The Average Salary of a Cartoonist

Many cartoonists work in motion picture production or film.

Cartoonists are fine artists who specialize in sketching and illustrating two-dimensional art forms to produce scenes and abstractions. Cartoonists draw political and social cartoons as well as cartoons for sports and advertising. Many work in conjunction with other animation professionals to develop ideas and story lines. Some cartoonists write captions for their animations. The salaries for cartoonists vary depending on their employment type and geographic location.

Earnings

According to Payscale.com, cartoonists earn salaries ranging from $54,045 to $76,302 per year as a national average as of 2010. With bonuses, cartoonists earn up to $77,550 on average. Some cartoonists are self-employed so their earnings may vary considerably. Many charge a fee for services and work on a freelance basis. Well-established freelance cartoonists have the opportunity to earn more than those who are paid a salary.

Industry

Cartoonists are employed in a variety of industries. They usually specialize in a particular type of cartoon that covers political issues or pop culture. A majority are independent artists. Others are employed in motion picture and video industries, specialized design services and newspaper or periodical publications. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), cartoonists employed by newspapers earned annual mean wages of $57,400 as of May 2009.

Geography

The earnings of cartoonists vary by geographical location. A high concentration of cartoonists work in states such as New York, Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota. New York artists, for example, earned annual mean wages of $57,180 according to the BLS. The highest paid cartoonists are employed in Delaware, where they earned more than twice the national average with a mean wage of $133,280 per year as of May 2009. Other states such as California and Connecticut pay cartoonists salaries ranging from $61,790 to $68,900.

Education and Training

Success as a cartoonist requires drawing talent and skills. Cartoonists must have a grasp of the social and political issues that are prevalent in society. There is no formal educational requirement for employment as a cartoonist but a high school diploma and some post-secondary training is necessary to enhance the artist's skills. High school courses in art, literature and political science are important. Several college and universities offer bachelor's and master's degrees in fine arts. Cartoonists also attend technical art schools to study drawing and computer graphics.

References

• Pay Scale: Salary Snapshot for Cartoonist Jobs
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Artists and Related Workers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages