What is a good hourly rate for an artist?

In the UK, most professional artists aim for at least £15-25/hour effective rate. Established artists often achieve £30-50/hour. As a floor, compare your rate against the National Living Wage (£12.71/hour for age 21+ from April 2026, gov.uk — it rises every April, so re-check the current figure). If you fall below it, raise prices or work more efficiently.

Why is my effective rate so low?

Common reasons include underpricing artwork, spending too long on pieces, high material costs, or not accounting for preparation and admin time. Track all your time including sketching, setup, cleanup and client communication.

What should I include in overhead costs?

Studio rent, utilities, insurance, website hosting, marketing costs, professional memberships and equipment depreciation. Divide your monthly overheads by working hours to get a per-hour figure.

How do I improve my hourly rate?

Raise prices gradually, work in series (reduces setup time), use materials efficiently, develop faster techniques without sacrificing quality, and focus on your most profitable work types.

Should I include unpaid time?

Include all time directly spent on the artwork — sketching, painting, drying time management, varnishing. Do not include general admin, social media or studio maintenance in per-piece calculations.

ArtCalcs

Hourly Rate Calculator — Your Effective Earning Rate

Calculate your effective hourly rate based on artwork price and time spent.

Selling Price

The price you sell the finished artwork for

Material Costs

Total spend on paints, canvas, framing etc. for this piece

Hours Spent

Include all time on this piece

Overhead per Hour

Studio rent, utilities etc. per hour

How We Calculate This

How the Hourly Rate Calculation Works

Effective rate = (Selling price - Materials - Overheads) / Hours spent

The calculator subtracts material costs and overhead allocation from the selling price to get net profit, then divides by total hours to find your effective hourly rate. Daily and annual equivalents default to 7-hour days and 230 working days per year — adjust both under Advanced Options to match how you actually work.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Calculate your take-home amount after gallery commission, VAT and costs. Works for UK galleries with standard commission rates.

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Estimate artwork packaging and shipping costs for UK and international delivery. Covers boxes, tubes, crates, insurance and handling.

Last updated: June 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.