National Endowment for the Arts

Artists in 

the Workforce

1990–2005

Artists in 

the Workforce

1990–2005

National Endowment for the Arts

Research Report #48
Research Report #48

May 2008

National Endowment for the Arts

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20506-0001

Telephone: 202-682-5400

Prepared for the Office of Research & Analysis by Deidre Gaquin, Washington, D.C.

Produced by the Office of Research & Analysis

Tom Bradshaw, Senior Research Officer

Sunil Iyengar, Director

Staff contributors: Bonnie Nichols, Sarah Sullivan, Kelli Rogowski,

Nona Milstead, and Michelle Walker

Editorial and publication assistance by Don Ball

Designed by Fletcher Design/Washington, DC

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gaquin, Deirdre.

 Artists in the workforce : 1990 to 2005.

 p. cm. -- (Research report; #48)

 Produced by Tom Bradshaw, Office of Research & Analysis, National Endowment for the Arts; 

prepared for the Office of Research & Analysis, National Endowment for the Arts by Deirdre Gaquin.

 “May 2008”--T.p. verso.

 Includes bibliographical references and index.

 1. Artists--United States--Statistics. 2. Arts--United States--Statistics. 3. Occupational surveys—

United States. I. Bradshaw, Tom. II. National Endowment for the Arts. III. Title.

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the Web site of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 iii

Chairman’s Preface

America tends to see its artists 

as visionaries, rebels, outsiders, 

and eccentrics. These longstanding stereotypes have 

become mainstays of popular 

culture––perhaps because 

they are so entertaining. A 

troubled dreamer, a footloose 

bohemian, or a charming 

deadbeat can steal the scene 

from any workaday character. Presented from whatever 

perspective—adoring, puzzled, bemused, or even 

hostile—these stereotypes almost always portray artists as 

outsiders, fascinating creatures who somehow manage to 

survive on the margins of society. 

The purpose of the new NEA report, Artists in the 

Workforce, is to demonstrate—in cold, hard, unpoetic 

facts—that such caricatures misrepresent American artists 

and even contribute to their marginalization in society.

The time has come to insist on an obvious but overlooked 

fact—artists are workers. They make things and perform 

services, just like other workers, and these goods and 

services have value—not merely in lofty spiritual terms 

but also in dollars and cents. Without denying the higher 

purposes of the artistic vocation, this report shows that 

artists play an important role in America’s cultural vitality 

and economic prosperity. 

There are now almost two million Americans who describe 

their primary occupation as artist. Representing 1.4 

percent of the U.S. labor force, artists constitute one of 

the largest classes of workers in the nation—only slightly 

smaller than the total number of active-duty and reserve 

personnel in the U.S. military (2.2 million). Artists represent 

a larger group than the legal profession (lawyers, judges, 

and paralegals), medical doctors (physicians, surgeons, 

and dentists), or agricultural workers (farmers, ranchers, 

foresters, and fishers). 

The size of the artistic community gives the group 

enormous aggregate income—approximately $70 billion 

annually. In terms of sheer numbers, artists represent a 

powerful labor force whose economic contributions go 

largely unrecognized by both the general public and the 

government.

Compared to other U.S. workers, American artists tend to 

be better educated and more entrepreneurial. Artists are 

twice as likely to have earned a college degree as other 

members of the U.S. labor force, though they receive 

relatively less financial compensation for their educational 

level. Artists are also 3.5 times more likely to be selfemployed. American artists have learned to be creative not 

merely in their chosen fields but also in how they manage 

their lives. 

Artists in the Workforce also documents the maturation 

of American cultural life. The number of artists in the U.S. 

has remained constant as a percentage of the population 

for the past 15 years. Between 1970 and 1990 the number 

of artists doubled in the United States—reflecting the 

great expansion of theaters, galleries, orchestras, and 

presenting venues as well as the steady growth of both 

university programs and the entertainment industry. In that 

heady climate, artists grew at nearly twice the rate of the 

overall labor force. As the current survey demonstrates, 

the number of artists is now growing at approximately 

the same rate as the total labor force. The stability of this 

measurement suggests the place of artists in the American 

workforce has achieved a point of equilibrium.

American artists continue to cluster in large metropolitan 

areas. The greater Los Angeles area is now the major 

employer of artists in the U.S., followed by New York, 

Chicago, Washington, and Boston. More than one-fifth 

of American artists live in those five areas, and artists and 

arts organizations play a major role in local economies. 

Not surprisingly, artists gravitate to areas where there are 

employment possibilities from cultural institutions and 

creative industries. 
iv National Endowment for the Arts

Yet artists continue to spread across the country. The 

West and the South have experienced the greatest 

recent growth in artist populations—reflecting larger 

demographic and economic trends. Sunbelt cities 

dominate the list of metropolitan areas with the highest 

per-capita concentration of artists. Nine of the top fifteen 

cities with the highest concentrations of artists are now in 

the Sunbelt: San Francisco, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Boulder, 

Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Nashville, Orlando, and San Luis 

Obispo.

While American artists are not unemployed, they remain 

conspicuously underemployed. One-third of artists work 

for only part of the year. Actors, dancers, choreographers, 

musicians, and other entertainers are especially vulnerable 

to seasonal unemployment. These statistics reveal a huge 

loss of cultural and creative expertise. Such widespread 

underemployment seems almost tragic in a nation whose 

public schools have increasingly eliminated arts education.

There is no way to understand the new American 

economy without recognizing the role of its two million 

creative workers. In the 21st century, entertainment is an 

American global industry. Design is an essential 

element of all consumer products and services. Writers, 

broadcasters, actors, animators, musicians, and producers 

create the programming that drives the new electronic 

media. In cities across the nation, performing arts 

centers occupy key civic positions of enormous economic 

impact, and the arts have become indispensable to local 

community identity. Communities have also discovered 

that attracting creative workers and industries bolsters 

their economies. 

From global exports to local investments, the new 

American economy depends on imagination, innovation, 

and creativity, and those are the skills that artists develop, 

nurture, and promote. Isn’t it time that the nation notices? 

Dana Gioia

Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
Part One

Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

NEA research on artist occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Artist occupation data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The artist workforce over time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Geographic trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Demographic trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Employment and income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Artist profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Part Two

Guide to tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

List of tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

60 tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Photo credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Table of Contents

Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 1

executive summary

This report uses United States census occupation data to 

analyze artists’ demographic and employment patterns. 

During the 1990s and the first few years of the 21st 

century, the number of artists grew at about the same 

pace as the U.S. labor force, keeping the proportion of 

artists at 1.4 percent of the labor force. This development 

follows two decades of dramatic growth—the number 

of artists more than doubled between 1970 and 1990, 

growing from less than 1 percent of the labor force to 1.4 

percent. The U.S. labor force increased by 55 percent in the 

1970s and 1980s, partly because women entered the labor 

force in larger numbers than in preceding decades, and 

partly because the baby boom generation was entering 

the workforce during those years. 

Since 1990, the share of women artists has grown 

only slightly. Proportions of Asian and Hispanic artists 

have increased more significantly. Writers and authors, 

musicians, painters and architects tend to be older than 

the average U.S. worker, while many performing artists 

are younger than average. Artists have college degrees 

at double the rate of the total labor force. Dancers, 

announcers, and entertainers have lower educational 

levels, on average, than other artists, but many of them are 

enrolled in school. Artists are much more likely than other 

workers to be self-employed, and more likely than other 

workers to experience sporadic work hours and gaps in 

employment. With some exceptions, artists’ incomes tend 

to be lower than those of other professionals, and their 

incomes have not grown significantly in recent years. 

The report begins with a discussion of key findings, 

followed by 60 supporting tables derived from the 

1990 and 2000 censuses and the 2003-2005 American 

Community Survey. The tables contain detailed information 

about artists that is not readily available in print or on 

the Internet. The tables, which appear in the second 

part of the report, are preceded by a “Guide to Tables 

and Terms” with definitions of the data. Also included 

are three appendices that describe the census-defined 

artist occupations, the data sources, the accuracy of the 

estimates, and the new American Community Survey. 

Key Findings

1. Nearly two million Americans are artists.

• 1.99 million Americans identified an artist occupation as 

their primary job. 

• The total excludes many people with secondary 

employment as artists––an estimated 300,000 

Americans. 

• Designers are the single largest group of artists,1

followed by performing artists such as actors, dancers, 

musicians, and announcers.

(See pages 4–6)

2. The number of artists has kept pace 

with the growth in the overall labor force.

• After doubling from 1970 to 1990, artists have begun 

to hold steady as a proportion of American workers 

(1.4 percent).

• Writers were among the fastest growing artist 

occupations from 1990 to 2005—growing at twice 

the rate of the total labor force.

(See pages 7–8)

3. Artists remain highly concentrated in 

urban areas.

• Half of all artists live in 30 metropolitan areas.

• More than one-fifth of all U.S. artists live in 5 major 

metropolitan areas: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, 

Washington, DC, and Boston.

• But as a percentage of the labor force, artists 

cluster in a diverse array of towns and cities.

(See pages 13–15)

Part One

1 This category includes exhibit designers, industrial designers, fashion designers, and many other categories detailed in Appendix A.
2 National Endowment for the Arts

4. The artist population, like the labor 

force, is becoming more diverse.

• The percentage of non-Hispanic white artists dipped 

from 86 percent to 80 percent between 1990 and 2005.

• In 2005, Hispanic, Asian, and Native-American artists 

accounted for nearly 15 percent of all artists—up 6 

points from 1990.

• Over a 15-year period, the proportion of 

African-American artists has remained steady, at 5 

percent. 

(See pages 16–17)

5. Artists are generally more educated than 

the workforce as a whole.

• Artists are twice as likely as the overall labor force to 

have graduated from college.

• The proportion of artists with degrees is rising—from 

51 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2003-2005.

• Architects, writers, and producers show the highest 

education levels.

(See pages 16–17)

6. Artists are 3.5 times more likely than 

other workers to be self-employed.

• More than one in three artists is self-employed, 

compared with less than 10 percent of the labor force.

• 40 percent of all musicians work in the nonprofit 

sector—far more than any other artist group.

(See pages 18–20)

7. Fewer artists have full-year, full-time 

jobs than other workers.

• One-third of all artists work fewer than 50 weeks 

a year.

• 28 percent of artists work for less than 35 hours 

a week.

• Actors have the lowest level of full-year, full-time 

employment—15 percent.

(See pages 18–20)

8. Artists generally earn less than workers 

with similar levels of education.

• Artists earn $6,000 less annually than other 

“professional” workers. 

• Dancers have the lowest median annual 

income—$15,000.2

(See pages 18–20)

9. Women remain underrepresented 

in several artist occupations.

• Four out of five architects and announcers, and 

almost two-thirds of musicians, producers, and 

photographers, are men.

• Yet three out of four dancers are women, as are 

more than half of all designers and writers.

(See pages 16–17)

10. The West and South have seen the 

greatest growth in artists by state.

• The West was led by Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and 

Arizona. In these states, the artist population grew at 

2.5 to 5 times the rate of that of the U.S. labor force 

(11.6 percent) from 1990 to 2000.

• Florida and Georgia led the South with a 23 percent 

growth in artists—double the national average. 

• 29 percent of all artists now live in the West, and 

another 29 percent in the South. 

(See pages 9–12)

2 These are 1999 median earnings reported in the 2000 census.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 3

NEA Research on artist 

occupations

Since the 1970s, the National Endowment for the Arts has 

used a variety of data sources to conduct research on artist 

occupations. To address the frequently disparate needs of 

arts policy-makers, administrators, and researchers, the 

NEA has sought to enrich its research capacity through 

several major types of database:

• Primary data collection from specific artist groups

• Membership surveys of artist organizations such as 

unions or service organizations

• Tabulation and analysis of secondary data collected by 

statistical agencies of the federal government, such as 

the U.S. Census Bureau

This report falls into the third group, using data from the 

decennial censuses and the new American Community 

Survey to study the demographic, social, and economic 

characteristics of artists. The census—like large national 

surveys in general—permits research based on large 

sample sizes, provides consistent information over time, 

allows comparisons of artists with other occupations, and 

costs less than primary data collection. These types of data 

are limited, however, because the census was not designed 

to address specific interests and issues in artist populations. 

One significant disadvantage is that the census data 

capture information only on a person’s primary occupation, 

thus missing the many artists whose artistic activities occur 

in a second job.3

Past NEA reports have provided information about 

artists from the 1970, 1980, and 1990 censuses.4

 This 

report updates the earlier research. From a census list 

of occupations, the NEA has extracted identifiable artist 

categories to determine where artists live and some of 

their economic and personal characteristics. Occupation 

has been included in almost every census since 1790. Since 

1960, occupation has been on the questionnaire known as 

the “long form” that was given to a sample of the general 

U.S. population. Although all Americans were represented 

in the census data, most respondents answered only a 

“short form” containing a few simple questions. Still, 

about one household in six answered the long form’s very 

detailed questions, thus providing key information about 

social and economic characteristics. 

In the 21st century, the census is changing. The new 

American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey 

that will replace the long form. In 2010, there will be 

a traditional census count of persons, as required by 

the Constitution for the purpose of reapportioning 

congressional representation among the states. But the 

ACS will replace the long form with new estimates of 

detailed characteristics. Some of those estimates will 

represent a single year of data collection; others will 

represent multi-year averages. For smaller population 

groups like artists, multi-year estimates are needed to 

obtain reliable numbers. Some comparisons are best 

left until the end of the decade, while others are already 

improving our understanding of the population. The ACS 

data in this report represent three-year averages of the 

2003-2005 surveys.

This study presents the most current picture of the artist 

population in the United States, using the 2000 census 

and ACS data through 2005. The challenge to such an 

approach is two-fold: first, the ACS data differ from the 

census data in fundamental ways, as described later in 

this report. Second, the artist occupation codes were 

changed between the 1990 and 2000 censuses, creating 

inconsistencies that must be corrected in the analysis.

Despite these obstacles, this report contains trend data 

and statistics valuable not only to arts administrators and 

policy-makers, but also to researchers who may seek 

guidance on the rich occupational analyses made possible 

by comparing the ACS and decennial census data. 

3 In the data used in this report, the primary occupation is the job where an individual worked the most hours in the week prior to responding to the 

questionnaire or interviewer. No information is collected about whether or not the respondent has additional jobs.

4 For an overview of data from those censuses, see Diane C. Ellis and John C. Beresford, Trends in Artist Occupations, 1970–1990; 1994; National 

Endowment for the Arts, Research Report #29.
4 National Endowment for the Arts

Artist occupation data

The census and American Community Survey 

questionnaires ask for a person’s most recent job with 

the most hours worked. Consequently, the data in this 

report consider only people whose artistic jobs were their 

primary occupations. This approach excludes many artists 

who hold primary jobs in other occupations and whose 

secondary jobs as artists are not included in the census 

or ACS data.5

The Census Bureau categorizes all occupations according 

to the federal government’s Standard Occupational 

Classification (SOC). When the Census Bureau publishes 

data tables from the 2000 census or the American 

Community Survey, it usually includes the 23 major 

occupation groups of the SOC. One of these groups is 

called “Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 

occupations”, with 2,484,201 people at the time of the 

2000 census. But this report focuses on 1,927,400 artists 

as selected by the National Endowment for the Arts. The 

census group includes athletes, news reporters, and other 

media workers who would not fit most definitions of 

5 For a discussion of secondary employment among artists, see Bonnie Nichols, Artist Employment, 2005; 2006, NEA Research Note #90. More than 

300,000 workers held secondary jobs as artists in 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Actors—stage, television, radio, video, or 

motion picture.

Announcers—radio, television, public address 

systems, events.

Architects—private residences, commercial 

buildings, landscapes.

Fine artists, art directors, and animators—art 

directors; craft artists; fine artists include: painters, 

sculptors, and illustrators; multi-media artists; 

animators. This category is called “artists and 

related workers” in the census coding scheme. In 

this report, it is often abbreviated as “fine artists” 

or “painters”.

Dancers and choreographers—in this report, it is 

often abbreviated as “dancers”.

Designers—commercial and industrial designers, 

fashion designers, floral designers, graphic 

designers, interior designers, merchandise 

displayers and window trimmers, set and 

exhibit designers.

Entertainers and performers—comedians, 

puppeteers, rodeo riders, stunt performers, 

ventriloquists, jugglers, and others. The category 

includes all entertainers, performers, sports and 

related workers not specifically categorized. The 

many individual job titles within this category 

are overwhelmingly entertainers and performers 

rather than athletes. (The vast majority of athletes 

fall under a separate “athletes” category.) In the 

report, this artist group is often abbreviated as 

“entertainers”.

Musicians and singers—music directors, 

conductors, composers, musicians, and singers. In 

this report, it is often abbreviated as “musicians”.

Photographers—includes scientific photographers, 

aerial photographers, and photojournalists.

Producers and directors—stage, television, radio, 

video, or motion picture. In this report, it is often 

abbreviated as “producers”. 

Writers and authors—scripts, stories, novels, 

poems, plays, biographies, advertisements, 

speeches, and other material. Does not include 

technical writers, editors, or journalists. In this 

report, this artist group is often abbreviated as 

“writers”.

The following 11 artist occupations are featured in this report: 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 5

Designers

39%

Performing artists

17%

Photographers

7%

Producers 

and directors

7%

Writers 

and authors

9%

Architects

10%

Fine artists, art directors,

and animators

11%

artists. The NEA group includes 11 specific occupations, 

most of which derive exclusively from the census group, 

with the notable exception of architects (who are classified 

within the “Architecture and engineering occupations” 

group). Many of the census occupations differ from those 

used in 1990. In this report, therefore, the 1990 data have 

been adjusted to match the 2000 definitions as closely as 

possible.6

Artists are part of a larger occupation group called 

professional and related workers. Occupations in this 

professional group also include doctors, lawyers, teachers, 

scientists, engineers, and health professionals. Many of 

the tables in this report include information about the 

6 See Appendix A for additional details about the occupations and how the 1990 adjustments were made.

Figure 1. Artist occupations as a 

percentage of all artists, American 

Community Surveys, 2003-2005

Artists, 2003-2005 ACS Number Percent

Total artists 1,999,474 100.0

Actors 39,717 2.0

Announcers 55,817 2.8

Architects 198,498 9.9

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 10.9

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 1.3

Designers 779,359 39.0

Entertainers and performers 41,128 2.1

Musicians 169,647 8.5

Photographers 147,389 7.4

Producers and directors 139,996 7.0

Writers and authors 185,276 9.3
6 National Endowment for the Arts

professional group because this is a good comparison 

group for artists, given their similar levels of education. 

According to the most recent data, there are 

approximately 2 million Americans with primary 

artist occupations.

7

 More than one-third of these 

artists are designers, an occupation that includes art 

glass designers, interior designers, display trimmers, and 

others. More than 10 percent of artists are fine artists, art 

directors, and animators, a category that includes painters, 

sculptors, illustrators, and many other visual artists. 

Another 10 percent are architects. Writers and authors 

number just under 10 percent of all artists. This category 

includes such varied groups as novelists, poets, advertising 

writers, and crossword puzzle makers, but does not 

include editors or technical writers. Musicians and singers 

represent more than 8 percent of artists, while other 

performing artist categories—announcers, actors, dancers 

and choreographers, and entertainers and performers—

account for another 8 percent combined. Photographers 

account for about 7 percent of artists, and producers and 

directors another 7 percent.

