NEA’s first national profile of professional artists

As was reported in yesterday’s NY Times, there are "[m]ore Americans [who] identify their primaryNea_artist_graphs_3
occupation as artist than as lawyer, doctor, police officer or farm worker."

Based on the 2005 census, here are some stats:

  • Nearly 2 million Americans hold primary jobs that fit the census’ definition of artist
  • Combined income was $70 billion, with a median income of $34,800
  • Percentage of black, Hispanic and Asian artists is bigger among younger ones
  • For those under 35, 80% of the writers are white
  • Women outnumber men only among dancers, designers and writers
  • 60% of professional photographers are men, BUT 60% under 35 are women
  • Number of artists has grown fastest in the West and South, mirroring the population in general
  • States with the most artists per capita: NY, CA, MA, VT, CO
  • Most actors per capita: CA
  • Proportion of black artists remained unchanged at %5, same as in 1990
  • Metro area with highest proportion of artists in the workforce: SF
  • More than 1 in 4 artists live in CA and NY
  • Median incomes in 2005: $42,000 for men and $27,300 for women
  • However artists make more than the national median income of $30,100

Read the full article here.

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