"Visual Arts Work: sustainable strategies for the Australian visual arts and craft sector aims to strengthen the industry’s ecosystem. In a context where artists’ incomes are low and falling, commercial galleries are financially vulnerable, and public galleries face funding challenges, this project addresses barriers to the sector’s economic health and the challenge of improving artists’ and arts workers’ incomes."

A new report from RMIT University and the University of Melbourne, Visual Arts Work: Key Research Findings, Implications and Proposed Actions, is based on two national surveys (2022 and 2024), qualitative interviews, and policy submissions. Authored by Professor Grace McQuilten, Dr Jenny Lye, Professor Kate MacNeill, Chloë Powell, and Dr Marnie Badham, the report includes data from over 1,600 respondents and provides one of the most detailed sector-wide datasets available in more than two decades.

DOWNLOAD AND READ THE FULL REPORT

Visual Arts Work: Key Research Findings, Implications and Proposed Actions – RMIT University

Key Stats 

•  $13,937 – Average annual income from visual arts practice
•  74% of the workforce identifies as women
•  47% gender pay gap among artists (23% among arts workers)
•  Only 25% of artists work full-time in their practice
•  63% of artists and arts workers experience financial stress
•  23% of artists reported someone in their household skipped meals due to cost
•  50% of artists and 52% of arts workers rated their mental health as poor or fair
•  CALD and disabled artists face significantly higher financial pressure, food insecurity, and mental health concerns
•  Nearly 50% of artists and 56% of arts workers undertake unpaid labour in the sector
•  Education is a key employer – 24% of artists also work in arts education

Key Takeaways

• The arts sector is deeply underpaid and heavily reliant on unpaid labour
•  Gender, disability, and cultural background significantly affect income and access
•  Many artists work across multiple sectors to sustain their practice
•  Structural reforms are urgently needed, including:
•  Paid mentorships
•  Secure contracts
•  Inclusive leadership pathways
•  Broader recognition of hybrid careers
•  The report offers a clear roadmap for building a fairer, more sustainable arts industry

The findings are sobering. The average income from artistic practice sits at just $13,937 per year, well below the national minimum wage. Only a quarter of artists work full-time in their practice, and many rely on multiple sources of income to stay afloat, often juggling roles in education, administration, and other industries.

A key finding was the gender disparities that currently exist in the industry with women making up 74% of the visual arts workforce, yet they earn significantly less than their male counterparts. In 2024, the gender pay gap among artists was 47%, and 23% among arts workers. These figures are far above the national average and point to deep structural issues in how creative labour is recognised and rewarded.

Importantly, the report doesn’t just diagnose the problem, it also lays out proposed actions for change, including: paid mentorships, the implementation of a National Artists Wage Scheme, and greater support for artists and workers from culturally diverse and disabled backgrounds. It advocates for investment in arts education, longer-term operational funding for small-to-medium organisations, and the consistent application of fair pay standards through tools like NAVA’s Code of Practice.

At ArtSupport, these recommendations strongly align with our mission: to equip artists and arts workers with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to build sustainable careers in the arts. Every day, we work with talented, passionate individuals doing extraordinary work—often with limited resources and minimal recognition. This report reinforces the urgent need to continue creating spaces where artists and arts workers are supported through practical, accessible resources, mentorship, and career development opportunities.

We hope that funders, policymakers, and institutions read this report not only as a call to reflect, but as an invitation to act. As the authors put it, “A comprehensive agenda is needed urgently to address low incomes and poor working conditions across the visual arts and craft sector.”

Workforce Snapshot: Artists and Arts Workers

Demographics

• 74% of the visual arts workforce identify as women; 6% identify as non-binary.
• The mean age of artists is 53 years; 22% are aged 65 or older.
• 21% of artists report living with disability; 17% identify as having a CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) background.
• 14% of arts workers report disability; 20% are from CALD backgrounds.

Employment and Income

• Only 25% of artists work full-time in their practice.
• The average annual income from visual arts or craft practice in 2023–24 was $13,937.
• 82% of artists supplement their income through other work.
• Among arts workers, the average income was $63,031, compared to $100,017 for the general workforce.
• 45% of artists and 33% of arts workers earn additional income from work outside the sector.
• 24% of artists also work in arts education.

