Quick Question needs Quick Answer Quikly Please

[Keng]

*Key things in bold. I tend to write to much.

I apologise for the long title. I've been looking around on old google for my answer but have so far found nothing but an all around average.

I need to know what an average starting wage is for a concept artist.

Now before you all go "If you only care about the money get the hell out of my industry." on me, I need to know for a school careers project. We need to research two careers of intrest to us and write up a report including certain information. And with concept artist being something my intrest has been growing in for quite some time now I am seriously considering it as a good path for me so yea;

long story short: I picked Concept artist as one of the careers and I need to know the average starting wage (not average pay in gerneral). So if anyone would be so kind as to throw out the numbers for me I'd greatly appreciate it. (Please include what currency it's in. Prefferably Canadian)

[DavePalumbo]

I can't say, as I guess you mean an artist employed by a company full time (only ever known freelancers myself really), just wanted to comment on your concern about

"If you only care about the money get the hell out of my industry."

I highly doubt you'll get that sort of reaction around here. It seems most people at CA have a fairly professional point of view concerning the business of being an artist and nobody expects a man to make a living working for free

[Keng]

Ok. Thanks Dave.

A normal starter's freelance pay estimate would be good to know too though

[DavePalumbo]

well a starters freelance is anybodies guess. Most (hell, nearly all as I understand it) will probably spend at least their first year either working a day job or living bellow the poverty line. I'm told, and it seems a reasonable estimate, that it takes the average illustrator between 2 and 5 years to get a steady career producing artwork. There's a substantial amount of time in the early stages that is spent preparing and refining a portfolio, looking for work, networking, and mailing samples cold. I'm talking illustrators here, not exactly concept artists. I may be wrong, but it seems more the case the concept artists do have salary employment than full time freelance, though that's based entirely on second hand information. I don't know much in that department.

In my young and admitedly limited experience, it seems to me a fresh-out-of-school first year freelance illustrator can probably expect to net somewhere in the range of $0-$10,000 USD, depending on skill, luck, and hustle (though not always in that order)

[darth massacre]

first year freelance illustrator can probably expect to net somewhere in the range of $0-$10,000 USD, depending on skill, luck, and hustle (though not always in that order)

That can't be good

[Keng]

Ok. Thank you very much. You've been most helpful

[Steph Laberis]

From what I have seen from my friends (first year after their graduation), they usually start at $20 - $30 an hour. Some clients will pay you a flat rate per illustration, but in my freelance experience, I have only charged hourly rates. The $10,000 a year that Dave mentioned seems pretty average for what I have encountered so far.

[DavePalumbo]

That can't be good

its a tough world out there

[asoir]

its a tough world out there

That's why you gotta grab it by the nuts!

[YVerloc]

At the game companies where I've worked, the starting wage for junior artists of all types is about 40k $CAD per year. Concept artists tend to be more senior level artists due to the life experience necessary to do good work (compared to junior level production modeling). So 'starting wage' is kind of hard to say - i've never yet see someone 'start' as a concept artist - they usually get moved there if they pay their dues and have the experince and chops. Of the eight or so concepters I know at four different companies, I'd say the average salary is somewhere in the 60-80k $CAD per year range, becuse they're all guys with at least five years under their belts.

hope this helps

[Keng]

Exellent. Thank you all very much. I think I've got everything I need now.