Fine & Studio Arts
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Types of Degrees Fine & Studio Arts Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many fine and studio arts graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 3,527 |
Doctor’s Degree | 238 |
Graduate Certificate | 89 |
What Fine & Studio Arts Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to Fine Arts were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Fine Arts Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in Fine Arts should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Skills for Fine Arts Majors
When studying Fine Arts, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for Fine Arts Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a Fine Arts student include the following:

- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
What Can You Do With a Fine & Studio Arts Major?
People with a Fine Arts degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Archivists | 14.7% | $52,240 |
Art Directors | 5.4% | $92,780 |
Art, Drama, and Music Professors | 12.0% | $69,960 |
Artists and Related Workers | 5.5% | $65,390 |
Craft Artists | 4.8% | $34,240 |
Curators | 13.7% | $53,780 |
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | 6.8% | $49,380 |
Multimedia Artists and Animators | 8.4% | $72,520 |
Museum Technicians and Conservators | 12.7% | $43,020 |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 7.5% | $60,320 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Fine & Studio Arts?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Fine Arts majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 161 |
Black or African American | 119 |
Hispanic or Latino | 281 |
White | 2,026 |
International Students | 628 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 312 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Fine Arts. About 17.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- South Korea
- Canada
- Taiwan
- India
How Much Do Fine & Studio Arts Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a master’s degree in Fine Arts was $27,000 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $22,000 (25th percentile) and $31,600 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in Fine Arts, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $43,570 to $67,700 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to Fine Arts. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Fine & Studio Arts
Some degrees associated with Fine Arts may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to Fine Arts have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 5.4% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 13.1% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 8.0% |
Some College Courses | 8.6% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.8% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 23.7% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 2.8% |
Master’s Degree | 25.2% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 1.4% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.0% |
Doctoral Degree | 8.2% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 0.2% |
Online Fine & Studio Arts Programs
In 2018-2019, 1,509 schools offered a Fine Arts program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 103 | 3 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 76 | 4 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 11 | 1 |
Associate’s Degree | 482 | 11 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 35 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 103 | 3 |
Master’s Degree | 504 | 15 |
Post-Master’s | 6 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 64 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Fine & Studio Arts Worth It?
The median salary for a Fine Arts grad is $58,370 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 46% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $369,400 after 20 years!

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Majors Related to Fine & Studio Arts
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to Fine Arts.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Music | 8,012 |
Design & Applied Arts | 2,088 |
Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2,066 |
Drama & Theater Arts | 1,884 |
Arts & Media Management | 1,166 |
General Visual & Performing Arts | 388 |
Other Visual Art | 354 |
Dance | 243 |
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 2 |
References
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Jorge Royan under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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