Illustrator
Illustrators turn a brief, a story or an idea into original artwork, usually for a client who needs an image rather than a page of text.
- Median salary
- $96,200
4.5%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 3,400
3.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +19%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 43/wk
+3h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Most illustrators work freelance, moving between projects for publishers, advertising agencies, games studios and media companies rather than holding one ongoing employer, though some work in-house on a studio team. The job is distinct from graphic design: a graphic designer arranges type and existing elements into a layout, while an illustrator draws or paints the image itself, whether that is a book cover, a game character, a packaging illustration or an editorial spread. Commissions come in short bursts, so an illustrator is often pitching for the next job while finishing the current one.
How much do illustrators earn?
The median full-time salary for an illustrator is $96,200 per annum, before tax, up $20,400 since 2018.
Rates swing with the client and the sector: advertising, games and packaging work usually pays more than book publishing, and an in-house studio salary is steadier than a year of freelance commissions. Freelancers set their own fees, so income depends on how many projects they take on and what rights the client buys, since licensing artwork for wider use is worth more than a one-off fee for a single print run. The figure above covers full-time workers, and illustrators who work part time or take quiet stretches between projects will earn less across a year.
What does an illustrator do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Turning a vague client brief into a handful of concept sketches to choose from
- Drawing and redrawing a piece until the proportions, lighting and mood sit right
- Sending drafts back and forth until the client signs off on the direction
- Pitching for new work between projects through emails, social media and past clients
- Keeping several commissions moving at once so a quiet month doesn't become a quiet quarter
What skills do illustrators need?
Employers look for visual design, creative software production, content creation and writing, backed by Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) fluency and strong client relationships and advisory.
Specialist skills
- Visual design
- Creative software production
- Content creation and writing
Software and tools
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
- Procreate
- CorelDRAW
- Clip Studio Paint
- Figma
General skills
- Client relationships and advisory
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Time and deadline management
Is the job growing?
About 3,400 people work as illustrators in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 19% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an illustrator?
Here's the path most illustrators take, step by step.
- 1Build drawing skills and a portfolio
Illustration work is judged on finished pieces, so the portfolio comes before anything else. Draw regularly across the subjects you want to be hired for, whether that is children's books, editorial, games or packaging, and finish pieces rather than leaving them as sketches.
- 2Study illustration, visual art or design
A Bachelor degree is the most common qualification, held by about 54% of the illustrators working now, and a diploma through TAFE is a recognised alternative that costs less and takes less time. Courses matter most for the studio feedback, the deadline practice and the contacts, since no licence or registration is needed to work as an illustrator.
- 3Learn the software clients expect
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are standard, with Procreate common for drawing on a tablet and Clip Studio Paint used widely in comics and games. Figma turns up when you are working alongside a design or product team.
- 4Take paid work, however small
Start with small commissions, a studio internship, an in-house role at a publisher or agency, or a junior position in a games team. Paid work teaches quoting, revision rounds and deadlines faster than personal projects do.
- 5Specialise and build a client list
Most illustrators move toward one or two areas such as children's books, editorial, character design or packaging, because clients hire a style they have already seen. Repeat clients and referrals become the main source of work as the portfolio grows.
Ready to apply as an illustrator?
Whether you're working toward becoming an illustrator or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an illustrator move to?
Moving into Art Director typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $6,500 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Director Illustrators bring strong visual judgement and concept development, adding team leadership and campaign direction through a short course. | +$6,500 | 58% | short course |
| Graphic Designer Illustrators bring drawing, composition and visual storytelling, picking up layout, typography and production skills through a short course.Known move | +$0 | 56% | short course |
| Industrial Designer Illustrators bring drawing and form sensibility, but industrial design requires a product design degree and manufacturing knowledge. | −$19,200 | 20% | requalify |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an illustrator?
The typical illustrator is 34 years old; 64% are men, 70% work full-time, and full-timers average 43 hours a week.
- 34
- Median age
- 36%
- Female share
- 70%
- Full-time
- +3h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an illustrator?
Illustration is project-based work, so the week splits between drawing and the business around it: quoting, emailing, invoicing and showing work in progress. Deadlines cluster, and the pressure usually comes from a brief that keeps shifting rather than from a difficult technique. It suits people who are content working alone for long stretches and can keep producing when nothing has been commissioned yet.
