If you’re hoping to earn significant money from Fine Art Photography you should read
Conor Risch’s Photo District News article regarding a recent survey by the
Creative Independent.
More than 1,000 visual artists of all types (not just photographers) responded to the Creative Independent survey. Nearly 60 percent of respondents make less than $30,000 per year, and 35 percent make $20,000 or less per year from their fine art work.
Of the respondents, only 32 percent said they’d been pursuing art careers for more than ten years. People from 52 countries answered the survey, but more than 75 percent of respondents were from the United States. Those who live in the U.S., however, reported earning an average of $30,000-$40,000 per year.
The survey shows how rare it is for artists to earn a living from their artwork alone and revealed that most artists rely primarily on freelance and contract work, or other jobs, to make an average of $20,000–$30,000 annually.