7 This conclusion is based on the 2000 census and the American Community Survey numbers for 2003-2005. The census numbers include group quarters 

(such as dormitories, prisons, and nursing homes), and the ACS numbers include only household populations. In 2000, there were about 20,000 artists 

living in group quarters, almost all of them attending college or graduate school. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 7

The artist workforce 

over time

In Part 2, Tables 2-11, 16, and 33-34 include details of changes over time. 

In 1970, artists comprised less than one percent of the 

U.S. labor force. Over the next 20 years, the proportion of 

artists climbed to 1.4 percent, where it has lingered ever 

since.8

 Between 1970 and 1990, the number of artists 

more than doubled from 737,000 to 1.7 million—a much 

larger gain than the labor force as a whole—but between 

1990 and 2005, the number of artists grew by 15.7 

percent, compared with a 17.4 percent increase for the 

overall labor force. 

There have been shifts among artist occupations. Between 

1990 and 2000, the number of artists grew by 11.6 

percent, an increase of about 200,000 artists. Over that 

period, the number of designers rose by 130,000 while the 

number of fine artists decreased by 47,000. Between 2000 

and 2005, the number of designers again increased, this 

time by about 30,000, while the fine artists continued to 

decline by another 15,000. Some of this shift probably can 

be attributed to the change in occupation definitions, and 

some to sampling error.9

Similar growth differences occurred among performing 

artists, but with smaller numbers. The number of 

announcers dropped in the 1990s, while entertainers 

and performers showed a large proportional increase. 

Photographers experienced a disproportionate increase 

after 2000, and the number has remained steady through 

the ACS years. Most other groups grew in proportions 

similar to the labor force as a whole, though writers 

showed a stronger increase.

8 Diane C. Ellis and John C. Beresford, Trends in Artist Occupations, 1970-1990; 1994; National Endowment for the Arts, Research Report #29.

9 Because artist occupations represent a small proportion of the population, any recorded shifts within these groups may be due to the small sample, 

and there may have been no difference between these groups if a different random sample of the population had been drawn. See Appendix B for a 

discussion of sampling error and its measurement. 

Number of artists 1990 

Census

 2000 

Census

 2003-2005 

ACS

Total artists 1,727,507 1,927,400 1,999,474

Actors 35,916 38,605 39,717

Announcers 68,590 54,855 55,817

Architects 167,151 192,860 198,498

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators 278,516 231,690 216,996

Dancers and 

choreographers 21,771 26,915 25,651

Designers 619,328 749,335 779,359

Entertainers and performers 16,929 37,590 41,128

Musicians 148,162 170,015 169,647

Photographers 117,084 124,045 147,389

Producers and directors 120,609 139,335 139,996

Writers and authors 133,471 162,155 185,276

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

0

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

100,000,000

120,000,000

140,000,000

160,000,000

20,000,000

1970 1980 1990 2000 2005

Artists

Labor Force

Labor Force

Artists

Source: 1990 and 2000 census EEO files; 2003-2005 ACS

Figure 2. Labor force growth, 1990 to 2003-2005
8 National Endowment for the Arts

1990 census 2000 census 2003–2005 ACS

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

Designers

Fine artists, art directors,

and animators

Architects

Writers and authors

Musicians 

Performing artists

Photographers

Producers and directors

Figure 3. Growth of artist occupations, 1990 to 2005

In this figure, “performing artists” include actors, announcers, dancers and choreographers, 

and entertainers and performers.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 9

Geographic Trends

In Part 2, Tables 2-31 include details of artists by state. Tables 32-41 include details of artists by multi-state region. 

Tables 42-44 include details of artists by metropolitan area.

States

In 2000, California and New York together were home to 

more than a half-million artists, 27 percent of the nation’s 

total. Although California and New York are among the 

most populous states, their combined populations in 2000 

were less than 19 percent of the United States’ total. In 

addition to having the largest numbers of artists, these 

two states also had high proportions of artists—about 100 

artists per 10,000 people. No state exceeded this level, 

though the District of Columbia did, with 149 artists per 

10,000 people. States with relatively large concentrations 

of artists included Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, 

Hawaii, Connecticut, Oregon, and Washington, with 79 or 

more artists per 10,000 people. 

Although the map below shows the number of artists 

by state during 2003-2005, several more years of ACS 

data will be needed for this survey to produce completely 

reliable estimates for individual states. Consequently, this 

section will focus on artist population data from the 

2000 decennial census. Still, preliminary estimates from 

the American Community Survey suggest that New York 

and California maintained their lead as home to about 28 

percent of the country’s artists. Most of the states with the 

highest concentrations of artists did not change between 

2000 and 2003-2005, but this time Minnesota, New 

Jersey, Rhode Island, and New Mexico also showed high 

proportions.

Number of Artists by State

More than 100,000

50,00 to 100,000

30,00 to 50,000

Fewer than 30,000

Source: ACS, 2003–2005
10 National Endowment for the Arts

During the 1990s and the first few years of the 21st 

century, the number of artists grew with the labor force, 

and the proportion of artists in the U.S. population held 

steady. The growth of artists by state was greatest in the 

West and the South. Nevada showed the largest growth 

in artists—an increase of 65.7 percent—but it also had 

the largest population growth. In Utah, Oregon, Arizona, 

Montana, and Colorado, the number of artists grew 

by about one-third in the 1990s. In Utah, Oregon, and 

Montana, the growth of artists was faster than the growth 

of the population. In Arizona and Colorado, the growth of 

artists matched or lagged the growth of the population. 

California, with the largest number of artists, showed only 

moderate growth, but artists continued to represent a 

larger proportion of the labor force than in any state other 

than New York. (See Table 2 in Part 2 of this report.) 

In the United States in 2000, there were about 68 artists 

for every 10,000 people: 27 designers, 8 fine artists, 

7 architects, 6 musicians, 6 writers, 5 producers, 4 

photographers, 2 announcers, 1 actor, 1 dancer, and 1 

entertainer. The distribution varied, however, from state 

to state. As the tables on the following page indicate, 

California and New York, with by far the largest numbers 

of artists, topped the list for actors per 10,000 people, as 

well as for producers and directors. Also in 2000, these 

two states had high proportions of writers, and were 

among the top 10 for many of the other artist occupations. 

Interestingly, Vermont had about the same proportion of 

writers as New York (11), followed by Massachusetts (10) 

and California (9). 

Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Vermont, and 

Hawaii had 10 or more architects per 10,000 people. 

Fourteen states had 30 or more designers, led by 

Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. New 

Mexico and Vermont each had more than 15 fine artists 

per 10,000 people, followed closely by Hawaii, Montana, 

and 9 other states with 10 or more fine artists per 10,000 

people. Nevada had the highest proportion of dancers, 

and Tennessee had the highest proportion of musicians, 

with Hawaii second for both of those occupations. 

Nevada also led the list for entertainers and performers 

by far, followed by Florida and Hawaii. North Dakota and 

Montana had more announcers per 10,000 people than 

other states. 

Top 15 states by number of artists, American 

Community Survey, 2003-2005

State Number of artists 

California 352,424

New York 212,025

Texas 120,916

Florida 116,937

Illinois 79,932

New Jersey 65,037

Pennsylvania 64,924

Michigan 60,052

Ohio 60,032

Massachusetts 54,852

Georgia 53,737

Virginia 48,310

Washington 45,157

North Carolina 42,400

Minnesota 39,631
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 11

Total artists 

1. New York 101.1

2. California 97.6

3. Massachusetts 91.0

4. Vermont 87.4

5. Colorado 85.4

6. Hawaii 84.1

7. Connecticut 84.0

8. Oregon 80.5

9. Washington 78.8

10. Nevada 77.9

Actors

1. California 5.3

2. New York 4.2

3. Nevada 1.3

4. New Jersey 1.1

5. Florida 1.0

6. Minnesota 0.9

7. Illinois 0.9

8. Utah 0.9

9. Oregon 0.9

10. Connecticut 0.9

Announcers

1. North Dakota 4.7

2. Montana 3.6

3. Alaska 3.4

4. Vermont 3.4

5. South Dakota 2.9

6. West Virginia 2.9

7. Hawaii 2.8

8. Nebraska 2.8

9. Florida 2.6

10. Maine 2.4

 Architects

1. Massachusetts 12.9

2. Colorado 12.7

3. Washington 11.7

4. Vermont 10.7

5. Hawaii 10.3

6. New York 9.3

7. Connecticut 9.1

8. Oregon 9.1

9. Maryland 9.0

10. California 8.5

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators

1. New Mexico 18.1

2. Vermont 16.2

3. Hawaii 14.9

4. Montana 13.0

5. New York 12.6

6. California 12.4

7. Alaska 12.3

8. Maine 12.1

9. Oregon 11.4

10. Colorado 10.9

Dancers and 

choreographers

1. Nevada 6.9

2. Hawaii 4.7

3. Alaska 2.0

4. Arizona 1.5

5. Utah 1.4

6. Florida 1.4

7. New York 1.4

8. Nebraska 1.2

9. Texas 1.1

10. Oklahoma 1.1

Designers

1. Massachusetts 36.9

2. Connecticut 36.5

3. Rhode Island 36.2

4. New York 34.5

5. California 34.1

6. Michigan 32.8

7. Colorado 32.6

8. Minnesota 31.9

9. Oregon 31.6

10. Washington 31.4

Entertainers and 

performers

1. Nevada 8.9

2. Florida 3.4

3. Hawaii 2.9

4. California 2.0

5. Arizona 1.8

6. New York 1.5

7. Colorado 1.5

8. Tennessee 1.4

9. Texas 1.3

10. Vermont 1.3

Musicians

1. Tennessee 11.8

2. Hawaii 10.1

3. Nevada 8.9

4. New York 8.6

5. California 7.8

6. Florida 6.9

7. Massachusetts 6.9

8. New Jersey 6.8

9. Colorado 6.4

10. Minnesota 6.2

Photographers 

1. Hawaii 6.4

2. Rhode Island 6.1

3. New York 6.0

4. California 5.9

5. Maryland 5.4

6. Minnesota 5.1

7. South Dakota 5.1

8. Colorado 5.1

9. Wyoming 5.1

10. Montana 5.0

Producers and directors 

1. New York 10.6

2. California 10.1

3. Maryland 6.5

4. Connecticut 5.9

5. Massachusetts 5.8

6. Hawaii 5.4

7. New Jersey 5.4

8. Tennessee 4.9

9. Colorado 4.7

10. Florida 4.7

Writers and authors 

1. Vermont 11.3

2. New York 10.8

3. Massachusetts 9.8

4. California 9.0

5. Oregon 8.6

6. Connecticut 8.1

7. Colorado 8.1

8. Maine 7.9

9. Maryland 7.7

10. Montana 7.5

Top 10 states ranked by number of artists per 10,000 people

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation.
12 National Endowment for the Arts

Regions

As explained earlier, the ACS data may be unreliable when 

it comes to tallying artist populations for individual states. 

That is because some of the artist occupations include 

so few people. Regional differences surfaced from the 

2003-2005 averages, however. The Pacific states had 95 

artists per 10,000 people, followed closely by the Middle 

Atlantic (88) and New England (84) states, while the 

East South Central states had only 47. The Pacific, Middle 

Atlantic, and New England states had more writers, fine 

artists, architects, and designers per 10,000 people than 

the other regions. The Pacific states had 4 actors and 9 

producers per 10,000 people, followed closely by the 

Middle Atlantic states (3 actors and 8 producers), both far 

higher than any other region. The number of musicians per 

10,000 people was more uniform throughout the country, 

ranging from a high of 7 in the East South Central and 

Middle Atlantic states to a low of 4 in the Mountain states. 

United States regions and sub-regions, 

defined by the Census Bureau

Northeast Region

New England includes Connecticut, Maine, 

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and 

Vermont. 

Middle Atlantic includes New Jersey, New York, and 

Pennsylvania.

Midwest Region

East North Central includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 

Ohio, and Wisconsin. 

West North Central includes Iowa, Kansas, 

Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and 

South Dakota.

South Region

South Atlantic includes Delaware, the District of

Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

East South Central includes Alabama, Kentucky, 

Mississippi, and Tennessee. 

West South Central includes Arkansas, Louisiana, 

Oklahoma, and Texas.

West Region

Mountain includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, 

Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. 

Pacific includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, 

and Washington.

Number of artists Artists per 10,000 

population

United States 1,999,474 70

Northeast 457,031 86

New England 115,045 84

Middle Atlantic 341,986 87

Midwest 384,190 60

East North Central 262,583 59

West North Central 121,607 64

South 586,899 57

South Atlantic 339,792 63

East South Central 79,807 47

West South Central 167,300 52

West 571,353 87

Mountain 131,375 68

Pacific 439,978 95

Number and concentration of artists by region 

and sub-region, American Community Survey, 

2003-2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 13

Metropolitan Areas

Opportunities for artistic employment are greater 

in metropolitan areas. Half of all artists live in 30 

metropolitan areas.10 These areas represent only 37 percent 

of the labor force and they are found in all regions. The 

10 metropolitan areas with the most artists include: 

New York, Boston, and Philadelphia in the Northeast; 

Washington and Atlanta in the South; Chicago, Detroit, 

and Minneapolis in the Midwest; and Los Angeles and 

San Francisco in the West.11 The other metropolitan areas 

with large artist populations are mostly in the West and 

the South. While the growth in artist occupations—like 

the growth in population—has been greater in the South 

and West, the Northeast and the Midwest still have large 

numbers of artists.12

More than one-fifth of all artists live in the Los 

Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington, or Boston 

metropolitan areas, according to the 2000 data.

Nationwide, artists are only 1.4 percent of the labor force, 

but there are 14 metropolitan areas where artists comprise 

2 percent or more of the labor force. San Francisco leads 

the list, with artists accounting for 3.7 percent of its labor 

force. In Santa Fe (NM), Los Angeles, New York, and 

Stamford-Norwalk (CT), more than 3 percent of workers 

are in artist occupations. Another 9 metropolitan areas—

representing all regions—have 2 percent or higher levels of 

artist occupations: Boulder, CO; Santa Cruz, CA; Danbury, 

CT; Santa Barbara, CA; Seattle, WA; Nashville, TN; Boston, 

MA; Bloomington, IN; and Orlando, FL. 

The following tables provide rankings for metropolitan 

areas by the percentage of artists in the labor force for 

individual occupations. San Francisco and Santa Fe have 

the highest concentrations of architects, writers, and fine 

artists of any metropolitan areas in the U.S. San Francisco 

also has the highest concentration of designers and 

photographers, and ranks third for producers.

10 All metropolitan area data come from the 2000 census. Metropolitan areas referenced in this report are the OMB standard areas defined as of 1999. 

New standards were introduced in 2003 and updated every year since then, but the data in this report did not use the new standards. All metropolitan 

areas cited in this report are either Metropolitan Statistical Areas or Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas, not Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical 

Areas. Thus, the Los Angeles metropolitan area includes only Los Angeles county, not the 3 other metropolitan areas that make up the Los AngelesRiverside-Orange County, CA, Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. The New York metropolitan area includes the 5 boroughs of New York city, 

plus Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties, but there are 14 other Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the New York-Northern New JerseyLong Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. Stamford-Norwalk, CT, is one of them. See Guide to Tables and Terms in Part 2 

for more information.

11 These metropolitan areas do not align perfectly with the 10 most populous metro areas in the U.S. Boston, San Francisco, and Minneapolis make the 

top 10 list based on number of artists, but not on population. The opposite is true for Dallas, Miami, and Houston.

12 Recent studies published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service have shown substantial growth in artists in rural counties 

between 1990 and 2000 based on county-level employment data. See “Arts Employment Is Burgeoning in Some Rural Areas,” Tim Wojan, Amber 

Waves, USDA Economic Research Service, November 2007. 

Number of 

artists Region

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA 140,620 West

New York, NY 132,990 Northeast

Chicago, IL 64,800 Midwest

Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV 47,360 South

Boston, MA-NH 38,885 Northeast

Philadelphia, PA-NJ 35,670 Northeast

San Francisco, CA 35,470 West

Atlanta, GA 34,350 South

Detroit, MI 33,215 Midwest

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI 28,685 Midwest

Half of all artists live in 30 metropolitan areas. These 30 areas represent 37 percent of 

the U.S. labor force.

Top 10 metropolitan areas ranked by 

number of artists, 2000 Census
14 National Endowment for the Arts

13 The general concept of a metropolitan area (MA) is one of a large population nucleus. If an area conforms with the federal Office of 

Management and Budget’s definition of a metropolitan area (MA) and has 1 million people or more, then two or more primary metropolitan 

statistical areas (PMSAs) may be defined within it. When PMSAs are established, the larger MA of which they are part is designated a 

consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA).

 The tables above consist only of MAs and PMSAs, and not CMSAs. For example, the PMSAs of New York, Stamford-Norwalk, and Danbury 

are all part of New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA CMSA. Similarly, the PMSAs of Santa Cruz-Watsonville and San 

Francisco are part of the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA CMSA.

