What is the highest salary for Illustrator?

The highest salary for Illustrator is $94,506 per year, $7,876 per month or $45 per hour.

What is the lowest salary for Illustrator?

The lowest salary for Illustrator is $52,774 per year, $4,398 per month or $25 per hour.

What is the salary trajectory of Illustrator?

The salary trajectory of Illustrator ranges between locations and employers. The salary starts at $46,556 per year (estimate) and goes up to $153,324 per year (estimate) for the highest level of seniority.

What is the Salary Trend for Illustrators?

Illustrators earn similar compensation to graphic designers and special effects artists. Some illustrators are self-employed freelancers while others work as salaried employees across all industries. Illustrators who work for specialized design services firms, public relations firms, or advertising firms generally have the highest salaries. Freelancers’ pay varies by the number of contracts they secure and the rates they charge. Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Illustrator Salaries

How much does Illustrator make?

Q: How much does Illustrator make?

The average salary for Illustrator is $70,247 per year or $34 per hour, with top earners making up to $122,477 (90th percentile). Typically, pay ranges from $52,774 (25th percentile) to $94,506 (75th percentile) annually. Salary estimates are based on 954 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Illustrator employees.

Total pay range

$53K - $95K/yr

$70K/yrMedian total pay

Pay breakdown

$42K - $73K/yrBase pay

$11K - $21K/yrAdditional pay

About our data

Last updated Apr 10, 2025954 Salaries submitted

How accurate is a total pay range of $53K-$95K/yr?

Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.

Total pay trajectory

Artist

$53K–$91K/yr

Art Manager

$62K–$101K/yr

Senior Artist

$86K–$154K/yr

Popular companies for Illustrators

591 results

Freelancer4.1★

$26 - $46/hr Total pay

$35 Median

Illustrator

US Army3.9★

$60K - $103K/yr Total pay

$79K Median

Illustrator

SelfEmployed.com4.3★

$24 - $39/hr Total pay

$31 Median

Illustrator

Freelance4.3★

$21 - $36/hr Total pay

$27 Median

Illustrator

freelance4.2★

$53K - $89K/yr Total pay

$68K Median

Illustrator

Viewing 1 - 5 of 591

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Illustration of an economist reviewing pay data

What is the pay outlook for Arts & Design?

Jobs in arts & design are growing due to increased access to remote work. These jobs often require a bachelor’s degree and technical skills such as graphic design software, web-development and research. Salaries vary, as jobs tend to be short-term and contractual, offering workers flexible schedules and the opportunity to manage multiple projects at once.

Recent salaries shared by Illustrator

50 salaries

Job Title | Years of Experience

Base • Additional pay

Location

Date submitted

Job Title | Years of Experience

Location

Date submitted

Base • Additional pay

Illustrator

|

1-3 years

$39K - $45K/yr

Orlando, FL

submitted on May 5, 2026

$39K - $45K/yr

Illustrator

|

15+ years

$97K/yr

($97K • $0)

New York, NY

submitted on Feb 10, 2026

$97K/yr

$97K • $0

Illustrator

|

15+ years

$77K/yr

($75K • $2K)

Panama City, FL

submitted on Jan 6, 2026

$77K/yr

$75K • $2K

Illustrator

|

1-3 years

$113K/yr

($113K • $0)

New York, NY

submitted on Dec 28, 2025

$113K/yr

$113K • $0

Illustrator

|

7-9 years

$50K - $58K/yr

Baltimore, MD

submitted on Dec 24, 2025

$50K - $58K/yr

Anonymously share your salary to help the community.

Illustrator

|

7-9 years

$97K - $113K/yr

Los Angeles, CA

submitted on Dec 11, 2025

$97K - $113K/yr

Illustrator

|

7-9 years

$68K/yr

($68K • $0)

Denver, CO

submitted on Dec 11, 2025

$68K/yr

$68K • $0

Illustrator

|

1-3 years

$37K/yr

($37K • $0)

Pinellas Park, FL

submitted on Nov 28, 2025

$37K/yr

$37K • $0

Illustrator

|

15+ years

$87K/yr

($87K • $0)

Golden Valley, MN

submitted on Nov 24, 2025

$87K/yr

$87K • $0

Illustrator

|

1-3 years

$74K/yr

($74K • $0)

San Francisco, CA

submitted on Nov 14, 2025

$74K/yr

$74K • $0

Viewing 1 - 10 of 50

Top paying industries

The top 5 paying industries for Illustrator in United States are Arts, Entertainment & Recreation with a median total pay of $83,835, Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $78,663, Information Technology with a median total pay of $75,378, Human Resources & Staffing with a median total pay of $72,150, and Media & Communication with a median total pay of $70,304.

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

Top paying companies in Arts, Entertainment & Recreation for Illustrator are WET and Thinkwell Group.

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Illustrator Salaries

How much does Illustrator make?

About our data

Total pay trajectory

Popular companies for Illustrators

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Recent salaries shared by Illustrator

Top paying industries

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

Jobs you may like

Frequently asked questions about Illustrator salaries

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How much does Illustrator make?

About our data

Total pay trajectory

Popular companies for Illustrators

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Recent salaries shared by Illustrator

Top paying industries

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

Frequently asked questions about Illustrator salaries

Jobs you may like