Cartoonists

Freelance cartoonists may earn anywhere from $100 to $1,200 or more per drawing, but top dollar generally goes only for big, full-color projects such as magazine cover illustrations. Although the U.S. Department of Labor does not give specific information regarding cartoonists' earnings, it does note that the median annual earnings for salaried craft and fine artists, which includes cartoonists, was $48,960 in May 2018, with the bottom 10 percent earning $22,020 per year or less and the top 10 percent earning $101,400 and more per year, although syndicated cartoonists on commission can earn much more. Salaries depend on the work performed. Comic strip artists are usually paid according to the number of publications that carry their strip.