Total artists 

1. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 3.71

2. Santa Fe, NM 3.36

3. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 3.26

4. New York, NY (PMSA) 3.12

5. Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 3.01

6. Boulder-Longmont, CO 

(PMSA) 2.64

7. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 

 (PMSA) 2.37

8. Danbury, CT (PMSA) 2.28

9. Santa Barbara-Santa MariaLompoc, CA 2.25

10. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, 

WA (PMSA) 2.16

Actors

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.34

2. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.17

3. Medford-Ashland, OR 0.13

4. Orlando, FL 0.08

5. Wilmington, NC 0.07

6. Ventura, CA (PMSA) 0.07

7. Jersey City, NJ (PMSA) 0.07

8. Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 0.06

9. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 0.05

10. Santa Barbara-Santa 

Maria-Lompoc, CA 0.05

Announcers

1. Alexandria, LA 0.16

2. Gainesville, FL 0.13

3. South Bend, IN 0.13

4. Bangor, ME 0.11

5. Panama City, FL 0.11

6. Abilene, TX 0.11

7. Duluth-Superior, MN-WI 0.11

8. Danville, VA 0.10

9. Burlington, VT 0.10

10. Lubbock, TX 0.10

 Architects

1. Santa Fe, NM 0.51

2. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 0.50

3. Boulder-Longmont, CO 

(PMSA) 0.44

4. Charlottesville, VA 0.38

5. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, 

WA (PMSA) 0.37

6. Boston, MA-NH (PMSA) 0.36

7. Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 0.36

8. Danbury, CT (PMSA) 0.30

9. Trenton, NJ (PMSA) 0.29

10. Oakland, CA (PMSA) 0.28

Top 10 metropolitan areas13 ranked by percentage of artists in the labor force

Fine artists, art directors,

and animators

1. Santa Fe, NM 1.12

2. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 0.55

3. Santa Rosa, CA (PMSA) 0.39

4. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.38

5. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.38

6. Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA 0.37

7.Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 0.37

8. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 

 (PMSA) 0.37

9. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 0.36

10.San Luis Obispo-AtascaderoPaso Robles, CA 0.35

Dancers and choreographers

1. Las Vegas, NV-AZ 0.16

2. Myrtle Beach, SC 0.12

3. Honolulu, HI 0.09

4. Flint, MI (PMSA) 0.08

5. Gadsden, AL 0.08

6. Reno, NV 0.07

7. Orlando, FL 0.06

8. Anchorage, AK 0.06

9. Tucson, AZ 0.06

10. Jacksonville, NC 0.06
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 15

Designers

1. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 1.40

2. Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 1.27

3. Boulder-Longmont, CO 

(PMSA) 1.05

4. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.99

5. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 

CA (PMSA) 0.94

6. New London-Norwich, 

CT-RI 0.93

7. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.91

8. Bloomington, IN 0.90

9. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, 

WA (PMSA) 0.88

10. San Jose, CA (PMSA) 0.86

Entertainers and performers

1. Orlando, FL 0.27

2. Las Vegas, NV-AZ 0.21

3. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 0.12

4. Myrtle Beach, SC 0.12

5. Reno, NV 0.10

6. Melbourne-Titusville-Palm 

 Bay, FL 0.10

7. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.08

8. Naples, FL 0.08

9. Fort Lauderdale, FL (PMSA) 0.08

10. Tucson, AZ 0.07

Musicians

1. Nashville, TN 0.65

2. Lawrence, KS 0.31

3. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.29

4. Bloomington, IN 0.29

5. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.27

6. Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 0.27

7. Hattiesburg, MS 0.26

8. Myrtle Beach, SC 0.25

9. Trenton, NJ (PMSA) 0.24

10. Punta Gorda, FL 0.24

Photographers 

1. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 0.20

2. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 

CA (PMSA) 0.20

3. Santa Barbara-Santa 

Maria-Lompoc, CA 0.19

4.Columbia, MO 0.18

5. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.17

6. Asheville, NC 0.17

7. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.17

8. Gainesville, FL 0.15

9. Springfield, MO 0.15

10. Boulder-Longmont, CO 

(PMSA) 0.15

Producers and directors 

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.53

2. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.38

3. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 0.31

4. Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 0.24

5. Santa Barbara-Santa 

Maria-Lompoc, CA 0.23

6. Nashville, TN 0.22

7. Jersey City, NJ (PMSA) 0.19

8. Ventura, CA (PMSA) 0.19

9. Washington, DC-MD-VAWV (PMSA) 0.19

10. Champaign-Urbana, IL 0.17

Writers and authors 

1. Santa Fe, NM 0.41

2. San Francisco, CA (PMSA) 0.39

3. Boulder-Longmont, CO 

(PMSA) 0.37

4. New York, NY (PMSA) 0.36

5. Bloomington, IN 0.36

6. State College, PA 0.32

7. Los Angeles-Long Beach, 

CA (PMSA) 0.32

8. Stamford-Norwalk, CT 

(PMSA) 0.31

9. Missoula, MT 0.30

10. Corvallis, OR 0.29

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation.
16 National Endowment for the Arts

Demographic trends

In Part 2, Tables 45-51 include details of artists’ demographic characteristics.

Artists are more likely to be men than women—

about 54 percent of artists in 2000 were men, and there 

was no significant change by 2005. The total U.S. labor 

force is about 53 percent male. In 1990, men accounted 

for 56 percent of artists, so the change in 15 years has 

been small. The 2003–2005 data indicate that 76 percent 

of dancers were women and 78 percent of architects and 

announcers were men. Almost two-thirds of musicians, 

producers, and photographers are men. In addition 

to dancers, designers and writers represent occupations 

where women outnumber men, albeit slightly. 

In 2000, the median age of artists was 39, the same as 

the median age of the U.S. labor force, both up from 37 in 

1990. As the baby boomers aged, the median age rose to 

40 by 2005, for artists and for the labor force as a whole. 

Writers, musicians, architects, and fine artists tended to be 

older adults throughout this time period, with median ages 

in their forties. Dancers were consistently younger, with 

median ages in their mid-twenties. 

In keeping with the labor force as a whole, most artists are 

white, but again like the labor force, the artist population 

is quickly becoming more diverse. Although the total 

labor force was 73 percent non-Hispanic white in 2000, 

83 percent of artists were non-Hispanic white. By 2005, 

however, the latter proportion had slipped to 80 percent. 

In 1990, by contrast, about 86 percent of artists were nonHispanic white.14

Between 1990 and 2005, as the proportion of nonHispanic whites fell, the proportion of artists who were 

African-American remained steady at about 5 percent, 

while the proportion of artists who were Hispanic, 

Asian, or American Indian15 grew from about 9 

percent in 1990 to almost 15 percent by 2005. During 

that same time period, those groups grew from about 

11 percent of the total labor force to nearly 20 percent. 

The proportion of African Americans in the labor force 

remains between 10 and 11 percent, about double their 

representation in the artist occupations.

In the 2003-2005 time period, the proportion of nonHispanic whites among younger artists—under age 

35—was 73 percent. While this percentage was far greater 

than that of every other race or ethnicity, it was the lowest 

All ages Under 35 35–54 55 and 

older

White, not Hispanic

Black, not Hispanic

Other, not Hispanic

Hispanic

0

20

40

60

80

100

14 The 1990 numbers in this paragraph are derived from the 1990 EEO file (for artists) and the IPUMS online data system (for the labor force as a whole). 

Definitions have changed, both for artists and for racial/ethnic designations. Census Bureau questionnaires now permit individuals to select multiple 

races. This was not the case in 1990, so no trend comparisons can be made for this designation. The differences would be small, however, because only 

1.6 percent of the population in 2000 were “not Hispanic, 2 or more races”.

15 Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and two or more races are combined as “Other” in this report. Most of 

the people in this “Other” category are Asian.

Figure 4. Race/ethnicity of artists by age, 

American Community Survey, 2003–2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 17

relative to other age groups. Hispanic and Asian artists 

each composed about 10 percent of the 35-and-under 

group, and African Americans about 7 percent. Among 

artists under 35, only writers remain over 80 percent nonHispanic white. As with all age groups, the proportion 

of non-Hispanic white artists remains higher than the 

proportion of non-Hispanic whites in the labor force, 

but with artists 35 and below, the proportion of “other” 

Americans is also higher than the share of the labor force. 

(Most of the people in this “other” category are Asian.) 

Artists have higher education levels than the labor force 

as a whole. In 2000, 51 percent of artists had bachelor’s 

degrees or a higher level of education, compared with 

26 percent of the U.S. labor force and 64 percent of 

professional and related occupations.16 In the 2003-2005 

data, over 54 percent of artists had bachelor’s degrees or 

higher, suggesting that the proportion of artists with 

degrees is rising. Artist occupations with the highest 

educational attainment levels are architects (85 percent 

had bachelor’s degrees or higher in 2000), writers 

(78 percent), and producers (68 percent). All three of 

these groups had even higher proportions with degrees 

in 2003-2005. Only 13 percent of dancers and 24 percent 

of entertainers had degrees in 2000, the only artist 

occupations with educational attainment levels below 

average for the labor force. 

In 2000, about 12 percent of all workers were enrolled 

in high school, college, or graduate school. Artists were 

enrolled at a slightly lower level, but more than 15 

percent of dancers, announcers, and entertainers were 

students. In 2003-2005, too, these groups showed 

higher enrollment levels than the total labor force, but the 

American Community Survey data for 2003-2005 did not 

include persons living in group quarters. The numbers of 

enrolled students likely would be higher if students living in 

dormitories were included.

More than half of all artists were householders in 

2000—at 56 percent, a proportion slightly higher than 

for the labor force as a whole. A householder is defined 

as the person, or one of the persons, in whose name the 

housing unit is owned or rented. Architects and producers 

were more likely than other artists to be householders, at 

74 percent and 65 percent in 2000. About one-fourth of 

artists are spouses of householders, the same level as the 

total labor force. 

As a group, artists are less likely than other workers 

to live with their parents or other relatives in family 

households, but slightly more likely to live in non-family 

arrangements—as housemates, unmarried partners, 

or dorm residents. Dancers, actors, announcers, and 

entertainers—the artist occupations with the youngest 

median ages—have higher proportions in these non-family 

living arrangements. Nearly one-third of artists live in 

non-family households or group quarters, compared with 

one-fifth of the labor force. Seventeen percent of artists 

live alone, compared with 10 percent of the labor force as 

a whole and 13 percent of professionals.

16 The category professional and related occupations includes artists as well as scientists, teachers, doctors, lawyers, computer professionals, engineers, 

social workers, and others. See http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/C2SS/CodeList/2006/Occupation.htm
18 National Endowment for the Arts

Employment and income

In Part 2, Tables 52-60 include details of artists’ employment and income.

Compared with the American labor force as a whole, 

artists are much more likely to be self-employed. Almost 

one-third of artists were self-employed in 2000, compared 

with less than 10 percent of the labor force. About half 

of fine artists and writers were self-employed, with 

photographers at 42 percent and musicians at 35 percent. 

This pattern of high self-employment was evident in the 

1990 census data, but the 2003-2005 data indicate that 

the numbers of self-employed artists are increasing,

with 35 percent of all artists self-employed, and each artist 

occupation showing more than 20 percent self-employed. 

Percentage self-employed, 1990-2005

Artists All Professionals Labor Force 

1990* 31.5 10.5 7.0

2000 31.5 8.4 9.5

2003–2005 34.5 8.8 10.2

* While the 1990 percentages represent occupations only in that year and have not 

been adjusted to match the new 2000 categories, the impact on these estimates is 

likely to be minimal.

While more than two-thirds of the labor force are 

employed in the for-profit sector, the only artists to 

match or exceed this level are announcers, designers, and 

dancers. Forty percent of musicians are employed 

by nonprofit organizations, far more than any other 

artist group and more than 5 times the percentage of 

the total labor force. Actors, dancers, producers, and 

writers measure 10 percent or more in the nonprofit 

sector, slightly above the 7 percent average for the labor 

force as a whole. The larger group of professional and 

related workers, in which artists are included, exhibits a 

different pattern, with only 9 percent self-employed, 30 

percent employed by government entities, and 16 percent 

employed by nonprofits. 

Fifty-six percent of artists were employed full time all 

year in 1999, the year before the census.17 This statistic 

compares with 60 percent of the U.S. labor force and all 

workers in the census’ professional and related workers

category. Architects, producers, and designers are the 

artist groups with the highest levels of full-year, full-time 

employment. Actors have the lowest level of full-year, 

full-time workers—only 17 percent. Between 20 and 30 

percent of dancers, musicians, and entertainers work full 

time all year, while about half of most other artist groups 

work a full-year, full-time schedule.

Most of the data in this report refer to artists in the labor 

force—employed or unemployed and looking for work. To 

expand the picture, the following table shows the full-year, 

full-time proportion for all artists, including those who had 

worked in the 5 years prior to their interview, but were not 

in the labor force at the time of the interview or census. 

These artists might have been retired, going to school and 

Figure 5. Employment, American Community 

Survey, 2003–2005

Labor force Professionals All Artists

Private for-profit

Private not-for-profit 

Government

Self-employed

Unpaid or no 

recent employment

0

20

40

60

80

100

17 Full-time is defined as 35 or more hours per week. Full-year is defined as 50 to 52 weeks per year, including paid vacation and paid sick leave.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 19

not working, staying home with children, or not seeking 

employment for a number of reasons, but they have 

worked as artists within the past 5 years.

In 1990, artists were less likely than other workers to 

report full-year, full-time employment. By 2000, the 

proportions of full-year, full-time workers had increased 

more among professionals and other workers than among 

artists. While the full-year, full-time proportions for men 

have remained stable through the decades, women 

artists’ hours and weeks worked have not increased as 

much as those of other professionals. All artists—men and 

women—are less likely to work as many hours and weeks 

as other workers.

In the U.S. labor force as a whole, 30 percent of all workers 

work fewer than 50 weeks a year. The percentage of partyear workers for all artists is slightly higher––33 percent. 

For many of the artist occupations, however, the 

percentage working less than a full year is much higher 

than for artists as a whole. Seventy-seven percent of actors 

work part-year, as do about one-half of dancers and 

entertainers, and 2 out of every 5 musicians. 

Full-time work is defined as 35 or more hours per week, 

a level that includes almost 80 percent of the U.S. labor 

force, and more than 80 percent of professionals. Seventyeight percent or more of architects, designers, and 

producers work full-time hours, but other artists are more 

likely to work part-time. Only about half of actors, dancers, 

and entertainers, and 3 out of 5 musicians, work 35 or 

more hours per week. 

Full-year, full-time workers as a percentage of 

Americans who worked in the prior 5 years

Part-year and part-time workers as a percentage 

of all workers, 2003-2005

Artists Professionals Total Labor 

Force

Total

1990* 46.0 49.3 49.7

2000 48.6 53.3 52.3

2003-2005 47.5 53.3 53.0

Men

1990* 55.7 63.8 58.0

2000 57.5 65.6 60.0

2003-2005 56.7 64.8 60.8

Women

1990* 35.0 37.5 40.6

2000 38.9 44.0 44.0

2003-2005 37.9 44.9 44.7

* While the 1990 percentages represent occupations only in that year and have not 

been adjusted to match the new 2000 categories, the impact on these estimates is 

likely to be minimal. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey Public Use Microdata 

Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.

Part-year 

(less than 50 

weeks)

Part-time 

(less than 35 

hours)

Total labor force 30.2 21.9

Professional and related workers 31.4 19.3

Total artists 32.7 27.9

Actors 77.1 49.1

Announcers 29.9 39.3

Architects 19.9 10.7

Fine artists, art directors, and 

animators 37.9 29.7

Dancers and choreographers 47.8 51.0

Designers 28.4 22.0

Entertainers and performers 47.4 49.0

Musicians 40.9 58.1

Photographers 38.6 33.8

Producers and directors 29.6 12.3

Writers and authors 34.8 32.1
20 National Endowment for the Arts

The median income from all sources in 1999 was 

$30,000 for artists, higher than the $25,300 median 

for the total labor force, and lower than the $36,000 

for all professionals.18 Dancers had the lowest median 

income—$15,000—with actors, musicians, announcers, 

photographers, fine artists, and entertainers all at $25,000 

or less. Architects had the highest median income at 

$48,000, followed by producers ($40,000), writers 

($32,000), and designers ($30,000). 

Although there are too many definitional changes to 

permit an accurate comparison of income amounts from 

the 2000 census with those from the ACS, it appears that 

there was no significant change during the first five years 

of the decade.19 The ACS income numbers from 2003-

2005 have been adjusted for inflation to represent 1999 

dollars, and they are essentially unchanged from the 1999 

median incomes reported in the 2000 census. 

The median income for artists in 2003-2005 was $34,800, 

or $29,700 when adjusted for inflation to represent 

1999 dollars. Full-year, full-time artists earned $45,200 

(unadjusted) while the median income for full-year, fulltime professionals was $52,500. Producers and writers 

who worked full time had incomes above $50,000, and 

the median income for full-year, full-time architects was 

higher, at $63,500. For the 45 percent of artists who did 

not work full time all year, however, the median income 

was $20,000. The 2003-2005 median income for all 

women artists was $27,300, or 65 percent of the $42,000 

median income for all male artists. 

18 Income includes wage or salary income from all jobs, full-time and part-time; self-employment income; and income from all other sources such as 

investments and retirement. See the definition of income in the Guide to Tables and Terms. 

19 Because the ACS is an ongoing survey with different people interviewed every month, the averages represent rolling 12-month income estimates over a 

3-year period while the 2000 census estimates represent activity during a fixed calendar year (1999) for all respondents.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 21

Artist profiles

The following pages contain brief summaries from the American Community Survey in 2003–2005 for the 11 artist 

occupations. The table on this page provides an overview of the individual artist tables that follow. 

Selected characteristics of artists, professionals, and total labor force, 

American Community Survey, 2003–2005

Number in 

group

Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Median age Percent 

 under 35

Percent with 

bachelor’s 

degree or 

higher

Percent enrolled 

in school

Civilian labor force 144,898,471 46.4 30.4 40 36.9 27.9 11.7

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 56.1 24.0 42 31.9 65.3 12.5

All artists 1,999,474 45.9 19.9 40 35.0 54.5 8.0

Actors 39,717 45.1 23.4 35 49.9 58.6 11.9

Announcers 55,817 22.4 24.4 35 49.4 30.9 12.2

Architects 198,498 22.2 19.1 43 26.6 89.5 4.6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 47.4 15.8 44 25.7 51.2 5.8

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 75.9 40.1 26 80.8 14.4 15.1

Designers 779,359 54.9 20.3 40 37.0 46.2 7.9

Entertainers and performers 41,128 45.1 25.1 35 49.8 32.6 14.0

Musicians 169,647 36.1 27.0 45 28.7 46.3 9.4

Photographers 147,389 42.8 20.5 39 42.0 37.2 13.1

Producers and directors 139,996 35.3 20.1 38 39.0 69.3 5.2

Writers and authors 185,276 54.9 10.8 44 26.8 83.1 7.3

Percent fullyear, full-time 

workers

Percent selfemployed

Percent 

private 

for-profit

Median 

income 

(2005 

dollars)

Median 

income for 

men (2005 

dollars)

Median 

income for 

women (2005 

dollars)

Median income 

for full-year, 

full-time workers 

(2005 dollars)

Civilian labor force 60.8 10.2 67.3 $30,100 $35,700 $24,500 $38,700

Professional and related occupations 60.4 8.8 45.3 $43,200 $55,900 $36,800 $52,500

All artists 55.2 34.5 53.9 $34,800 $42,000 $27,300 $45,200

Actors 15.1 39.7 47.2 $23,400 $26,700 $19,100 $31,500

Announcers 48.6 21.0 70.1 $26,300 $25,800 $26,300 $36,800

Architects 75.2 32.6 60.7 $58,000 $63,000 $46,300 $63,500

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 51.5 55.6 39.0 $30,600 $37,800 $22,600 $42,800

Dancers and choreographers 24.9 22.3 65.1 $20,000 $20,400 $18,300 $34,600

Designers 61.5 24.7 69.1 $34,400 $42,500 $28,000 $42,000

Entertainers and performers 33.6 47.7 47.2 $21,500 $28,400 $17,400 $39,900

Musicians 30.2 43.8 13.4 $22,600 $26,100 $20,200 $38,600

Photographers 48.5 43.4 50.6 $26,300 $35,500 $16,300 $37,600

Producers and directors 65.6 25.6 58.1 $47,100 $50,400 $41,900 $52,500

Writers and authors 51.9 45.9 33.4 $38,800 $47,300 $33,300 $50,800
22 National Endowment for the Arts

For each occupation, there is a list of key characteristics and a pie chart showing the sectors of employment20 for each 

artist occupation, similar to this page’s profiles and charts for the labor force as a whole and for artists as a group.

67%

Private-for-profit

10%

Self-employed

7%

Private-notfor-profit

1%

Unpaid family worker

or no recent employment

14%

Government

54%

Private-for-profit

35%

Self-employed

8%

Private-notfor-profit

3%

Government

Employment of the total labor 

force, 2003–2005

Employment of all artists, 2003–2005

Total U. S. labor force: 144,898,471 

46.4% female

30.4% minority 21

Median age: 40

36.9% under 35

27.9% with bachelor’s degree or higher

11.7% enrolled in school

60.8% full-year, full-time workers

10.2% self-employed

67.3% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $30,100

Median income for men: $35,700

Median income for women: $24,500

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $38,700 (60.8% of workers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005

Total number of artists: 1,999,474

45.9% female

19.9% minority

Median age: 40

35.0 % under 35

54.5% with bachelor’s degree or higher

8.0% enrolled in school

55.2% full-year, full-time workers

34.5% self-employed

53.9% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $34,800

Median income for men: $42,000

Median income for women: $27,300

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $45,200 (55.2% of artists)

Source: ACS 2003-2005

20 The category “unpaid family worker or no recent employment” includes 1.1 percent of the U.S. labor force, but only 0.4 percent of artists, not enough 

to show on the pie chart. On the charts for artists by occupation, this group is combined with the self-employed. 

