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Visual Artist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a visual artist is $62,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,100 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Income swings far more than the median suggests, because sales, commissions, grants and teaching land at different times and in different years.
- Gallery commissions and agent fees take a share of any sale price, and materials, studio rent and framing come out of what is left.
- Earnings depend heavily on the market you sell into, from artist-run spaces through to commercial galleries, public art and corporate commissions.
The median salary rose by $13,100 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than visual artist
The largest typical pay rise is $33,800 a year, moving into Graphic Designer.
- Graphic Designer+$33,800/yr
- Illustrator+$33,800/yr
- Photographer+$33,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher visual artist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time visual artist salary is $62,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Visual design and Creative software production tend to command a premium over general visual artist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Graphic Designer pays a typical $33,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Visual Artist salary questions
How much do visual artists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a visual artist is $62,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is visual artist pay rising or falling?
The median visual artist salary is up $13,100 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than visual artist?
Graphic Designer pays a typical $33,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to visual artist.
Related salaries
- Graphic Designer salary
- Illustrator salary
- Ceramic Artist salary
- Sculptor salary
- Photographer salary
- Jewellery Designer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.