Rates

On this page

Introduction

Rates of pay

Explaining our rates of pay

Calculating your fee

What to do next

 

Introduction

This guide is for artists and people who are paying artists to negotiate a fair rate of pay for short-term work such as commissions, residencies, workshops and community projects.

The Artists payment guide is part of a long history of advocacy led by Artists Now. The visual arts are part of every community. Our sector directly contributes to the UK’s creative industries, which collectively generate over £125 billion a year. Yet despite the central role the visual arts play in our lives, artists’ incomes have declined drastically since 2010. Falling remuneration, rising studio rents and material costs, and a reduction in opportunities to develop and exhibit work has made it harder than ever to maintain a career as an artist. 

Artists Now's focus on fair pay for artists is integral to building a fairer society for artists. Our resources empower artists to negotiate fees with confidence, and provide the people who are paying artists with the knowledge to pay artists fairly. 
 

 Rates of pay

Experience level   Annual income excluding overheads  Day rates with overheads £5k per annum Day rates with overheads £10k per annum  Day rates with overheads £15k per annum
New graduate  £30,523  £204  £236  £269 
1 year £32,288  £215 £246  £278
2 years £34,926 £229  £261  £294
3 years £37,269  £243  £275  £307
4 years £39,203  £253 £286  £318 
5 years £40,804  £262  £295 £327
6 years £42,570  £272 £304  £337 
7 years £44,339 £283  £314 £346
8 years £46,107  £293  £325  £356 
9 years £47,870  £302  £335  £367 
10 years* £49,639  £312 £345 £377

* For artists with more than 10 years' experience, their rate will depend on other external factors such as their art world track record and/or unique attributes and market forces

Download rate

 


Our rates of pay:

  • reflect artists’ career stage, experience level and overheads

  • take account of the responsibilities and costs of self-employment 

  • align artists’ practices with comparable professions 

  • exclude project-specific expenses and VAT (where applicable)

  • are based on 177 paid days’ work for an artist per year, which takes into account time which would normally be paid in a salaried/PAYE position:

    • pitching and tendering for work

    • studio and research time

    • training and professional development time

    • administration and accounting

    • illness

    • family commitments

    • holidays

Our rates provide a general guide – always negotiate a rate that's right for you.

People paying artists for any activity should always ensure that they are paying at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.


Calculating your fee

The opportunities that artists are offered are varied and no two are the same . However, here are some tips for calculating your fees for a variety of activities.

 

What to do next

This resource is designed to empower artists. You could:

  • use the resource as a checklist
  • take the resource to a meeting
  • email the rates of pay table to a commissioner
  • print them and pin to a shared studio noticeboard

 

Last updated: April 2026