21 In this and the following tables, “minority” includes all categories except non-Hispanic White; included are African American, Hispanic, American Indian 

or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, “some other race,” and “two or more races.” See the Guide to Tables and Terms for 

more information.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 23

In the 2003-2005 time period, there were 39,717 actors, a mere 

2 percent of all artists and a category that has shown little growth 

since 1990. 

Almost half of all actors live in California, mostly in Los Angeles. 

Another 20 percent live in New York, mostly in New York City. 

Twelve percent of actors are employed by not-for-profit 

organizations, a relatively high proportion when compared with other 

artists. Almost 40 percent are self-employed, and 47 percent work 

for private for-profit employers. Only 15 percent of actors work 

full time for the entire year. 

Almost 60 percent of actors have completed college—more 

than double the rate of the labor force as a whole—but their 

median income ($23,400) is below the $30,100 median for the 

total labor force. For the small group who do work full time all year, 

actors’ median income is still below the norm for the labor force. 

About half of all actors are under 35, and 12 percent are enrolled 

in college or graduate school. Twenty-three percent of actors are of 

minority racial or ethnic groups, a similar proportion to most other 

performing artists.

Actors

47%

Private-for-profit

40%

Self-employed

12%

Private-not1% for-profit

Government

Employment of actors, 2003–2005

Number of actors: 39,717 

45.1% female 

23.4% minority

Median age: 35 

49.9% under 35

58.6% with bachelor’s degree or higher 

11.9% enrolled in school

15.1% full-year, full-time workers 

39.7% self-employed 

47.2% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $23,400

Median income for men: $26,700 

Median income for women: $19,100 

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $31,500 (15.1% of actors)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
24 National Endowment for the Arts

Announcers

Like actors, announcers comprise a small group within the artist 

population—only 55,817 in the 2003-2005 time period. 

With a median age of 35, announcers are among the younger artists, 

and they have a low median income: $26,300. 

Only 31 percent have completed college—a low proportion when 

compared with most other artists—but 12 percent are enrolled in 

school. 

Almost half of announcers work full-year, full-time, and almost threequarters of them are employed by private for-profit organizations, a 

very high rate for artists, even exceeding the rate for the labor force 

as a whole. 

Only 22 percent of announcers are women, the lowest level of 

any artist occupation except architects. 

Announcers are not clustered in any geographic area. Their 

distribution among the states is similar to that of the labor force. 

70%

Private-for-profit

21%

Self-employed

6%

Private-notfor-profit

3%

Government

Employment of announcers, 

2003–2005

Number of announcers: 55,817 

22.4% female

24.4% minority

Median age: 35

49.4% under 35

30.9% with bachelor’s degree or higher

12.2% enrolled in school

48.6% full-year, full-time workers

21.0% self-employed

70.1% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $26,300

Median income for men: $25,800

Median income for women: $26,300

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $36,800 (48.6% of announcers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 25

Architects are the most educated and have the highest incomes of 

all artists. Their median income of $58,000 is higher even than the 

median for all professionals.

Almost 90 percent of architects have degrees, higher than any other 

artist category, and higher than the 65 percent for all professionals. 

Of all artist occupations, architects have the lowest proportion 

enrolled in college or graduate school––5 percent.

Three-fourths of architects work full time for the entire year.

Sixty-one percent are employees of for-profit organizations, and onethird are self-employed. 

Almost 80 percent of architects are men, but the proportion is 

90 percent among architects 55 and over. Fewer than 70 percent of 

architects under 35 are male.

Nineteen percent of architects are of minority racial or ethnic groups, 

but, of architects under 35, minority representation is almost 25 

percent, with about 13 percent Asian.

Architects

61%

Private-for-profit

33%

Self-employed

1%

Private-not-for-profit

5%

Government

Number of architects: 198,498 

22.2% female

19.1% minority

Median age: 43

26.6% under 35

89.5% with bachelor’s degree or higher

4.6% enrolled in school

75.2% full-year, full-time workers

32.6% self-employed

60.7% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $58,000

Median income for men: $63,000

Median income for women: $46,300

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $63,500 (75.2% of architects)

Source: ACS 2003-2005

Employment of architects, 2003–2005
26 National Endowment for the Arts

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators

With a median age of 44, fine artists are older than artists in 

most other occupations, but their median income of $30,600 

is below the norm for artists and other professionals.

More than half of fine artists are self-employed, and more than half 

are also full-year, full-time workers. Only 39 percent are employed by 

for-profit organizations. Only 6 percent were enrolled in school.

Fewer than half of the fine artists are women, and more than 60 

percent of fine artists under 35 are men. 

Only 16 percent of fine artists are from minority racial or ethnic 

groups, but the proportion is 25 percent for fine artists under 35. 

Concentrations of fine artists in New Mexico, Vermont, 

Hawaii, and Montana put these states at the top of the list 

for the number of fine artists per 10,000 people, but these four 

states combined are home to only about 7,000 fine artists, compared 

with 66,000 in California and New York together.

39%

Private-for-profit

56%

Self-employed

3%

Private-notfor-profit 2%

Government

Employment of fine artists, art 

directors, and animators, 2003–2005

Number of fine artists, art directors, 

and animators: 216,996 

47.4% female

15.8% minority

Median age: 44

25.7% under 35

51.2% with bachelor’s degree or higher

5.8% enrolled in school

51.5% full-year, full-time workers

55.6% self-employed

39.0% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $30,600

Median income for men: $37,800

Median income for women: $22,600

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $42,800 (51.5% of fine artists)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 27

Dancers and 

choreographers

Professional dancers make up the smallest group of artists, and they 

are also the youngest, least educated, most racially and ethnically 

diverse, and most likely to be female. 

More than 80 percent of dancers are under 35. With a median 

age of 26, 15 percent are enrolled in school. Only 14 percent have 

bachelor’s degrees, about half the proportion in the labor force, and 

the lowest level of any artist group.

Three-quarters of dancers are women and 40 percent are members 

of minority racial or ethnic groups. 

Most dancers are employed by private for-profit companies, but 

22 percent are self-employed and 11 percent are employed by 

nonprofit organizations. Only 25 percent work full time all year, 

a proportion almost as low as actors.

More than 10,000 dancers live in four states—California, New York, 

Florida, and Texas—but Nevada’s 1,385 dancers give the state 

the highest level of dancers per 10,000 people 

in the United States.

65%

Private-for-profit

23%

Self-employed

11%

Private-notfor-profit

1%

Government

Employment of dancers and 

choreographers, 2003–2005

Number of dancers and 

choreographers: 25,651 

75.9% female

40.1% minority

Median age: 26

80.8% under 35

14.4% with bachelor’s degree or higher

15.1% enrolled in school

24.9% full-year, full-time workers

22.3% self-employed

65.1% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $20,000

Median income for men: $20,400

Median income for women: $18,300

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $34,600 (24.9% of dancers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
28 National Endowment for the Arts

Designers

Employment of designers, 2003–2005 Designers make up the largest group of artists, with over 

750,000 workers in the 2003-2005 time period. Fifty-five percent 

of designers are women, the highest of any artist group except 

dancers and writers. 

Forty-six percent of designers have bachelor’s degrees or more 

advanced degrees, much higher than the labor force average but 

lower than the average for all artists. Eight percent of designers are 

enrolled in school.

Over 60 percent of designers work full time all year, a higher 

level than other artist groups except for architects and producers. 

Designers’ median income of $34,400 is lower than for architects, 

producers, and writers, but higher than for other artist groups.

More than two-thirds of designers work for private for-profit 

employers, but 25 percent are self-employed—a low level when 

compared with some other artist groups, but still more than double 

the level of the labor force as a whole. Only 3 percent of designers 

work for nonprofit organizations.

69%

Private-for-profit

25%

Self-employed

3%

Private-notfor-profit

3%

Government

Number of designers: 779,359 

54.9% female

20.3% minority

Median age: 40

37.0% under 35

46.2% with bachelor’s degree or higher 

7.9% enrolled in school

61.5% full-year, full-time workers 

24.7% self-employed

69.1% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $34,400 

Median income for men: $42,500

Median income for women: $28,000 

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $42,000 (61.5% of designers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 29

Entertainers and performers

This group of artists includes a variety of entertainers, such as 

comedians, puppeteers, and orators. Like actors, announcers, and 

dancers, the entertainers group is small in number. Half are women 

and 25 percent are of minority racial or ethnic groups. 

The median age of 35 years old is younger than that for many of 

the other artist groups. Approximately half of entertainers and 

performers are under 35. 

One-third of entertainers have degrees, a lower proportion than any 

other artist occupation except dancers and announcers. Fourteen 

percent are enrolled in school, more than any artist group except 

dancers.

With a median income of $21,500, entertainers earn well 

below the average income of artists in general. Only one-third 

of entertainers work full-year, full-time jobs, and only 47 percent 

work for private for-profit companies. Nearly half are self-employed.

One-third of entertainers live in Nevada, Florida, and California, 

states where the proportion of entertainers far exceeds the state’s 

proportion of the labor force.

Employment of entertainers 

and performers, 2003–2005

47%

Private-for-profit

48%

Self-employed

4%

Private-notfor-profit

1%

Government

Number of entertainers and 

performers: 41,128 

45.1% female

25.1% minority

Median age: 35

49.8% under 35

32.6% with bachelor’s degree or higher

14.0% enrolled in school

33.6% full-year, full-time workers

47.7% self-employed

47.2% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $21,500

Median income for men: $28,400

Median income for women: $17,400

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $39,900 (33.6% of entertainers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
30 National Endowment for the Arts

Musicians

Professional musicians are among the older artist groups, with a 

median age of 45 in the 2003-2005 time period. Twenty-nine percent 

are under age 35, and 27 percent are minority. Only 36 percent are 

women, the lowest female proportion besides architects, announcers, 

and producers. 

Forty-six percent of musicians have bachelor’s degrees or higher and 

10 percent are enrolled in school. 

Slightly more than 40 percent of musicians work for private 

not-for-profit organizations, the largest proportion of any artist 

occupation. Another 44 percent are self-employed, with only 13 

percent in for-profit companies. Thirty percent of musicians work full 

time all year. The median income for all musicians is $22,600.

Like other groups, musicians are more numerous in the more 

populous states of California and New York. However, the highest 

proportions of musicians are in Tennessee and Hawaii. 

Number of musicians: 169,647 

36.1% female

27.0% minority

Median age: 45

28.7% under 35

46.3% with bachelor’s degree or higher

9.4% enrolled in school

30.2% full-year, full-time workers

43.8% self-employed

13.4% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $22,600

Median income for men: $26,100

Median income for women: $20,200

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $38,600 (30.2% of musicians)

Source: ACS 2003-2005

Employment of musicians, 

2003–2005

13%

Privatefor-profit

44%

Self-employed

41%

Private-not-for-profit

2%

Government
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 31

Almost 60 percent of professional photographers are men, but 

almost 60 percent of photographers under 35 are women. 

More than 80 percent of photographers are non-Hispanic 

white, but the proportion is 73 percent for photographers under 35. 

Thirty-seven percent of photographers are college graduates, more 

than the average for the labor force, but less than the average for 

many other artist groups. Thirteen percent are enrolled in school.

Almost half of photographers are full-year, full-time workers. Fortythree percent are self-employed, one of the higher levels of selfemployment among all artists. Half work in the for-profit sector. 

At $26,300, photographers’ median income is lower than the median 

for artists and for the labor force as a whole.

Photographers

51%

Private-for-profit

44%

Self-employed

2%

Private-notfor-profit

3%

Government

Number of photographers: 147,389 

42.8% female

20.5% minority

Median age: 39

42.0% under 35

37.2% with bachelor’s degree or higher

13.1% enrolled in school

48.5% full-year, full-time workers

43.4% self-employed*

50.6% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $26,300

Median income for men: $35,500

Median income for women: $16,300

Median income for full-year, fulltime workers: $37,600 (48.5% of 

photographers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005

Employment of photographers, 

2003–2005

* The higher percentage for “self-employed” 

shown in the chart reflects the inclusion of 

“unpaid family workers.”
32 National Endowment for the Arts

Producers and directors

More than 60 percent of producers and directors are men, resulting 

in the most male-dominated artist occupation after architects.

With a median age of 38, and with 39 percent of producers and 

directors under 35, they occupy the middle of the age spectrum of 

artist groups.

More than two-thirds of producers and directors are college 

graduates, placing them below only architects and writers/authors 

where education is concerned. Only 5 percent of producers and 

directors are in school. 

With a median income of $47,100, producers and directors are the 

second highest paid of the artist occupations, after architects. Almost 

two-thirds work full time all year and 58 percent are employed by 

private for-profit companies. Twenty-six percent are self-employed—

among the lowest levels for artists, but high in comparison with 

non-artist occupations.

One-fourth of all producers and directors live in California, with 

another 15 percent in New York.

58%

Private-for-profit

26%

Self-employed

11%

Private-notfor-profit

5%

Government

Employment of producers and 

directors, 2003–2005

Number of producers and 

directors: 139,996 

35.3% female

20.1% minority

Median age: 38

39.0% under 35

69.3% with bachelor’s degree or higher

5.2% enrolled in school

65.6% full-year, full-time workers

25.6% self-employed

58.1% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $47,100

Median income for men: $50,400

Median income for women: $41,900

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $52,500 (65.6% of producers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 33

Writers and authors

There are more female writers than male writers—one of only 

three artist occupations where women outnumbered men in 2003-

2005. Only 11 percent of writers are from minority groups, but the 

proportion is 16 percent for writers under 35.

Eighty-three percent of writers have bachelor’s degrees or 

higher, second only to architects among artists, and more than 

triple the national average. Only 7 percent of professional writers 

are students. 

With a median income of $38,800, writers have higher incomes than 

most artist groups, exceeded only by architects and producers. More 

than half are full-year, full-time workers, a level well below that for 

architects and producers. Only 33 percent are employed by for-profit 

companies, and 46 percent are self-employed.

Approximately 50,000 writers live in California and New York, 

yielding proportions well above those states’ representation in 

the U.S. labor force. The District of Columbia, Vermont, and 

Massachusetts also have high per-capita numbers of writers.

33%

Private-for-profit

47%

Self-employed

11%

Private-notfor-profit

9%

Government

Employment of writers and 

authors, 2003–2005

Number of writers and 

authors: 185,276 

54.9% female

10.8% minority

Median age: 44

26.8% under 35

83.1% with bachelor’s degree or higher

7.3% enrolled in school

51.9% full-year, full-time workers

45.9% self-employed*

33.4% private for-profit

Median income (2005 dollars): $38,800

Median income for men: $47,300

Median income for women: $33,300

Median income for full-year, full-time 

workers: $50,800 (51.9% of writers)

Source: ACS 2003-2005

* The higher percentage for “self-employed” 

shown in the chart reflects the inclusion of 

“unpaid family workers.”

Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 35

The following definitions are adapted from the United 

States Census Bureau’s documentation for each file, 

with additional comments about the way the data were 

processed for this report. The discussion begins with 

Occupation and Employment Status because these 

definitions determine which individuals are included in the 

U.S. and artist labor force, and hence who is included in 

the tables and analysis in this report, including the tables 

that follow. Then, additional definitions are listed in the 

order in which specific variables or labels appear in 

the tables.

All Tables

All but six tables include only people 16 years old and over 

who were in the civilian labor force. The exceptions are 

Tables 55 through 60, which include all people who had 

worked within the past five years. 

Employment Status 

In this report, employment status was used to determine 

individuals who were in the labor force, in professional 

occupations, and in artist occupations. Most tables are 

limited to the civilian labor force: persons who were 

employed (“at work” or “with a job, but not at work”) or 

unemployed. The employment status data relate to people 

16 years old and over. 

The data on employment status relate to the reference 

week—the calendar week preceding the date on which 

the respondents completed their questionnaires or were 

interviewed. This week is not the same for all respondents 

since the ACS interviewing was conducted over a 

12-month period. Even in the 2000 census data, it is not 

necessarily the exact same week for all respondents, but it 

is always a week close to the census date of April 1. 

Employed—This category includes all civilians 16 years 

old and over who either (1) were “at work” – those who 

did any work at all during the reference week as paid 

employees, worked in their own business or profession, 

worked on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as 

unpaid workers on a family farm or in a family business; or 

(2) were “with a job but not at work”—those who did not 

work during the reference week but had jobs or businesses 

from which they were temporarily absent due to illness, 

bad weather, industrial dispute, vacation, or other personal 

reasons. Excluded from the employed are people whose 

only activity consisted of work around the house or 

unpaid volunteer work for religious, charitable, and similar 

organizations; also excluded are all institutionalized people 

and people on active duty in the United States Armed 

Forces. 

Civilian Employed—This term is defined exactly the 

same as the term “employed” above. 

Unemployed—All civilians 16 years old and over are 

classified as unemployed if they (1) were neither “at work” 

nor “with a job but not at work” during the reference 

week, and (2) were looking for work during the last four 

weeks, and (3) were available to start a job. Also included 

as unemployed are civilians who did not work at all during 

the reference week, were waiting to be called back to a 

job from which they had been laid off, and were available 

for work except for temporary illness. Examples of job 

seeking activities are: registering at a public or private 

employment office; meeting with prospective employers; 

investigating possibilities for starting a professional 

practice or opening a business; placing or answering 

advertisements; writing letters of application; and being on 

a union or professional register.

Civilian Labor Force—All people classified as employed 

or unemployed in accordance with the criteria described 

above. 

Labor Force—All people classified in the civilian labor 

force plus members of the U.S. Armed Forces (people on 

active duty with the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, 

Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). 

Guide to Tables and Terms

Part Two
36 National Endowment for the Arts

Not in Labor Force—All people 16 years old and over 

who are not classified as members of the labor force. This 

category consists mainly of students, homemakers, retired 

workers, seasonal workers interviewed in an off-season 

who were not looking for work, institutionalized people, 

and people doing only incidental unpaid family work (less 

than 15 hours during the reference week). 

Worker—This term appears in connection with several 

subjects: employment status, class of worker, and hours 

and weeks worked. Its meaning varies and, therefore, 

should be determined in each case by referring to the 

definition of the subject in which it appears. When used 

in the concepts “full-time, year-round workers,” the term 

“worker” relates to the meaning of work defined for 

the “work experience” subject. (See “work experience” 

definition on page 42.)

Occupation 

The question on occupation was asked of all people 15 

years old and over who had worked in the past five years. 

Occupation describes the kind of work the person does on 

the job.

For employed people, the data refer to the person’s job 

during the previous week. For those who worked two 

or more jobs, the data refer to the job where the person 

worked the greatest number of hours. For unemployed 

people, the data refer to their last job. The occupation 

statistics are compiled from data that are coded based on 

the detailed classification systems developed for Census 

2000 and modified in 2002. 