Contract Types and Job Security

• 10% of artists and 25% of arts workers are on fixed-term contracts.
• 22% of artists and 12% of arts workers are employed casually.
• 38% of artists and 18% of arts workers are self-employed.

Economic Stress and Unpaid Work

Financial Stress

• 63% of all respondents reported being financially stressed when covering basic living expenses.
• 35% of artists identified financial pressure as the primary reason they may leave the sector within five years.
• Among CALD artists, 70% reported financial stress; among artists with disability, 78%.

Food Insecurity

• 23% of artists and 19% of arts workers reported someone in their household skipping or reducing meals due to affordability.
• Among artists with disability, this rises to 40%; among CALD arts workers, 26%.

Unpaid Labour

• 48% of artists and 56% of arts workers performed unpaid work in the sector.
• Artists contributed an average of 28 hours/month in unpaid work; arts workers contributed 14 hours/month.
• Women and non-binary respondents were more likely to contribute unpaid labour than men.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• 50% of artists and 52% of arts workers rated their mental health as poor or fair.
• Among artists with disability, 69% rated their mental health as poor or fair.
• 59% of artists and 68% of arts workers rated their work–life balance as poor or fair.
• Mental health outcomes were poorer for CALD respondents: 66% of CALD artists and 71% of CALD arts workers reported poor work-life balance.

Funding Access and Career Stage Disparities

• Only 18% of early-career artists and 15% of early-career arts workers reported success in receiving grants.
• 33% of established artists had success with grant funding, compared to 22% of mid-career artists.
• Men artists were more likely to apply for national and philanthropic funding; women and non-binary artists were more likely to apply for local and state funding.

The most beneficial types of funding reported were:

• Individual project funding (all career stages)
• Infrastructure support (particularly for early-career artists)
• Research and development (favoured by mid- and established-career arts workers)

 Structural and Systemic Barriers

• 67% of artists and 78% of arts workers identified cultural or access-related barriers to sector participation.
• CALD and disabled respondents cited issues such as:

Lack of cultural safety

Visa insecurity (for temporary residents)

Limited representation in leadership roles

Inaccessible grant processes and limited accommodations in recruitment

Policy Recommendations

Modernise Award Coverage
Recognise artistic and arts sector labour through updated employment classifications and minimum standards.

Address Gender Inequity
Introduce mandatory gender pay reporting, equity targets, and leadership diversity in publicly funded organisations.

End Unpaid Labour Dependency
Track unpaid labour and develop accountability mechanisms for arts organisations receiving public funds.

Broaden Definitions of Professional Practice
Reform data collection and grant eligibility criteria to reflect the hybrid, multi-job careers common in the sector.

Support Career Progression
Invest in mentorships, professional development, and funding schemes targeted at early- and mid-career practitioners.

Improve Cultural Safety and Access
Mandate workplace training and provide incentives for inclusive hiring and leadership pathways for CALD and disabled workers.

Respond to Cost-of-Living Challenges
Expand access to crisis funding, studio rent support, and targeted assistance programs to reduce economic vulnerability.

Proposed Actions: Sector-Wide Solutions

The report outlines 11 action areas, including:

• Introduce a National Artists Wage Scheme
• Enforce NAVA Code of Practice in all publicly funded arts organisations
• Provide paid internships and mentorships, particularly for CALD and disabled practitioners
• Ensure long-term operational funding for small-to-medium arts organisations
• Require public reporting on contract types, unpaid work, and leadership diversity
• Increase funding to arts education and protect creative programs across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels
• Offer rent subsidies for studios and affordable childcare for artist-parents

“Short-term solutions must not entrench structural exclusions. We must recognise the hybridised, precarious nature of arts work and design funding models that reflect it.” — Visual Arts Work report authors

DOWNLOAD AND READ THE FULL REPORT

Visual Arts Work: Key Research Findings, Implications and Proposed Actions – RMIT University