What people like
- You get to draw most days. The core of the job is making images, and a commission can pull you into subjects you would never have chosen yourself, from a children's book about insects to a brand's packaging.
- A portfolio you own. The finished pieces are yours to show, and a strong body of work keeps bringing clients without needing an employer's permission.
- Control over your own schedule. Freelancers choose which jobs to take and when to work, which suits people who would rather finish a piece at midnight than sit in an office at nine.
- Work changes with every client. Publishers, games studios, advertising agencies and product teams all commission illustration, so the briefs, the people and the formats vary from project to project.
What people find hard
- Income arrives unevenly. Payment often follows delivery by 30 or 60 days, so a strong month can sit alongside a thin bank balance until invoices clear.
- Revision rounds can stretch. A client may ask for a different mood after the final art is finished, and the fee was set before that extra work existed.
- Pitching is unpaid. Quoting, sketching concepts and chasing new clients takes real time that nobody pays for, and much of it comes to nothing.
- Working alone. Freelancers make the calls themselves, with no team to check a decision or a colleague to talk through a tricky brief, which some people find harder than the drawing.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ illustrators?
Information Media and Telecommunications employs the largest share of illustrators, followed by Arts and Recreation Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Information Media and Telecommunications
- 2Arts and Recreation Services
- 3Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 53.6% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 19.6% | |
| Postgraduate | 11.1% | |
| Year 12 or below | 9.7% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 4.1% |
Will AI replace illustrators?
Illustration sits in the middle range for AI: image generators produce a passable picture quickly, which has removed some generic and stock-style commissions, while commissioned work still rests on a style the client chose and a brief that shifts mid-project. The tools help with thumbnails, backgrounds and variations, but they cannot sign a licensing agreement, match a printer's specifications or take responsibility for a deadline. Illustrators who can explain what their own drawing adds tend to keep the clients who care about that.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Final linework, colouring and finishingFlatting and background fills speed up with software assistance, but a consistent character across a 32-page picture book comes from the illustrator's own hand.30%moderate
- Roughing out concept sketches and thumbnailsGenerating three or four visual directions is faster with AI-assisted variations, but choosing which one carries the story is still the illustrator's call.25%moderate
- Preparing files for print, web and socialExporting colour-correct files for a book cover, a banner and a social crop, and matching a printer's specifications, is largely tool-driven and already partly automated.25%high
- Pitching, quoting and client back-and-forthReading a brief, setting a fee and talking a client through why a composition works is relationship work that no model handles.20%low
Common questions about becoming an illustrator
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do illustrators earn?
Illustrators working full time earn a median of $96,200 per annum, before tax. Freelancers can earn more on a run of strong commissions or less across a quiet stretch, and rates rise with experience, a recognisable style and clients who license the work for wider use.
How do you become an illustrator?
Build a portfolio of finished work first, then study illustration, visual art or design, with a degree or a TAFE diploma both accepted, since no licence or registration is required. From there the usual entry points are small freelance commissions, a studio internship or a junior role in a publisher, agency or games team.
Are illustrators in demand?
Illustrators are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 19% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. Much of the work is commissioned project by project, so openings show up as briefs and short contracts rather than steady advertised vacancies.
Will AI replace illustrators?
Image generators have taken over some of what illustrators were paid for, particularly quick stock-style pictures and early concept variations, so the exposure here is real but not complete. Clients still commission illustration for a specific style, a story that has to be told visually or a brand that needs to look like itself, which is why the final artwork and the decisions behind it stay with a person.
Can illustrators move into other roles?
Yes. Moving into graphic design carries pay of about the same, with about 56% of the skills carrying over and layout and typography added through a short course. Art direction suits illustrators with strong visual judgement who want to run campaigns and direct other people's work, and it pays $6,500 more. Many illustrators instead grow their own client list and studio practice, and that is often where earnings build.
How do illustrators find work?
Most work comes from people who have already seen it: past clients, an agent who represents a handful of illustrators, art directors you have worked with, and social platforms where you post finished pieces. Publishers and studios also run open calls and portfolio reviews, and a clear speciality makes it easier for an art director to remember you for the right brief.
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