Respondents provided the data for the tabulations by 

writing on the questionnaires descriptions of the kind of 

work or occupation they were doing. Written responses 

to the occupation questions were coded using the 

occupational classification system developed for the 2000 

census and modified in 2002. This system consists of 509 

specific occupational categories, including military, for 

employed people, arranged into 23 major occupational 

groups. This classification was developed based on the 

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual: 2000,

published by the Executive Office of the President, Office of 

Management and Budget. 

Appendix A contains a detailed description of the artist 

occupations used in this report.

Tables 2 through 29

Tables 2 through 29 present detailed information about 

artists for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 

including changes over time, proportions of the labor force, 

rankings, and margin-of-error numbers. (Note: Throughout 

this section of the report, the tables featuring states list 

Washington, DC. For the purpose of reporting artist 

concentration by state, however, the related tables in Part 

One exclude DC.)

Tables 30 through 32, 44 through 46

Tables 30 through 32 include state and regional data by 

gender and minority status. Minority includes all persons 

who were not classified as “White, not of Hispanic origin.” 

Tables 44 through 46 provide more detailed information by 

gender and race and Hispanic origin. Those tables include 

four racial/ethnic designations:

• White, not of Hispanic origin

• Black, not of Hispanic origin

• Other, not of Hispanic origin (includes Asian, American 

Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander, Some Other Race, and Two or More Races, all 

of which are defined below)

• Hispanic (includes all persons of Hispanic origin, including 

all races)

Sex or gender

Individuals were asked to mark either “male” or “female” 

to indicate their sex. For most cases in which sex was not 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 37

reported, the appropriate entry was determined from the 

person’s given (i.e., first) name and household relationship. 

Otherwise, sex was imputed according to the relationship 

to the householder and the age of the person.

Race 

The concept of race, as used by the Census Bureau, reflects 

self-identification by people according to the race or races 

with which they most closely identify. These categories are 

socio-political constructs and should not be interpreted as 

being scientific or anthropological in nature. Furthermore, 

the race categories include both racial and national-origin 

groups. 

The racial classifications used by the Census Bureau 

adhere to the standards of the White House Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). These standards govern 

the categories used to collect and present federal data 

on race and ethnicity. The OMB requires five minimum 

categories (White, Black or African American, American 

Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or 

Other Pacific Islander) for race. The race categories are 

described below with a sixth category, “Some other race,” 

added with OMB approval. In addition to the five race 

groups, the OMB also states that respondents should be 

offered the option of selecting one or more races. 

White—A person having origins in any of the original 

peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It 

includes people who indicate their race as “White” or 

report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near 

Easterner, Arab, or Polish. 

Black or African American—A person having origins in 

any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people 

who indicate their race as “Black, African Am., or Negro,” 

or provide written entries such as African American, AfroAmerican, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian. 

American Indian or Alaska Native—A person having 

origins in any of the original peoples of North and South 

America (including Central America) and who maintain 

tribal affiliation or community attachment. 

Asian—A person having origins in any of the original 

peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian 

subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, 

India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine 

Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. It includes “Asian 

Indian,” “Chinese,” “Filipino,” “Korean,” “Japanese,” 

“Vietnamese,” and “Other Asian.” 

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander—A person 

having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, 

Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people 

who indicate their race as “Native Hawaiian,” “Guamanian 

or Chamorro,” “Samoan,” and “Other Pacific Islander.” 

Some Other Race—Includes all other responses not 

included in the “White,” “Black or African American,” 

“American Indian or Alaska Native,” “Asian,” and “Native 

Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander” race categories 

described above. Respondents providing write-in entries 

such as multiracial, mixed, interracial, or a Hispanic/Latino 

group (for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) in 

the “Some other race” write-in space are included in this 

category. 

Two or More Races—People may have chosen to provide 

two or more races either by checking two or more race 

response check-boxes, by providing multiple write-in 

responses, or by some combination of check boxes and 

write-in responses. The race response categories shown on 

the questionnaire are collapsed into the five minimum races 

identified by the OMB, and the Census Bureau’s “Some 

other race” category. 

Hispanic or Latino Origin 

The terms “Spanish,” “Hispanic origin,” and “Latino” are 

used interchangeably. Some respondents identify with all 

three terms, while others may identify with only one of 

these three specific terms. Hispanics or Latinos who identify 
38 National Endowment for the Arts

with the terms “Spanish,” “Hispanic,” or “Latino” are those 

who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or 

Latino categories listed on the questionnaire – “Mexican,” 

“Puerto Rican,” or “Cuban” – as well as those who indicate 

that they are “other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.” People 

who do not identify with one of the specific origins listed 

on the questionnaire but indicate that they are “other 

Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino” are those whose origins are in 

Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Central or South 

America, the Dominican Republic, or people identifying 

themselves generally as Spanish, Spanish-American, 

Hispanic, Hispano, Latino, and so on. All write-in responses 

to the “other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino” category were 

coded. Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality 

group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the 

person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the 

United States. People who identify their origin as Spanish, 

Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race. 

Tables 32 through 41

Tables 32 through 41 present detailed information about 

artists for the four census regions of the United States 

(Northeast, Midwest, South, and West) and the nine subregions (called census divisions by the Census Bureau).

Census Regions and Divisions

Northeast Region

New England Division includes Connecticut, Maine, 

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and 

Vermont. 

Middle Atlantic Division includes New Jersey, New York, 

and Pennsylvania.

Midwest Region

East North Central Division includes Illinois, Indiana, 

Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. 

West North Central Division includes Iowa, Kansas, 

Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South 

Dakota.

South Region

South Atlantic Division includes Delaware, District of 

Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, 

South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

East South Central Division includes Alabama, Kentucky, 

Mississippi, and Tennessee. 

West South Central Division includes Arkansas, Louisiana, 

Oklahoma, and Texas.

West Region

Mountain Division includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, 

Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. 

Pacific Division includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, 

and Washington.

Tables 42 through 44

Tables 42 through 44 present information about artists by 

Metropolitan Area.

Metropolitan Area

Although a completely new set of metropolitan areas 

has been established in recent years, the data sources 

for this report did not use the new scheme. Following is 

the definition of metropolitan areas included in the 2000 

census.

The general concept of a metropolitan area (MA) is one 

of a large population nucleus, together with adjacent 

communities that have a high degree of economic and 

social integration with that nucleus. Some MAs are defined 

around two or more nuclei.

The MAs and the central cities within an MA are designated 

and defined by the federal Office of Management and 

Budget, following a set of official standards. Each MA 

must contain either a place with a minimum population of 

50,000 or a U.S. Census Bureau-defined urbanized area 

and a total MA population of at least 100,000 (75,000 

in New England). An MA contains one or more central 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 39

counties. An MA also may include one or more outlying 

counties that have close economic and social relationships 

with the central county. 

If an area that qualifies as a metropolitan area (MA) 

has 1 million people or more, two or more primary 

metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs) may be defined 

within it. Each PMSA consists of a large urbanized county 

or cluster of counties (cities and towns in New England) 

that demonstrate very strong internal economic and social 

links, in addition to close ties to other portions of the larger 

area. When PMSAs are established, the larger MA of which 

they are component parts is designated a consolidated 

metropolitan statistical area (CMSA). CMSAs and PMSAs 

are established only where local governments favor such 

designations for a large MA. 

In this report, only MAs and PMSAs are used. Many of the 

metropolitan areas with large numbers of artists are PMSAs 

within CMSAs. The following list shows the components 

of the five PMSAs with the most artists, the names of 

the CMSAs to which they belong, and their component 

counties and/or towns.

Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, 

CA CMSA

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA

 Los Angeles County

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long 

Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA CMSA

New York, NY PMSA

 Bronx County

 Kings County

 New York County

 Putnam County

 Queens County

 Richmond County

 Rockland County

 Westchester County

Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI CMSA

Chicago, IL PMSA

 Cook County

 DeKalb County

 DuPage County

 Grundy County

 Kane County

 Kendall County

 Lake County

 McHenry County

 Will County

Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV 

CMSA

Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA

 District of Columbia

 Calvert County, MD

 Charles County, MD

 Frederick County, MD

 Montgomery County, MD

 Prince George’s County, MD

 Arlington County, VA

 Clarke County, VA

 Culpeper County, VA

 Fairfax County, VA

 Fauquier County, VA

 King George County, VA

 Loudoun County, VA

 Prince William County, VA

 Spotsylvania County, VA

 Stafford County, VA

 Warren County, VA

 Alexandria city, VA

 Fairfax city, VA

 Falls Church city, VA

 Fredericksburg city, VA

 Manassas city, VA

 Manassas Park city, VA

 Berkeley County, WV

 Jefferson County, WV

Boston-Worcester-Lawrence, MA-NHME-CT CMSA

Boston, MA-NH PMSA

 Bristol County, MA (part)

 Berkley town

 Dighton town

 Mansfield town

 Norton town

 Taunton city

 Essex County, MA (part)

 Amesbury town

 Beverly city

 Danvers town

 Essex town

 Gloucester city

 Hamilton town

 Ipswich town

 Lynn city

 Lynnfield town

 Manchester-by-the-Sea town

 Marblehead town

 Middleton town

 Nahant town

 Newbury town

 Newburyport city

 Peabody city

 Rockport town

 Rowley town

 Salem city

 Salisbury town

 Saugus town

 Swampscott town

 Topsfield town

 Wenham town

 Middlesex County, MA (part)

 Acton town

 Arlington town

 Ashland town

 Ayer town

 Bedford town

 Belmont town

 Boxborough town

 Burlington town

 Cambridge city

 Carlisle town

 Concord town

 Everett city
40 National Endowment for the Arts

 Framingham town

 Holliston town

 Hopkinton town

 Hudson town

 Lexington town

 Lincoln town

 Littleton town

 Malden city

 Marlborough city

 Maynard town

 Medford city

 Melrose city

 Natick town

 Newton city

 North Reading town

 Reading town

 Sherborn town

 Shirley town

 Somerville city

 Stoneham town

 Stow town

 Sudbury town

 Townsend town

 Wakefield town

 Waltham city

 Watertown city

 Wayland town

 Weston town

 Wilmington town

 Winchester town

 Woburn city

 Norfolk County, MA (part)

 Bellingham town

 Braintree town

 Brookline town

 Canton town

 Cohasset town

 Dedham town

 Dover town

 Foxborough town

 Franklin city

 Holbrook town

 Medfield town

 Medway town

 Millis town

 Milton town

 Needham town

 Norfolk town

 Norwood town

 Plainville town

 Quincy city

 Randolph town

 Sharon town

 Stoughton town

 Walpole town

 Wellesley town

 Westwood town

 Weymouth town

 Wrentham town

 Plymouth County, MA (part)

 Carver town

 Duxbury town

 Hanover town

 Hingham town

 Hull town

 Kingston town

 Marshfield town

 Norwell town

 Pembroke town

 Plymouth town

 Rockland town

 Scituate town

 Wareham town

 Suffolk County, MA

 Boston city

 Chelsea city

 Revere city

 Winthrop town

 Worcester County, MA (part)

 Berlin town

 Blackstone town

 Bolton town

 Harvard town

 Hopedale town

 Lancaster town

 Mendon town

 Milford town

 Millville town

 Southborough town

 Upton town

 Rockingham County, NH (part)

 Seabrook town

 South Hampton town

Similar information for all other CMSAs, 

PMSAs, and MSAs can be found at:

http://www.census.gov/population/

estimates/metro-city/99mfips.txt

Tables 45 through 47

See Race and Hispanic origin above.

Age 

The age classification is based on the age of the person 

in complete years at the time of interview. Both age and 

date of birth are used in combination to calculate the most 

accurate age at the time of the interview. In the census 

data, all persons are coded by their age as of April 1. In 

the ACS, with interviews throughout the year, persons are 

coded by their age at the time of the interview.

Median Age—The median age is the age that divides 

the population into two equal-size groups. Half of the 

population is older than the median age and half is 

younger. 

Tables 48 and 49

Household Type and 

Relationship

Household—A household includes all the people 

who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, 

an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 41

single room that is occupied (or, if vacant, is intended for 

occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living 

quarters are those in which the occupants live separately 

from any other people in the building and which have 

direct access from outside the building or through a 

common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one 

person living alone, two or more families living together, or 

any other group of related or unrelated people who share 

living arrangements. 

Relationship to Householder 

Householder. One person in each household is 

designated as the householder. In most cases, this is the 

person, or one of the people, in whose name the home is 

owned, being bought, or rented and who is listed on line 

one of the survey questionnaire. If there is no such person 

in the household, any adult household member 15 years 

old and over could be designated as the householder. 

Households are classified by type according to the 

presence of relatives. Two types of householders are 

distinguished: a family householder and a non-family 

householder. A family householder is a householder living 

with one or more individuals related to him or her by birth, 

marriage, or adoption. The householder and all people in 

the household related to him or her are family members. 

A non-family householder is a householder living alone or 

with non-relatives only. 

Spouse. Includes a person married to and living with 

a householder and who is of the opposite sex of the 

householder. The category “husband or wife” includes 

people in formal marriages, as well as people in commonlaw marriages. 

Child or other relative

Child. Includes a son or daughter by birth, a stepchild, or 

adopted child of the householder, regardless of the child’s 

age or marital status. 

Other Relatives—The category “other relatives” includes 

any household member related to the householder by 

birth, marriage, or adoption, such as a grandchild, brother 

or sister, parent, in-law, or any other person related to the 

householder.

Nonrelatives—This category includes any household 

member, including foster children, not related to the 

householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. The following 

categories are included: roomer or boarder (lives in the 

household, usually making some cash or noncash payment 

for accommodations); housemate or roommate (shares 

living quarters in order to share expenses); unmarried 

partner (shares living quarters and has a close personal 

relationship with the householder); foster child (a child 

placed in the household by the local government to receive 

parental care); or any other person not related to the 

householder.

Group Quarters

The group quarters population includes all people 

not living in households. Two general categories 

of people in group quarters are recognized: (1) the 

institutionalized population (such as correctional 

institutions, nursing homes, and juvenile institutions) and 

(2) the noninstitutionalized population (such as college 

dormitories, military quarters, and group homes). 

In this report, the group quarters population is included 

in the 2000 census tables, but not in the tables from the 

American Community Survey. Among artists, most of the 

Group Quarters residents lived in college dormitories.

Table 40 and 51

Educational Attainment 

Respondents are classified according to the highest degree 

or the highest level of school completed. The question 

included instructions for persons currently enrolled in 

school to report the level of the previous grade attended 

or the highest degree received. 

High School Graduate includes people whose highest 

degree was a high school diploma or its equivalent 

(for example, passed the test of General Educational 
42 National Endowment for the Arts

Development or G.E.D.), and did not attend college. 

People who reported completing the 12th grade but not 

receiving a diploma are not included. 

Some College includes several responses: “Some college 

credit, but less than 1 year”, “1 or more years of college, 

no degree” and “Associate’s degree” (people whose 

highest degree is an Associate’s degree, which generally 

requires 2 years of college level work and is either in 

an occupational program preparing them for a specific 

occupation, or an academic program primarily in the arts 

and sciences). 

Bachelor’s Degree includes people whose highest 

degree was a bachelor’s degree.

Advanced Degree includes several responses: Master’s 

degrees (including the traditional MA and MS degrees and 

field-specific degrees, such as MSW, MEd, MBA, MLS, and 

MEng.); professional school degrees (Medicine, dentistry, 

chiropractic, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, 

podiatry, veterinary medicine, law, and theology); and 

doctoral degrees. 

School Enrollment 

People were classified as enrolled in school if they attended 

a “regular” public or private school or college at any time 

during the three months prior to the time of interview. 

Instructions said to include only nursery or preschool, 

kindergarten, elementary school, and schooling that leads 

to a high school diploma or a college degree as part of 

regular school or college. 

Table 53

Class of Worker. The information on class of worker 

refers to the same job as a respondent’s occupation and 

categorizes people according to the type of ownership of 

the employing organization. The class-of-worker categories 

are defined as follows: 

Private Wage and Salary Workers—Includes people 

who worked for wages, salary, commission, tips, payin-kind, or piece rates for a private for-profit employer 

or a private not-for-profit, tax-exempt or charitable 

organization. 

Government Workers—Includes people who were 

employees of any local, state, or federal governmental unit, 

regardless of the activity of the particular agency. 

Self-employed—Includes people who worked for profit 

or fees in their own unincorporated business, profession, 

or trade, or who operated a farm. Also includes selfemployed people whose business was incorporated.

Unpaid Family Workers—Includes people who worked 

15 hours or more a week without pay in a business or on a 

farm operated by a relative. 

Table 52 and Tables 55 through 60

Work Experience 

In the 2000 census, this term refers to work status in 1999. 

In the American Community Survey, this term relates to 

work status in the past 12 months, weeks worked in the 

past 12 months, and usual hours worked per week worked 

in the past 12 months. 

Work Status 

People 16 years old and over who worked 1 or more 

weeks according to the criteria described below are 

classified as “Worked in 1999” or “Worked in the past 

12 months.” All other people 16 years old and over are 

classified as “Did not work in 1999” or “Did not work in 

the past 12 months.” 

Weeks Worked 

The data pertain to the number of weeks during 1999 

(2000 census) or the past 12 months (2003-2005 ACS) in 

which a person did any work for pay or profit (including 

paid vacation and paid sick leave) or worked without pay 

on a family farm or in a family business. Weeks of active 

service in the Armed Forces are also included. 

Usual Hours Worked Per Week Worked

This question was asked of people 16 years old and over 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 43

who indicated that they worked in 1999 (2000 census) 

or during the past 12 months (2003-2005 ACS). The 

data pertain to the number of hours a person usually 

worked during the weeks worked in 1999 or in the past 

12 months. The respondent was to report the number 

of hours worked per week in the majority of the weeks 

he or she worked. If the hours worked per week varied 

considerably during 1999 or during the past 12 months, 

the respondent was to report an approximate average of 

the hours worked per week. 

People 16 years old and over who reported that they 

usually worked 35 or more hours each week during the 

weeks they worked are classified as “Usually worked full 

time”; people who reported that they usually worked 1 to 

34 hours are classified as “Usually worked part time.” 

Full-year, Full-time Workers—All people 16 years old 

and over who usually worked 35 hours or more per week 

for 50 to 52 weeks in the past 12 months. 

Table 54

Income 

In tables from the census data, income refers to income in 

the calendar year preceding the census (1999). In tables 

from the American Community Survey, income refers to 

income in the past 12 months, a moving time period based 

on the date of interview.

‘‘Total income’’ is the sum of the amounts reported 

separately for wage or salary income; net self-employment 

income; interest, dividends, or net rental or royalty income 

or income from estates and trusts; social security or 

railroad retirement income; Supplemental Security Income 

(SSI); public assistance or welfare payments; retirement, 

survivor, or disability pensions; and all other income. 

Receipts from the following sources are not included as 

income: capital gains, money received from the sale of 

property (unless the recipient was engaged in the business 

of selling such property); the value of income ‘‘in kind’’ 

from food stamps, public housing subsidies, medical care, 

employer contributions for individuals, etc.; withdrawal of 

bank deposits; money borrowed; tax refunds; exchange 

of money between relatives living in the same household; 

gifts and lump-sum inheritances, insurance payments, and 

other types of lump-sum receipts. 

Income Type 

The eight types of income reported in the census or the 

American Community Survey are defined as follows: 

1. Wage or Salary Income: Wage or salary income 

includes total money earnings received for work performed 

as an employee in 1999 (2000 census) or during the past 

12 months (2003-205 ACS). It includes wages, salary, 

armed forces pay, commissions, tips, piece-rate payments, 

and cash bonuses earned before deductions were made 

for taxes, bonds, pensions, union dues, etc. 

