52,830 | $29,944 | $31,940 |
| Connecticut | 70 | $34,010 | $34,010 | $42,810 | $28,507 | $27,513 |
| Tennessee | Not published | $32,830 | $30,930 | $109,410 | $28,559 | $31,086 |
| Minnesota | 140 | $27,560 | $24,780 | $60,820 | $23,528 | $23,857 |
| Michigan | 290 | $25,960 | $25,960 | $47,990 | $22,136 | $23,006 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 27-1012. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.