illustrator
Illustrators provide a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. Illustrators can work for books, magazines, journals, comic books and other publications.
illustrator illustrators provide a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. Illustrators can work for books, magazines, journals, comic books and other publications. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include labour legislation, intellectual property law, art history, perform ideation activities, create original drawings.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £47,763 a year for Artists (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3411). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only illustrator, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Fine Arts
- Education and Training
- Communications and Media
- Customer and Personal Service
What you'd actually do
- Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
- Integrate and develop visual elements, such as line, space, mass, color, and perspective, to produce desired effects, such as the illustration of ideas, emotions, or moods.
- Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
- Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
- Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
- Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does illustrator do?
Illustrators provide a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. Illustrators can work for books, magazines, journals, comic books and other publications.
What skills does illustrator need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include labour legislation, intellectual property law, art history, perform ideation activities, create original drawings, develop an artistic framework. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace illustrator?
Our AI-durability model gives illustrator a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.