2. Self-employment Income: Self-employment income 

includes both farm and non-farm self-employment income. 

Farm self-employment income includes net money 

income (gross receipts minus operating expenses) from 

the operation of a farm by a person on his or her own 

account, as an owner, renter, or sharecropper. 

Non-farm self-employment income includes net money 

income (gross receipts minus expenses) from one’s own 

business, professional enterprise, or partnership. Gross 

receipts include the value of all goods sold and services 

rendered. Expenses include costs of goods purchased, 

rent, heat, light, power, depreciation charges, wages and 

salaries paid, business taxes (not personal income taxes), 

etc. 

3. Interest, Dividends, or Net Rental Income: Interest, 

dividends, or net rental income includes interest on savings 

or bonds, dividends from stockholdings or membership in 

associations, net income from rental of property to others 

and receipts from boarders or lodgers, net royalties, and 

periodic payments from an estate or trust fund. 

4. Social Security Income: Social security income 
44 National Endowment for the Arts

includes social security pensions and survivor benefits, 

permanent disability insurance payments made by the 

Social Security Administration prior to deductions for 

medical insurance, and railroad retirement insurance checks 

from the U.S. government. Medicare reimbursements are 

not included. 

5. Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Supplemental 

Security Income (SSI) is a nationwide U.S. assistance 

program administered by the Social Security Administration 

that guarantees a minimum level of income for needy 

aged, blind, or disabled individuals. 

6. Public Assistance Income: Public assistance income 

includes general assistance and Temporary Assistance to 

Needy Families (TANF). Separate payments received for 

hospital or other medical care, (vendor payments) are 

excluded. This does not include Supplemental Security 

Income (SSI) or noncash benefits such as Food Stamps. 

The terms “public assistance income” and “cash public 

assistance” are used interchangeably.

7. Retirement, Survivor, or Disability Income:

Retirement income includes: (1) retirement pensions and 

survivor benefits from a former employer; labor union; 

or federal, state, or local government; and the U.S. 

military; (2) income from workers’ compensation; disability 

income from companies or unions; federal, state, or local 

government; and the U.S. military; (3) periodic receipts 

from annuities and insurance; and (4) regular income from 

IRA and Keogh plans. This does not include social security 

income. 

8. All Other Income: All other income includes 

unemployment compensation, Veterans’ Administration 

(VA) payments, alimony and child support, contributions 

received periodically from people not living in the 

household, military family allotments, and other kinds of 

periodic income other than earnings. 

Income of Individuals—Income for individuals is 

obtained by summing the eight types of income for 

each person 15 years old and over. The characteristics of 

individuals are based on the time of enumeration, even 

though the amounts are for 1999 or the past 12 months. 

Median Income—The median divides the income 

distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases 

falling below the median income and one-half above the 

median. The median income for individuals is based on 

individuals 15 years old and over with income.

Adjusting Income for Inflation

Income amounts from the 2000 census Public Use 

Microdata Sample (PUMS) refer to the calendar year 1999 

and are expressed in 1999 dollars. 

In the American Community Survey, income components 

were reported for the twelve months preceding the 

interview month. Monthly Consumer Price Indices (CPI) 

factors were used to inflation-adjust these components to 

a reference calendar year (January through December). For 

example, a household interviewed in March 2005 reports 

its income for March 2004 through February 2005. The 

household’s income is adjusted to the 2005 reference 

calendar year by multiplying their reported income by 

2005 average annual CPI (January-December 2005) and 

then dividing by the average CPI for March 2004-February 

2005. 

In order to inflate income amounts from previous years, 

the dollar values on individual records are inflated to the 

latest year’s dollar values by multiplying by a factor equal 

to the average annual CPI-U-RS factor for the current year, 

divided by the average annual CPI-U-RS factor for the 

earlier/earliest year. 

Each PUMS individual record has an adjustment factor to 

permit uniform average annual numbers. In calculating 

incomes for this report, the adjustment factor was applied 

to produce the incomes for the year of the interview. 

Because three years of ACS data were used, additional 

CPI factors were applied to produce income amounts in 

2005 dollars (for uniform income amounts throughout the 

three year period) and in 1999 dollars (for income amounts 

comparable to the 2000 PUMS data.)
List of Tables

Table 1. Number of artists in the labor force, 1990 to 2005 

Table 2. All artists by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 3. Actors by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 4. Announcers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 5. Architects by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 6. Fine artists, art directors, and animators by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 7. Dancers and choreographers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 8. Designers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 9. Entertainers and performers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 10. Musicians and singers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 11. Photographers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 12. Producers and directors by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 13. Writers and authors by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Table 14. Top 15 states for each artist occupation by number of artists, 2000

Table 15. Top 15 states for each artist occupation by number of artists per 10,000 people, 2000

Table 16. All artists by state of residence, 2000 to 2003-2005

Table 17. All artists by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 18. Actors by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Table 19. Announcers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Table 20. Architects by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 21. Fine artists, art directors, and animators by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 22. Dancers and Choreographers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 23. Designers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 24. Entertainers and performers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 25. Musicians and singers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 26. Photographers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 27. Producers and directors by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 28. Writers and authors by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Table 29. All artists by state of residence with margin of error, 2003-2005

Table 30. Labor force, professionals, and artists by state of residence, by gender and minority status, 2000

Table 31. Labor force, professionals, and artists by state of residence, by gender and minority status, 2003-2005

Table 32. Labor force, professionals, and artists by region and sub-region of residence by gender and minority status, 2003-2005 

Table 33. Regional distribution of artists in the United States, 1990 to 2003-2005

Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 45
46 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 34. Artists by geographic region and sub-region of the United States, 1990 to 2003-2005

Table 35. Distribution of artists in the United States by region and sub-region , 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

Table 36. Artists by region for the United States, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005 

Table 37. Artists by sub-region for the Northeast region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

Table 38. Artists by sub-region for the Midwest region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

Table 39. Artists by sub-region for the South region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

Table 40. Artists by sub-region for the West region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

Table 41. Sub-regions ranked for each artist occupation by number of artists per 10,000 people, 2003-2005

Table 42. Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000

Table 43. Top 50 Metropolitan Areas ranked by number of artists, 2000

Table 44. Top 50 Metropolitan Areas ranked by number of artists as a percent of the labor force, 2000

Table 45. Age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist 

occupations, 2000 

Table 46. Age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist 

occupations, 2003-2005 

Table 47. Median age by gender and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist 

occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005

Table 48. Household relationship of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist occupations, 2000 

and 2003-2005

Table 49. Household type of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist occupations, 2000 

Table 50. Educational attainment of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist occupations, 2000 

and 2003-2005

Table 51. School enrollment of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist occupations, 2000 and 

2003-2005

Table 52. Full-year,full-time work status for the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist occupations, 

2000 and 2003-2005 

Table 53. Class of worker for the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist occupations, 2000 and 

2003-2005

Table 54. Median income by gender and full-year,full-time work status for the labor force, professional occupations, 

and detailed artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005 

Table 55. Full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by gender, for all persons who 

worked in the past 5 years, 1990

Table 56. Percentage of workers by full-year, full-time work status, by labor force status and year last worked, by 

gender, for all persons who worked in the past 5 years, 1990

Table 57. Full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by gender, for all persons who 

worked in the past 5 years, 2000

Table 58. Percentage of workers by full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by 

gender, for all persons who worked in the past 5 years, 2000 

Table 59. Full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by gender, for all persons who 

worked in the past 5 years, 2003-2005

Table 60. Percentage of workers by full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by 

gender, for all persons who worked in the past 5 years, 2003-2005
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 47

Table 1

Number of artists in the labor force, 1990 to 2005

1990 2000 2003 2004 2005

Total civilian labor force 123,473,450 137,668,735 143,389,874 144,745,755 146,559,784

Total professionals 21,616,119 26,836,269 28,111,486 28,321,581 28,814,321

Total artists 1,727,527 1,927,400 1,967,816 1,979,615 2,050,991

Actors 35,916 38,605 37,291 40,118 41,742

Announcers 68,590 54,855 59,118 51,087 57,245

Architects 167,151 192,860 195,136 196,269 204,088

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 278,516 231,690 214,428 222,873 213,687

Dancers and choreographers 21,771 26,915 22,910 24,377 29,667

Designers 619,328 749,335 777,173 757,977 802,927

Entertainers and performers 16,929 37,590 38,475 36,911 47,997

Musicians and singers 148,162 170,015 163,149 176,713 169,079

Photographers 117,084 124,045 148,904 144,691 148,573

Producers and directors 120,609 139,335 142,572 140,044 137,373

Writers and authors 133,471 162,155 168,660 188,555 198,613

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its 

Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 

1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, October 30, 2003.
48 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 2 

All artists by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Total artists, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Total artists, 

1990 

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change 

in number 

of artists, 

1990-2000

United States 1,927,400 1.40 1,727,507 1.40 11.6

Alabama 18,035 0.88 45 17,562 0.94 45 2.7

Alaska 3,655 1.18 28 3,168 1.18 29 15.4

Arizona 33,095 1.40 17 24,996 1.45 13 32.4

Arkansas 9,475 0.76 49 8,634 0.81 50 9.7

California 330,635 2.09 3 289,072 1.93 3 14.4

Colorado 36,745 1.59 8 28,368 1.64 6 29.5

Connecticut 28,605 1.63 6 28,988 1.62 7 -1.3

Delaware 3,795 0.96 40 3,604 1.03 37 5.3

District of Columbia 8,535 2.89 1 9,417 2.88 1 -9.4

Florida 106,925 1.44 15 86,775 1.41 16 23.2

Georgia 48,945 1.20 27 39,670 1.21 27 23.4

Hawaii 10,190 1.78 4 10,019 1.83 4 1.7

Idaho 6,655 1.05 35 5,494 1.16 32 21.1

Illinois 83,600 1.35 19 78,782 1.36 19 6.1

Indiana 29,390 0.94 42 27,486 0.99 40 6.9

Iowa 15,760 1.01 37 13,783 0.98 41 14.3

Kansas 14,820 1.08 33 13,618 1.11 35 8.8

Kentucky 16,300 0.85 47 15,244 0.90 48 6.9

Louisiana 19,010 0.95 41 17,430 0.96 43 9.1

Maine 8,385 1.28 22 7,673 1.25 24 9.3

Maryland 38,390 1.40 17 38,160 1.47 11 0.6

Massachusetts 57,795 1.74 5 53,876 1.66 5 7.3

Michigan 63,140 1.28 22 57,973 1.28 23 8.9

Minnesota 37,860 1.41 16 32,095 1.39 18 18.0

Mississippi 9,180 0.72 51 9,189 0.82 49 -0.1

Missouri 32,330 1.15 32 29,622 1.17 31 9.1

Montana 5,840 1.28 22 4,457 1.18 29 31.0

Nebraska 8,905 0.98 39 7,505 0.94 45 18.7

Nevada 15,565 1.56 10 9,392 1.45 13 65.7

New Hampshire 8,305 1.23 26 7,924 1.29 21 4.8

New Jersey 61,090 1.46 14 59,844 1.46 12 2.1

New Mexico 12,295 1.49 13 10,774 1.57 9 14.1

New York 191,850 2.13 2 185,423 2.06 2 3.5

North Carolina 42,470 1.05 35 36,153 1.06 36 17.5

North Dakota 2,750 0.83 48 3,034 1.00 39 -9.4

Ohio 60,860 1.07 34 59,218 1.12 34 2.8

Oklahoma 15,060 0.92 43 14,233 0.97 42 5.8

Oregon 27,540 1.58 9 19,924 1.42 15 38.2

Pennsylvania 70,105 1.17 29 68,814 1.19 28 1.9

Rhode Island 7,945 1.50 12 7,085 1.36 19 12.1

South Carolina 17,825 0.92 43 16,254 0.96 43 9.7

South Dakota 3,439 0.88 45 3,061 0.91 47 12.3

Tennessee 35,310 1.26 25 29,255 1.22 25 20.7

Texas 114,085 1.16 31 99,934 1.22 25 14.2

Utah 14,425 1.31 21 10,032 1.29 21 43.8

Vermont 5,320 1.61 7 4,591 1.53 10 15.9

Virginia 46,905 1.32 20 44,705 1.41 16 4.9

Washington 46,465 1.56 10 38,364 1.58 8 21.1

West Virginia 5,820 0.74 50 5,360 0.72 51 8.6

Wisconsin 33,450 1.17 29 29,239 1.16 32 14.4

Wyoming 2,515 0.99 38 2,234 1.01 38 12.6

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper 

#65, October 30, 2003. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 49

Table 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper 

#65, October 30, 2003. 

Actors, 2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent Actors, 1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change 

in number 

of actors, 

1990-2000

United States 38,605 0.028 35,916 0.029 7.5

Alabama 140 0.007 29 230 0.012 44 -39.1

Alaska 0 0.000 49 76 0.028 5 -100.0

Arizona 345 0.015 14 358 0.021 20 -3.6

Arkansas 40 0.003 44 152 0.014 36 -73.7

California 17,930 0.113 1 10,408 0.069 3 72.3

Colorado 275 0.012 17 432 0.025 10 -36.3

Connecticut 295 0.017 10 478 0.027 6 -38.3

Delaware 40 0.010 22 26 0.007 51 53.8

District of Columbia 110 0.037 3 311 0.095 1 -64.6

Florida 1,585 0.021 6 1,496 0.024 12 5.9

Georgia 440 0.011 19 631 0.019 22 -30.3

Hawaii 15 0.003 44 128 0.023 14 -88.3

Idaho 60 0.009 23 69 0.015 32 -13.0

Illinois 1,165 0.019 7 1,453 0.025 10 -19.8

Indiana 130 0.004 40 316 0.011 49 -58.9

Iowa 40 0.003 44 181 0.013 38 -77.9

Kansas 65 0.005 35 160 0.013 38 -59.4

Kentucky 90 0.005 35 226 0.013 38 -60.2

Louisiana 90 0.005 35 289 0.016 27 -68.9

Maine 25 0.004 40 117 0.019 22 -78.6

Maryland 425 0.016 12 702 0.027 6 -39.5

Massachusetts 530 0.016 12 955 0.029 4 -44.5

Michigan 265 0.005 35 746 0.016 27 -64.5

Minnesota 465 0.017 10 502 0.022 17 -7.4

Mississippi 30 0.002 47 120 0.011 49 -75.0

Missouri 150 0.005 35 431 0.017 25 -65.2

Montana 65 0.014 15 83 0.022 17 -21.7

Nebraska 70 0.008 25 97 0.012 44 -27.8

Nevada 255 0.026 4 140 0.022 17 82.1

New Hampshire 40 0.006 33 75 0.012 44 -46.7

New Jersey 915 0.022 5 1,102 0.027 6 -17.0

New Mexico 55 0.007 29 143 0.021 20 -61.5

New York 7,980 0.088 2 6,443 0.072 2 23.9

North Carolina 340 0.008 25 453 0.013 38 -24.9

North Dakota 0 0.000 49 37 0.012 44 -100.0

Ohio 370 0.007 29 684 0.013 38 -45.9

Oklahoma 60 0.004 40 217 0.015 32 -72.4

Oregon 310 0.018 9 373 0.027 6 -16.9

Pennsylvania 720 0.012 17 905 0.016 27 -20.4

Rhode Island 50 0.009 23 118 0.023 14 -57.6

South Carolina 80 0.004 40 231 0.014 36 -65.4

South Dakota 4 0.001 48 40 0.012 44 -90.0

Tennessee 310 0.011 19 456 0.019 22 -32.0

Texas 1,040 0.011 19 1,327 0.016 27 -21.6

Utah 205 0.019 7 131 0.017 25 56.5

Vermont 20 0.006 33 46 0.015 32 -56.5

Virginia 295 0.008 25 719 0.023 14 -59.0

Washington 405 0.014 15 591 0.024 12 -31.5

West Virginia 60 0.008 25 94 0.013 38 -36.2

Wisconsin 210 0.007 29 383 0.015 32 -45.2

Wyoming 0 0.000 49 36 0.016 27 -100.0

Table 3

Actors by state of residence, 1990 to 2000
50 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 4

Announcers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Announcers, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Announcers, 

1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change 

in number of 

announcers, 

1990-2000

United States 54,855 0.040 68,590 0.056 -20.0

Alabama 840 0.041 26 1,037 0.055 32 -19.0

Alaska 215 0.069 3 246 0.091 5 -12.6

Arizona 995 0.042 23 1,089 0.063 20 -8.6

Arkansas 515 0.041 26 803 0.075 11 -35.9

California 5,215 0.033 45 7,420 0.049 41 -29.7

Colorado 830 0.036 38 1,044 0.060 26 -20.5

Connecticut 620 0.035 41 664 0.037 49 -6.6

Delaware 125 0.031 48 142 0.041 47 -12.0

District of Columbia 145 0.049 12 290 0.089 6 -50.0

Florida 4,185 0.056 7 3,305 0.054 35 26.6

Georgia 1,540 0.038 34 1,926 0.059 28 -20.0

Hawaii 340 0.059 6 468 0.085 7 -27.4

Idaho 310 0.049 12 361 0.076 10 -14.1

Illinois 2,490 0.040 30 2,648 0.046 44 -6.0

Indiana 1,380 0.044 19 1,520 0.055 32 -9.2

Iowa 695 0.045 17 972 0.069 15 -28.5

Kansas 590 0.043 22 851 0.069 15 -30.7

Kentucky 830 0.044 19 1,166 0.069 15 -28.8

Louisiana 1,035 0.052 11 1,343 0.074 12 -22.9

Maine 310 0.047 15 380 0.062 22 -18.4

Maryland 980 0.036 38 1,378 0.053 37 -28.9

Massachusetts 1,055 0.032 47 1,375 0.042 46 -23.3

Michigan 1,850 0.038 34 2,294 0.051 39 -19.4

Minnesota 1,070 0.040 30 1,497 0.065 18 -28.5

Mississippi 595 0.047 15 701 0.062 22 -15.1

Missouri 985 0.035 41 1,466 0.058 30 -32.8

Montana 325 0.071 2 479 0.127 2 -32.2

Nebraska 480 0.053 9 500 0.062 22 -4.0

Nevada 395 0.040 30 509 0.079 8 -22.4

New Hampshire 195 0.029 49 292 0.048 42 -33.2

New Jersey 1,150 0.027 51 1,417 0.035 50 -18.8

New Mexico 440 0.053 9 747 0.109 3 -41.1

New York 3,205 0.036 38 4,864 0.054 35 -34.1

North Carolina 1,490 0.037 36 1,872 0.055 32 -20.4

North Dakota 300 0.090 1 462 0.152 1 -35.1

Ohio 2,010 0.035 41 2,433 0.046 44 -17.4

Oklahoma 690 0.042 23 926 0.063 20 -25.5

Oregon 790 0.045 17 831 0.059 28 -4.9

Pennsylvania 2,195 0.037 36 2,880 0.050 40 -23.8

Rhode Island 220 0.041 26 155 0.030 51 41.9

South Carolina 645 0.033 45 801 0.047 43 -19.5

South Dakota 220 0.056 7 367 0.109 3 -40.1

Tennessee 1,375 0.049 12 1,696 0.071 14 -18.9

Texas 4,100 0.042 23 5,062 0.062 22 -19.0

Utah 315 0.029 49 321 0.041 47 -1.9

Vermont 205 0.062 5 218 0.072 13 -6.0

Virginia 1,570 0.044 19 1,906 0.060 26 -17.6

Washington 1,035 0.035 41 1,292 0.053 37 -19.9

West Virginia 520 0.066 4 569 0.077 9 -8.6

Wisconsin 1,140 0.040 30 1,465 0.058 30 -22.2

Wyoming 105 0.041 26 142 0.064 19 -26.1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper 

#65, October 30, 2003. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 51

Table 5

Architects by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, 

October 30, 2003. 

