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Fine Art Outcomes & Career Options

Educational Qualifications

Students pursuing careers as elementary or high school Art teachers will need to pursue certification as educators. For more information, visit lasierra.edu/education. Students wishing to teach Art on the post secondary level usually need to complete a graduate degree in the subject desired. Those wishing to apply their bachelor’s degree in Art to areas such as art therapy should complete a graduate degree program specializing in that field (see below).

Job Outlook

Employment of craft and fine artists is projected to grow 2 percent from 2014 to 2024, slower than the average for all occupations. Competition for jobs as craft and fine artists is expected to be strong, because there are more qualified candidates than available jobs. Only the most successful craft and fine artists receive major commissions for their work. Despite the competition, studios, galleries, and individual clients are always on the lookout for artists who display outstanding talent, creativity, and style. Talented individuals who have developed a mastery of artistic techniques and marketing skills will have the best job prospects.

Entering Salary

The median annual wage for craft and fine artists was $45,380 in May 2015. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,470, and the top 10 percent earned more than $96,240. The median annual wages for craft and fine artist occupations in May 2015 were as follows: 
  • $46,460 for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
  • $30,720 for craft artists
  • $58,450 for all other artists and related workers
The median annual wages for craft and fine artist occupations in May 2012 were as follows:
  • $46,460 for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators 
  • $30,720 for craft artists 
  • $58,450 for all other artists and related workers
The median annual wage for graphic designers was $46,900 in May 2015. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,560, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $81,320. Most graphic designers work full time, but schedules can vary depending on workload and deadlines.

Art Therapy

Students interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Art Therapy need to include the following courses for Social Science, Psychology, and Art electives:
  • Personality (PSYC 344)
  • Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 275)
  • Developmental Psychology (PSYC 234)
  • Ceramics (ARTS 274)
  • Sculpture (ARTS 284)
  • Additional Psychology courses
A Master’s degree in Art Therapy may be completed at Loyola Marymount University through the Department of Marital and Family Therapy. For more information, contact:
  • Loyola Marymount University College of Communication and Fine Arts
  • Marital and Family Therapy Department
  • One LMU Drive
  • Los Angeles, CA 90045
  • www.cfa.lmu.edu/programs/mft

Sources:

Academic program information adapted from:
La Sierra University. (2016-2017). Undergraduate Academic Bulletin. Retrieved from https://www.lasierra.edu/bulletin

Career information adapted from:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Craft and Fine Artists https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm (visited May 19, 2016).

Contact and Location

art@lasierra.edu
(951) 785-2170
Visual Art Center, Room 105

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