If you are wondering how much do illustrators make, it’s about as easy as trying to work out how tall a human is. Luckily, thanks to the magic of statistics (and payscale.com), we can get a ballpark figure for an illustrator’s salary by country.
In the United States, an illustrator makes on average US$49,774 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between US$25,000 and US$79,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in the United States is US$20.11 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between US$10.39 and US$49.26).
Not in the US? Fear not, for I recently went on an unhealthy numbers binge, hunting for information on illustrator salaries.
In this article, I have summarised how much illustrators make by country (and have even thrown in a few snazzy tables for ya).
Please remember that these are average salaries…
Some illustrators will make a lot more, while others will make a lot less. It all depends on how skilled you are, your work experience, and who knows you.
Malcolm “Party-Pooper” Monteith
First, we’ll take a look at average annual illustrator salaries, and will then move onto the average hourly rates.
Let’s go!
Average Salary for Illustrators (Annual)
| Country | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| United States (USD) | $49,774 |
| United Kingdom | £21,557 |
| Australia (AUD) | $41,000 |
| India | ₹300,000 |
| Canada (CAD) | $44,207 |
| Malaysia | MYR 31,200 |
| Phillipines | ₱250,000 |
| Singapore (SGD) | $45,000 |
| South Africa | R235,832 |
Source: https://www.payscale.com/
Average Hourly Rate for Illustrators
| Country | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| United States (USD) | $20.11 |
| United Kingdom | £11.82 |
| Australia (AUD) | $34.60 |
| India | ₹300.00 |
| Canada (CAD) | $25.18 |
| Malaysia | MYR 24.57 |
| Philippines | ₱300.00 |
| Singapore (SGD) | $40.00 |
| South Africa | R200.00 |
Source: https://www.payscale.com/
(By the way, once you’re done reading this article, check out my main article on how to become an illustrator for more tips on getting started!)
Illustrator Salaries and Hourly Rates (And Their Ranges) by Country
In this section, let’s dive deeper into how much an illustrator makes. For each country, I have included the minimum and maximum annual salaries and hourly rates which you could expect to earn.
Illustrator Salaries in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, an illustrator makes on average £21,557 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between £17,000 and £33,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in the United Kingdom is £11.82 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between £7.16 and £25.08).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | £21,557 | £17,000 | £33,000 |
| Hourly Rate | £11.82 | £7.16 | £25.08 |
Illustrator Salaries in Australia
In Australia, an illustrator makes on average $59,649 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between $41,000 and $88,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in Australia is $34.60 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between $19.06 and $88.08).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | $59,649 | $41,000 | $88,000 |
| Hourly Rate | $34.60 | $19.06 | $88.08 |
Illustrator Salaries in India
India is a massive country with over a billion people. I feel like a jerk providing statistics for such a massive place (but let’s do it anyway)…
In India, an illustrator makes on average ₹300,000 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between ₹139,000 and ₹760,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in India is ₹300.00 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between ₹35.48 and ₹513.24).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | ₹300,000 | ₹139,000 | ₹760,000 |
| Hourly Rate | ₹300.00 | ₹35.48 | ₹513.24 |
Illustrator Salaries in Canada
In Canada, an illustrator makes on average CA$44,207 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between CA$29,000 and CA$81,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in Canada is CA$25.18 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between CA$14.09 and CA$49.66).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | $44,207 | $29,000 | $81,000 |
| Hourly Rate | $25.18 | $14.09 | $49.66 |
Illustrator Salaries in Malaysia
In Malaysia, an illustrator makes on average RM31,200 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between RM3,000 and RM59,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in Malaysia is RM24.57 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between RM4.00 and RM40.00).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | RM31,200 | RM3,000 | RM59,000 |
| Hourly Rate | RM24.57 | RM4.00 | RM40.00 |
Illustrator Salaries in Philippines
In Philippines, an illustrator makes on average ₱250,000 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between ₱122,000 and ₱491,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in Philippines is ₱300.00 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between ₱56.00 and ₱550.00).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | ₱250,000 | ₱122,000 | ₱491,000 |
| Hourly Rate | ₱300.00 | ₱56.00 | ₱550.00 |
Illustrator Salaries in Singapore
In Singapore, an illustrator makes on average SG$45,000 per year. The average hourly rate for illustrators in Singapore is SG$40.00 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between SG$15.00 and SG$47.37).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | $45,000 | N/A | N/A |
| Hourly Rate | $40.00 | $15.00 | $47.37 |
Illustrator Salaries in South Africa
In South Africa, an illustrator makes on average R235,832 per year (with a maximum and minimum range between R168,000 and R312,000). The average hourly rate for illustrators in South Africa is R200.00 per hour (with a maximum and minimum range between R59.18 and R405.47).
| Average | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Salary | R235,832 | R168,000 | R312,000 |
| Hourly Rate | R200.00 | R59.18 | R405.47 |
Let’s Recap!
I hope that these numbers have given you a good idea around how much illustrators can make.
If you are wanting to find out more about illustrators’ salaries in your country, click on the source links that I have included under each table above.
Please note that all of these numbers are only from one salary website (payscale.com). There are many other salary websites out there, so I recommend you check those out as well.
Best of luck out there!
Malcolm
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