Architects, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Architects, 

1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change 

in number 

of architects, 

1990-2000

United States 192,860 0.140 167,151 0.135 15.4

Alabama 1,595 0.078 43 1,275 0.068 45 25.1

Alaska 305 0.099 33 342 0.127 19 -10.8

Arizona 3,560 0.150 16 2,578 0.149 12 38.1

Arkansas 755 0.060 48 670 0.063 49 12.7

California 28,710 0.181 8 29,667 0.198 5 -3.2

Colorado 5,460 0.237 3 3,250 0.188 6 68.0

Connecticut 3,115 0.177 10 3,343 0.187 7 -6.8

Delaware 360 0.091 39 325 0.093 31 10.8

District of Columbia 1,405 0.476 1 1,391 0.425 1 1.0

Florida 9,675 0.131 20 8,582 0.139 16 12.7

Georgia 5,655 0.139 17 4,005 0.122 22 41.2

Hawaii 1,245 0.217 5 1,513 0.276 2 -17.7

Idaho 820 0.129 22 463 0.098 30 77.1

Illinois 9,625 0.155 13 8,270 0.143 14 16.4

Indiana 2,080 0.067 46 2,191 0.079 43 -5.1

Iowa 1,055 0.068 45 903 0.064 48 16.8

Kansas 1,470 0.107 30 1,310 0.107 24 12.2

Kentucky 1,340 0.070 44 1,149 0.068 45 16.6

Louisiana 2,020 0.101 31 1,480 0.081 41 36.5

Maine 840 0.128 24 639 0.104 26 31.5

Maryland 4,755 0.174 11 4,665 0.180 9 1.9

Massachusetts 8,205 0.248 2 6,804 0.210 3 20.6

Michigan 4,940 0.100 32 4,017 0.088 33 23.0

Minnesota 3,670 0.136 18 2,923 0.126 20 25.6

Mississippi 635 0.050 50 766 0.068 45 -17.1

Missouri 3,290 0.117 27 2,659 0.105 25 23.7

Montana 585 0.129 22 290 0.077 44 101.7

Nebraska 750 0.082 41 669 0.083 38 12.1

Nevada 1,120 0.113 28 587 0.091 32 90.8

New Hampshire 640 0.095 37 619 0.101 28 3.4

New Jersey 6,350 0.151 15 5,922 0.144 13 7.2

New Mexico 1,250 0.152 14 913 0.133 17 36.9

New York 17,585 0.195 7 16,276 0.181 8 8.0

North Carolina 3,935 0.097 35 2,787 0.082 39 41.2

North Dakota 170 0.051 49 248 0.082 39 -31.5

Ohio 6,235 0.110 29 5,243 0.099 29 18.9

Oklahoma 1,420 0.087 40 1,173 0.080 42 21.1

Oregon 3,105 0.178 9 1,975 0.140 15 57.2

Pennsylvania 7,100 0.118 25 7,118 0.123 21 -0.3

Rhode Island 700 0.132 19 669 0.128 18 4.6

South Carolina 1,870 0.096 36 1,433 0.084 36 30.5

South Dakota 240 0.061 47 133 0.040 51 80.5

Tennessee 2,590 0.092 38 2,106 0.088 33 23.0

Texas 12,835 0.131 20 9,599 0.117 23 33.7

Utah 1,295 0.118 25 811 0.104 26 59.7

Vermont 650 0.196 6 478 0.159 11 36.0

Virginia 5,625 0.158 12 5,199 0.164 10 8.2

Washington 6,875 0.231 4 4,978 0.205 4 38.1

West Virginia 310 0.039 51 349 0.047 50 -11.2

Wisconsin 2,850 0.099 33 2,210 0.088 33 29.0

Wyoming 200 0.079 42 186 0.084 36 7.5
52 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators, 2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators, 1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of fine artists, 

art directors, and 

animators, 1990-2000

United States 231,690 0.168 278,516 0.226 -16.8

Alabama 1,970 0.096 44 2,800 0.150 46 -29.6

Alaska 770 0.249 7 581 0.216 23 32.5

Arizona 5,245 0.222 10 4,599 0.266 12 14.0

Arkansas 1,175 0.094 48 1,237 0.116 49 -5.0

California 41,860 0.264 5 42,512 0.284 7 -1.5

Colorado 4,670 0.203 13 5,158 0.298 6 -9.5

Connecticut 3,360 0.191 14 4,810 0.269 9 -30.1

Delaware 450 0.113 39 631 0.181 36 -28.7

District of Columbia 655 0.222 10 1,289 0.394 1 -49.2

Florida 12,305 0.166 20 14,139 0.229 19 -13.0

Georgia 5,455 0.134 32 6,270 0.191 32 -13.0

Hawaii 1,800 0.314 2 1,697 0.309 3 6.1

Idaho 870 0.137 31 892 0.189 34 -2.5

Illinois 9,325 0.150 22 12,727 0.219 22 -26.7

Indiana 2,970 0.095 45 4,157 0.149 47 -28.6

Iowa 1,625 0.105 40 2,313 0.165 40 -29.7

Kansas 1,975 0.144 24 2,338 0.190 33 -15.5

Kentucky 1,815 0.095 45 2,118 0.125 48 -14.3

Louisiana 2,080 0.104 41 2,827 0.156 42 -26.4

Maine 1,545 0.236 8 1,407 0.230 18 9.8

Maryland 4,080 0.149 23 6,953 0.268 11 -41.3

Massachusetts 6,295 0.190 16 8,985 0.277 8 -29.9

Michigan 6,170 0.125 35 8,980 0.198 31 -31.3

Minnesota 4,740 0.176 18 5,268 0.228 21 -10.0

Mississippi 765 0.060 51 1,266 0.113 50 -39.6

Missouri 4,025 0.143 27 5,359 0.212 25 -24.9

Montana 1,175 0.258 6 756 0.201 27 55.4

Nebraska 920 0.101 42 1,246 0.155 44 -26.2

Nevada 1,265 0.127 34 1,302 0.201 27 -2.8

New Hampshire 1,110 0.164 21 1,474 0.241 14 -24.7

New Jersey 7,185 0.171 19 9,688 0.236 15 -25.8

New Mexico 3,300 0.401 1 2,693 0.394 1 22.5

New York 23,885 0.265 4 27,771 0.309 3 -14.0

North Carolina 4,760 0.118 38 6,165 0.181 36 -22.8

North Dakota 305 0.092 50 474 0.156 42 -35.7

Ohio 7,035 0.124 36 9,822 0.186 35 -28.4

Oklahoma 1,650 0.101 42 2,433 0.166 39 -32.2

Oregon 3,910 0.225 9 3,322 0.236 15 17.7

Pennsylvania 8,355 0.139 30 11,656 0.202 26 -28.3

Rhode Island 765 0.144 24 1,229 0.235 17 -37.8

South Carolina 1,810 0.093 49 2,630 0.155 44 -31.2

South Dakota 555 0.142 28 547 0.163 41 1.5

Tennessee 3,445 0.123 37 4,275 0.178 38 -19.4

Texas 12,710 0.129 33 16,426 0.200 29 -22.6

Utah 2,065 0.188 17 1,997 0.257 13 3.4

Vermont 985 0.297 3 929 0.309 3 6.0

Virginia 5,045 0.142 28 7,248 0.229 19 -30.4

Washington 6,065 0.204 12 6,537 0.269 9 -7.2

West Virginia 755 0.095 45 769 0.104 51 -1.8

Wisconsin 4,140 0.144 24 5,373 0.213 24 -22.9

Wyoming 485 0.191 14 442 0.200 29 9.7

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using Table 

2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under contract with 

the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, October 30, 

2003. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 53

Table 7

Dancers and choreographers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using Table 

2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under contract with 

the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, October 30, 

2003. 

Dancers and 

choreographers, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Dancers and 

choreographers, 

1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of dancers 

and choreographers, 

1990-2000

United States 26,915 0.020 21,771 0.018 23.6

Alabama 215 0.011 38 203 0.011 33 5.9

Alaska 125 0.040 3 82 0.030 4 52.4

Arizona 765 0.032 4 430 0.025 7 77.9

Arkansas 120 0.010 40 104 0.010 38 15.4

California 3,310 0.021 11 2,835 0.019 12 16.8

Colorado 420 0.018 16 325 0.019 12 29.2

Connecticut 155 0.009 42 214 0.012 28 -27.6

Delaware 35 0.009 42 13 0.004 45 169.2

District of Columbia 55 0.019 14 116 0.035 3 -52.6

Florida 2,210 0.030 5 1,791 0.029 6 23.4

Georgia 710 0.017 22 569 0.017 16 24.8

Hawaii 565 0.098 2 520 0.095 2 8.7

Idaho 60 0.009 42 6 0.001 50 900.0

Illinois 915 0.015 27 623 0.011 33 46.9

Indiana 645 0.021 11 411 0.015 21 56.9

Iowa 195 0.013 30 61 0.004 45 219.7

Kansas 190 0.014 28 178 0.014 23 6.7

Kentucky 330 0.017 22 197 0.012 28 67.5

Louisiana 420 0.021 11 263 0.014 23 59.7

Maine 55 0.008 45 57 0.009 40 -3.5

Maryland 295 0.011 38 402 0.016 17 -26.6

Massachusetts 400 0.012 33 374 0.012 28 7.0

Michigan 955 0.019 14 731 0.016 17 30.6

Minnesota 325 0.012 33 280 0.012 28 16.1

Mississippi 90 0.007 48 29 0.003 48 210.3

Missouri 480 0.017 22 277 0.011 33 73.3

Montana 45 0.010 40 8 0.002 49 462.5

Nebraska 200 0.022 10 123 0.015 21 62.6

Nevada 1,385 0.139 1 867 0.134 1 59.7

New Hampshire 40 0.006 49 95 0.016 17 -57.9

New Jersey 490 0.012 33 808 0.020 10 -39.4

New Mexico 140 0.017 22 122 0.018 15 14.8

New York 2,620 0.029 6 2,718 0.030 4 -3.6

North Carolina 710 0.018 16 367 0.011 33 93.5

North Dakota 10 0.003 51 14 0.005 44 -28.6

Ohio 995 0.018 16 715 0.014 23 39.2

Oklahoma 380 0.023 9 242 0.016 17 57.0

Oregon 310 0.018 16 277 0.020 10 11.9

Pennsylvania 705 0.012 33 656 0.011 33 7.5

Rhode Island 95 0.018 16 67 0.013 27 41.8

South Carolina 320 0.017 22 118 0.007 42 171.2

South Dakota 15 0.004 50 13 0.004 45 15.4

Tennessee 355 0.013 30 250 0.010 38 42.0

Texas 2,315 0.024 8 1,852 0.023 8 25.0

Utah 320 0.029 6 160 0.021 9 100.0

Vermont 25 0.008 45 4 0.001 50 525.0

Virginia 435 0.012 33 448 0.014 23 -2.9

Washington 390 0.013 30 468 0.019 12 -16.7

West Virginia 140 0.018 16 48 0.006 43 191.7

Wisconsin 405 0.014 28 213 0.008 41 90.1

Wyoming 20 0.008 45 26 0.012 28 -23.1
54 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 8

Designers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, 

October 30, 2003. 

Designers, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Designers, 

1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change 

in number 

of designers, 

1990-2000

United States 749,335 0.544 619,328 0.502 21.0

Alabama 7,525 0.368 40 6,803 0.364 39 10.6

Alaska 1,000 0.323 47 691 0.257 51 44.7

Arizona 11,960 0.505 21 8,375 0.485 20 42.8

Arkansas 4,020 0.322 48 3,070 0.288 47 30.9

California 115,505 0.730 1 96,119 0.641 3 20.2

Colorado 14,005 0.608 10 9,409 0.543 10 48.8

Connecticut 12,420 0.707 5 11,485 0.642 2 8.1

Delaware 1,690 0.425 35 1,471 0.421 31 14.9

District of Columbia 1,990 0.675 6 1,818 0.555 7 9.5

Florida 39,345 0.531 18 30,748 0.499 15 28.0

Georgia 19,535 0.481 24 15,204 0.464 24 28.5

Hawaii 2,570 0.448 31 2,702 0.493 17 -4.9

Idaho 2,705 0.425 35 2,203 0.466 23 22.8

Illinois 34,330 0.553 16 29,685 0.512 12 15.6

Indiana 12,860 0.412 37 11,081 0.397 34 16.1

Iowa 7,325 0.471 27 5,354 0.381 38 36.8

Kansas 6,130 0.446 32 4,802 0.390 36 27.7

Kentucky 6,870 0.360 41 5,738 0.340 40 19.7

Louisiana 6,580 0.329 46 5,686 0.313 44 15.7

Maine 3,010 0.459 29 2,774 0.453 27 8.5

Maryland 13,980 0.511 19 12,977 0.500 14 7.7

Massachusetts 23,450 0.708 4 18,799 0.579 4 24.7

Michigan 32,635 0.663 7 26,272 0.579 6 24.2

Minnesota 15,675 0.583 12 11,798 0.510 13 32.9

Mississippi 3,880 0.306 50 3,454 0.307 45 12.3

Missouri 13,270 0.473 25 10,885 0.431 30 21.9

Montana 1,870 0.411 38 1,236 0.328 42 51.3

Nebraska 3,740 0.411 38 2,698 0.336 41 38.6

Nevada 5,020 0.504 22 2,619 0.404 33 91.7

New Hampshire 3,790 0.560 15 3,030 0.495 16 25.1

New Jersey 25,485 0.608 10 23,774 0.579 4 7.2

New Mexico 3,555 0.432 34 3,092 0.452 28 15.0

New York 65,410 0.725 2 62,659 0.697 1 4.4

North Carolina 18,455 0.457 30 14,137 0.416 32 30.5

North Dakota 1,100 0.331 45 842 0.277 49 30.6

Ohio 26,485 0.466 28 23,985 0.454 26 10.4

Oklahoma 5,780 0.354 42 4,303 0.293 46 34.3

Oregon 10,815 0.621 9 6,921 0.492 18 56.3

Pennsylvania 29,335 0.489 23 26,494 0.458 25 10.7

Rhode Island 3,790 0.714 3 2,802 0.536 11 35.3

South Carolina 6,835 0.353 43 6,479 0.382 37 5.5

South Dakota 1,210 0.309 49 947 0.282 48 27.8

Tennessee 12,185 0.434 33 9,451 0.393 35 28.9

Texas 46,375 0.472 26 36,026 0.438 29 28.7

Utah 6,400 0.582 13 3,775 0.486 19 69.5

Vermont 1,880 0.568 14 1,639 0.545 9 14.7

Virginia 18,145 0.509 20 15,065 0.475 21 20.4

Washington 18,525 0.622 8 13,376 0.550 8 38.5

West Virginia 2,315 0.293 51 1,937 0.261 50 19.5

Wisconsin 15,715 0.548 17 11,928 0.474 22 31.7

Wyoming 860 0.338 44 701 0.317 43 22.7
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 55

Table 9

Entertainers and performers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using Table 2. 

1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under contract with the 

U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, October 30, 2003. 

Entertainers 

and 

performers, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Entertainers 

and 

performers, 

1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of entertainers 

and performers, 

1990-2000

United States 37,590 0.027 16,929 0.014 122.0

Alabama 290 0.014 37 148 0.008 39 95.9

Alaska 50 0.016 33 33 0.012 18 51.5

Arizona 945 0.040 6 290 0.017 8 225.9

Arkansas 115 0.009 47 76 0.007 48 51.3

California 6,745 0.043 5 3,386 0.023 4 99.2

Colorado 640 0.028 8 277 0.016 9 131.0

Connecticut 240 0.014 37 197 0.011 24 21.8

Delaware 65 0.016 33 36 0.010 26 80.6

District of Columbia 150 0.051 4 118 0.036 1 27.1

Florida 5,410 0.073 2 1,195 0.019 6 352.7

Georgia 830 0.020 18 319 0.010 26 160.2

Hawaii 350 0.061 3 176 0.032 2 98.9

Idaho 45 0.007 49 49 0.010 26 -8.2

Illinois 1,155 0.019 22 599 0.010 26 92.8

Indiana 590 0.019 22 221 0.008 39 167.0

Iowa 180 0.012 43 108 0.008 39 66.7

Kansas 265 0.019 22 145 0.012 18 82.8

Kentucky 290 0.015 36 130 0.008 39 123.1

Louisiana 275 0.014 37 189 0.010 26 45.5

Maine 85 0.013 40 54 0.009 34 57.4

Maryland 365 0.013 40 387 0.015 11 -5.7

Massachusetts 565 0.017 31 463 0.014 12 22.0

Michigan 895 0.018 27 473 0.010 26 89.2

Minnesota 550 0.020 18 304 0.013 14 80.9

Mississippi 140 0.011 45 60 0.005 51 133.3

Missouri 635 0.023 15 271 0.011 24 134.3

Montana 85 0.019 22 49 0.013 14 73.5

Nebraska 85 0.009 47 67 0.008 39 26.9

Nevada 1,780 0.179 1 165 0.025 3 978.8

New Hampshire 135 0.020 18 76 0.012 18 77.6

New Jersey 995 0.024 12 534 0.013 14 86.3

New Mexico 110 0.013 40 82 0.012 18 34.1

New York 2,940 0.033 7 1,941 0.022 5 51.5

North Carolina 665 0.016 33 242 0.007 48 174.8

North Dakota 20 0.006 50 20 0.007 48 0.0

Ohio 1,045 0.018 27 466 0.009 34 124.2

Oklahoma 320 0.020 18 152 0.010 26 110.5

Oregon 435 0.025 11 188 0.013 14 131.4

Pennsylvania 990 0.017 31 487 0.008 39 103.3

Rhode Island 95 0.018 27 98 0.019 6 -3.1

South Carolina 420 0.022 16 140 0.008 39 200.0

South Dakota 95 0.024 12 28 0.008 39 239.3

Tennessee 775 0.028 8 205 0.009 34 278.0

Texas 2,765 0.028 8 1,027 0.012 18 169.2

Utah 210 0.019 22 97 0.012 18 116.5

Vermont 80 0.024 12 31 0.010 26 158.1

Virginia 635 0.018 27 444 0.014 12 43.0

Washington 645 0.022 16 388 0.016 9 66.2

West Virginia 25 0.003 51 59 0.008 39 -57.6

Wisconsin 345 0.012 43 220 0.009 34 56.8

Wyoming 25 0.010 46 19 0.009 34 31.6
56 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 10 

Musicians and singers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Musicians and 

singers, 2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Musicians and 

singers, 1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of musicians 

and singers, 

1990-2000

United States 170,015 0.123 148,162 0.120 14.7

Alabama 2,145 0.105 24 1,786 0.095 30 20.1

Alaska 235 0.076 43 261 0.097 27 -10.0

Arizona 3,095 0.131 11 2,282 0.132 9 35.6

Arkansas 1,030 0.082 36 866 0.081 43 18.9

California 26,535 0.168 6 24,585 0.164 5 7.9

Colorado 2,765 0.120 12 2,145 0.124 13 28.9

Connecticut 2,045 0.116 14 1,721 0.096 28 18.8

Delaware 320 0.081 38 201 0.058 50 59.2

District of Columbia 560 0.190 3 523 0.160 6 7.1

Florida 11,090 0.150 7 9,100 0.148 7 21.9

Georgia 4,630 0.114 15 3,226 0.098 25 43.5

Hawaii 1,220 0.213 2 1,083 0.198 3 12.7

Idaho 380 0.060 51 310 0.066 47 22.6

Illinois 6,600 0.106 23 6,252 0.108 17 5.6

Indiana 2,850 0.091 33 2,439 0.087 38 16.9

Iowa 1,245 0.080 40 1,033 0.074 45 20.5

Kansas 1,115 0.081 38 972 0.079 44 14.7

Kentucky 1,530 0.080 40 1,584 0.094 32 -3.4

Louisiana 2,695 0.135 9 1,964 0.108 17 37.2

Maine 485 0.074 44 513 0.084 42 -5.5

Maryland 3,095 0.113 18 2,321 0.090 36 33.3

Massachusetts 4,375 0.132 10 3,895 0.120 14 12.3

Michigan 5,015 0.102 27 4,574 0.101 23 9.6

Minnesota 3,065 0.114 15 2,921 0.126 10 4.9

Mississippi 1,290 0.102 27 1,173 0.104 19 10.0

Missouri 3,045 0.108 22 2,400 0.095 30 26.9

Montana 360 0.079 42 557 0.148 7 -35.4

Nebraska 625 0.069 49 594 0.074 45 5.2

Nevada 1,785 0.179 5 1,558 0.241 1 14.6

New Hampshire 570 0.084 35 520 0.085 40 9.6

New Jersey 5,755 0.137 8 4,186 0.102 21 37.5

New Mexico 830 0.101 29 712 0.104 19 16.6

New York 16,300 0.181 4 16,314 0.181 4 -0.1

North Carolina 3,665 0.091 33 3,280 0.096 28 11.7

North Dakota 245 0.074 44 305 0.100 24 -19.7

Ohio 5,475 0.096 32 4,967 0.094 32 10.2

Oklahoma 1,610 0.099 30 1,632 0.111 16 -1.3

Oregon 1,800 0.103 26 1,754 0.125 11 2.6

Pennsylvania 6,225 0.104 25 5,291 0.092 34 17.7

Rhode Island 620 0.117 13 469 0.090 36 32.2

South Carolina 2,155 0.111 19 1,438 0.085 40 49.9

South Dakota 290 0.074 44 309 0.092 34 -6.1

Tennessee 6,705 0.239 1 5,273 0.219 2 27.2

Texas 11,255 0.114 15 9,191 0.112 15 22.5

Utah 780 0.071 47 440 0.057 51 77.3

Vermont 320 0.097 31 306 0.102 21 4.6

Virginia 3,905 0.110 20 3,113 0.098 25 25.4

Washington 3,265 0.110 20 3,039 0.125 11 7.4

West Virginia 495 0.063 50 468 0.063 48 5.8

Wisconsin 2,345 0.082 36 2,186 0.087 38 7.3

Wyoming 180 0.071 47 131 0.059 49 37.4

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using Table 2. 

1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under contract with the 

U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, October 30, 2003. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 57

Table 11

Photographers by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, 

October 30, 2003. 

Photographers, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Photographers, 

1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change 

in number of 

photographers, 

1990-2000

United States 124,045 0.090 117,084 0.095 5.9

Alabama 1,570 0.077 35 1,224 0.065 46 28.3

Alaska 265 0.086 23 265 0.099 11 0.0

Arizona 2,025 0.086 23 1,683 0.097 13 20.3

Arkansas 685 0.055 50 615 0.058 51 11.4

California 19,935 0.126 3 18,621 0.124 5 7.1

Colorado 2,180 0.095 12 2,172 0.125 4 0.4

Connecticut 1,590 0.090 15 1,650 0.092 18 -3.6

Delaware 240 0.060 48 291 0.083 31 -17.5

District of Columbia 405 0.137 1 560 0.171 1 -27.7

Florida 7,125 0.096 11 5,475 0.089 24 30.1

Georgia 3,320 0.082 32 2,534 0.077 39 31.0

Hawaii 780 0.136 2 771 0.141 2 1.2

Idaho 560 0.088 22 475 0.100 9 17.9

Illinois 5,545 0.089 18 5,535 0.095 14 0.2

Indiana 2,185 0.070 42 1,920 0.069 44 13.8

Iowa 1,310 0.084 28 1,161 0.083 31 12.8

Kansas 1,175 0.085 27 1,020 0.083 31 15.2

Kentucky 1,120 0.059 49 1,113 0.066 45 0.6

Louisiana 1,710 0.086 23 1,360 0.075 42 25.7

Maine 495 0.076 36 554 0.090 21 -10.6

Maryland 2,885 0.105 7 2,444 0.094 17 18.0

Massachusetts 2,975 0.090 15 3,737 0.115 7 -20.4

Michigan 3,600 0.073 39 3,771 0.083 31 -4.5

Minnesota 2,525 0.094 13 2,110 0.091 19 19.7

Mississippi 810 0.064 45 665 0.059 50 21.8

Missouri 2,495 0.089 18 2,202 0.087 26 13.3

Montana 450 0.099 8 292 0.077 39 54.1

Nebraska 765 0.084 28 496 0.062 48 54.2

Nevada 885 0.089 18 536 0.083 31 65.1

New Hampshire 560 0.083 31 583 0.095 14 -3.9

New Jersey 3,195 0.076 36 3,893 0.095 14 -17.9

New Mexico 870 0.106 6 753 0.110 8 15.5

New York 11,385 0.126 3 11,782 0.131 3 -3.4

North Carolina 2,800 0.069 43 2,590 0.076 41 8.1

North Dakota 175 0.053 51 229 0.075 42 -23.6

Ohio 4,020 0.071 40 4,244 0.080 36 -5.3

Oklahoma 1,110 0.068 44 1,174 0.080 36 -5.5

Oregon 1,635 0.094 13 1,239 0.088 25 32.0

Pennsylvania 4,645 0.078 33 5,000 0.087 26 -7.1

Rhode Island 640 0.121 5 522 0.100 9 22.6

South Carolina 1,245 0.064 45 1,097 0.065 46 13.5

South Dakota 385 0.098 9 286 0.085 28 34.6

Tennessee 2,485 0.089 18 2,197 0.091 19 13.1

Texas 7,400 0.075 38 7,380 0.090 21 0.3

Utah 925 0.084 28 952 0.122 6 -2.8

Vermont 235 0.071 40 257 0.085 28 -8.6

Virginia 3,050 0.086 23 2,651 0.084 30 15.1

Washington 2,695 0.090 15 2,397 0.099 11 12.4

West Virginia 495 0.063 47 445 0.060 49 11.2

Wisconsin 2,230 0.078 33 1,967 0.078 38 13.4

Wyoming 250 0.098 9 198 0.090 21 26.3
58 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 12

Producers and directors by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Producers and 

directors, 2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Producers and 

directors, 1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of producers 

and directors, 

1990-2000

United States 139,335 0.101 120,609 0.098 15.5

Alabama 900 0.044 47 1,083 0.058 42 -16.9

Alaska 245 0.079 20 249 0.093 9 -1.6

Arizona 1,555 0.066 24 1,443 0.084 17 7.8

Arkansas 520 0.042 50 629 0.059 41 -17.3

California 34,325 0.217 3 27,392 0.183 2 25.3

Colorado 2,010 0.087 14 1,678 0.097 8 19.8

Connecticut 2,000 0.114 6 1,834 0.103 6 9.1

Delaware 210 0.053 42 197 0.056 46 6.6

District of Columbia 1,270 0.431 1 736 0.225 1 72.6

Florida 7,450 0.101 9 5,741 0.093 9 29.8

Georgia 3,600 0.089 12 2,563 0.078 20 40.5

Hawaii 660 0.115 5 501 0.091 11 31.7

Idaho 220 0.035 51 304 0.064 32 -27.6

Illinois 5,260 0.085 15 5,206 0.090 13 1.0

Indiana 1,625 0.052 43 1,592 0.057 44 2.1

Iowa 835 0.054 41 779 0.055 47 7.2

Kansas 775 0.056 37 787 0.064 32 -1.5

Kentucky 1,060 0.056 37 954 0.057 44 11.1

Louisiana 1,090 0.055 39 1,150 0.063 36 -5.2

Maine 530 0.081 19 439 0.072 25 20.7

Maryland 3,435 0.125 4 2,594 0.100 7 32.4

Massachusetts 3,710 0.112 7 3,432 0.106 4 8.1

Michigan 2,865 0.058 33 3,152 0.069 30 -9.1

Minnesota 2,245 0.083 17 1,891 0.082 19 18.7

Mississippi 545 0.043 49 544 0.048 51 0.2

Missouri 1,665 0.059 32 1,766 0.070 28 -5.7

Montana 205 0.045 46 279 0.074 23 -26.5

Nebraska 520 0.057 34 463 0.058 42 12.3

Nevada 750 0.075 21 545 0.084 17 37.6

New Hampshire 385 0.057 34 462 0.075 22 -16.7

New Jersey 4,570 0.109 8 4,299 0.105 5 6.3

New Mexico 600 0.073 22 519 0.076 21 15.6

New York 20,075 0.222 2 16,329 0.182 3 22.9

North Carolina 2,520 0.062 26 2,091 0.061 39 20.5

North Dakota 190 0.057 34 158 0.052 49 20.3

Ohio 2,930 0.052 43 3,364 0.064 32 -12.9

Oklahoma 895 0.055 39 934 0.064 32 -4.2

Oregon 1,480 0.085 15 1,280 0.091 11 15.6

Pennsylvania 3,735 0.062 26 3,924 0.068 31 -4.8

Rhode Island 325 0.061 28 462 0.088 16 -29.7

South Carolina 1,190 0.061 28 1,036 0.061 39 14.9

South Dakota 235 0.060 31 169 0.050 50 39.1

Tennessee 2,800 0.100 10 1,722 0.072 25 62.6

Texas 6,170 0.063 25 5,992 0.073 24 3.0

Utah 970 0.088 13 562 0.072 25 72.6

Vermont 230 0.069 23 211 0.070 28 9.0

Virginia 3,265 0.092 11 2,836 0.089 15 15.1

Washington 2,475 0.083 17 2,201 0.090 13 12.4

West Virginia 350 0.044 47 393 0.053 48 -10.9

Wisconsin 1,760 0.061 28 1,590 0.063 36 10.7

Wyoming 120 0.047 45 140 0.063 36 -14.3

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, 

October 30, 2003. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 59

Table 13

Writers and authors by state of residence, 1990 to 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations. Data from the 1990 EEO file have been adjusted using 

Table 2. 1990 Census Occupation Classification System and its Redistribution into the Census 2000 Occupation Classification System from: Scopp, Thomas S. under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau. The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems. Technical Paper #65, 

October 30, 2003. 

Writers and 

authors, 2000

EEO file 2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Writers and 

authors, 1990

adjusted 

EEO* 1990

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 1990

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of writers 

and authors, 

1990-2000

United States 162,155 0.118 133,471 0.108 21.5

Alabama 845 0.041 49 973 0.052 45 -13.2

Alaska 445 0.144 12 342 0.127 11 30.1

Arizona 2,605 0.110 22 1,869 0.108 18 39.4

Arkansas 500 0.040 50 412 0.039 49 21.4

California 30,565 0.193 4 26,127 0.174 3 17.0

Colorado 3,490 0.151 9 2,478 0.143 9 40.8

Connecticut 2,765 0.157 7 2,592 0.145 8 6.7

Delaware 260 0.065 43 271 0.078 29 -4.1

District of Columbia 1,790 0.607 1 2,265 0.692 1 -21.0

Florida 6,545 0.088 27 5,203 0.084 26 25.8

Georgia 3,230 0.080 34 2,423 0.074 33 33.3

Hawaii 645 0.112 21 460 0.084 26 40.2

Idaho 625 0.098 25 362 0.077 30 72.7

Illinois 7,190 0.116 20 5,784 0.100 21 24.3

Indiana 2,075 0.067 42 1,638 0.059 44 26.7

Iowa 1,255 0.081 31 918 0.065 40 36.7

Kansas 1,070 0.078 36 1,055 0.086 25 1.4

Kentucky 1,025 0.054 45 869 0.051 46 18.0

Louisiana 1,015 0.051 46 879 0.048 48 15.5

Maine 1,005 0.153 8 739 0.121 14 36.0

Maryland 4,095 0.150 10 3,337 0.129 10 22.7

Massachusetts 6,235 0.188 5 5,057 0.156 6 23.3

Michigan 3,950 0.080 34 2,963 0.065 40 33.3

Minnesota 3,530 0.131 16 2,601 0.113 17 35.7

Mississippi 400 0.032 51 411 0.037 50 -2.7

Missouri 2,290 0.082 29 1,906 0.076 31 20.1

Montana 675 0.148 11 428 0.114 15 57.7

Nebraska 750 0.082 29 552 0.069 36 35.9

Nevada 925 0.093 26 564 0.087 24 64.0

New Hampshire 840 0.124 17 698 0.114 15 20.3

New Jersey 5,000 0.119 19 4,221 0.103 19 18.5

New Mexico 1,145 0.139 13 998 0.146 7 14.7

New York 20,465 0.227 2 18,326 0.204 2 11.7

North Carolina 3,130 0.077 37 2,169 0.064 42 44.3

North Dakota 235 0.071 40 245 0.081 28 -4.1

Ohio 4,260 0.075 38 3,295 0.062 43 29.3

Oklahoma 1,145 0.070 41 1,047 0.071 35 9.4

Oregon 2,950 0.170 6 1,764 0.125 13 67.2

Pennsylvania 6,100 0.102 24 4,403 0.076 31 38.5

Rhode Island 645 0.122 18 494 0.095 23 30.6

South Carolina 1,255 0.065 43 851 0.050 47 47.5

South Dakota 190 0.049 47 222 0.066 39 -14.4

Tennessee 2,285 0.081 31 1,624 0.068 37 40.7

Texas 7,120 0.072 39 6,052 0.074 33 17.6

Utah 940 0.086 28 786 0.101 20 19.6

Vermont 690 0.208 3 472 0.157 5 46.2

Virginia 4,935 0.138 14 5,076 0.160 4 -2.8

Washington 4,090 0.137 15 3,097 0.127 11 32.1

West Virginia 355 0.045 48 229 0.031 51 55.0

Wisconsin 2,310 0.081 31 1,704 0.068 37 35.6

Wyoming 270 0.106 23 213 0.096 22 26.8
60 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 14 

Top 15 states for each artist occupation by number of artists, 2000

Total artists

California 330,635

New York 191,850

Texas 114,085

Florida 106,925

Illinois 83,600

Pennsylvania 70,105

Michigan 63,140

New Jersey 61,090

Ohio 60,860

Massachusetts 57,795

Georgia 48,945

Virginia 46,905

Washington 46,465

North Carolina 42,470

Maryland 38,390

Actors 

California 17,930

New York 7,980

Florida 1,585

Illinois 1,165

Texas 1,040

New Jersey 915

Pennsylvania 720

Massachusetts 530

Minnesota 465

Georgia 440

Maryland 425

Washington 405

Ohio 370

Arizona 345

North Carolina 340

Announcers

California 5,215

Florida 4,185

Texas 4,100

New York 3,205

Illinois 2,490

Pennsylvania 2,195

Ohio 2,010

Michigan 1,850

Virginia 1,570

Georgia 1,540

North Carolina 1,490

Indiana 1,380

Tennessee 1,375

New Jersey 1,150

Wisconsin 1,140

Architects

California 28,710

New York 17,585

Texas 12,835

Florida 9,675

Illinois 9,625

Massachusetts 8,205

Pennsylvania 7,100

Washington 6,875

New Jersey 6,350

Ohio 6,235

Georgia 5,655

Virginia 5,625

Colorado 5,460

Michigan 4,940

Maryland 4,755

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators

California 41,860

New York 23,885

Texas 12,710

Florida 12,305

Illinois 9,325

Pennsylvania 8,355

New Jersey 7,185

Ohio 7,035

Massachusetts 6,295

Michigan 6,170

Washington 6,065

Georgia 5,455

Arizona 5,245

Virginia 5,045

North Carolina 4,760

Dancers and 

choreographers

California 3,310

New York 2,620

Texas 2,315

Florida 2,210

Nevada 1,385

Ohio 995

Michigan 955

Illinois 915

Arizona 765

Georgia 710

North Carolina 710

Pennsylvania 705

Indiana 645

Hawaii 565

New Jersey 490

Designers

California 115,505

New York 65,410

Texas 46,375

Florida 39,345

Illinois 34,330

Michigan 32,635

Pennsylvania 29,335

Ohio 26,485

New Jersey 25,485

Massachusetts 23,450

Georgia 19,535

Washington 18,525

North Carolina 18,455

Virginia 18,145

Wisconsin 15,715

Entertainers and 

performers

California 6,745

Florida 5,410

New York 2,940

Texas 2,765

Nevada 1,780

Illinois 1,155

Ohio 1,045

New Jersey 995

Pennsylvania 990

Arizona 945

Michigan 895

Georgia 830

Tennessee 775

North Carolina 665

Washington 645

Musicians and singers 

California 26,535

New York 16,300

Texas 11,255

Florida 11,090

Tennessee 6,705

Illinois 6,600

Pennsylvania 6,225

New Jersey 5,755

Ohio 5,475

Michigan 5,015

Georgia 4,630

Massachusetts 4,375

Virginia 3,905

North Carolina 3,665

Washington 3,265

Photographers 

California 19,935

New York 11,385

Texas 7,400

Florida 7,125

Illinois 5,545

Pennsylvania 4,645

Ohio 4,020

Michigan 3,600

Georgia 3,320

New Jersey 3,195

Virginia 3,050

Massachusetts 2,975

Maryland 2,885

North Carolina 2,800

Washington 2,695

Producers and directors 

California 34,325

New York 20,075

Florida 7,450

Texas 6,170

Illinois 5,260

New Jersey 4,570

Pennsylvania 3,735

Massachusetts 3,710

Georgia 3,600

Maryland 3,435

Virginia 3,265

Ohio 2,930

Michigan 2,865

Tennessee 2,800

North Carolina 2,520

Writers and authors 

California 30,565

New York 20,465

Illinois 7,190

Texas 7,120

Florida 6,545

Massachusetts 6,235

Pennsylvania 6,100

New Jersey 5,000

Virginia 4,935

Ohio 4,260

Maryland 4,095

Washington 4,090

Michigan 3,950

Minnesota 3,530

Colorado 3,490

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 61

Table 15

Top 15 states for each artist occupation by number of artists per 10,000 people, 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation.

Total artists

District of Columbia 149.2

New York 101.1

California 97.6

Massachusetts 91.0

Vermont 87.4

Colorado 85.4

Hawaii 84.1

Connecticut 84.0

Oregon 80.5

Washington 78.8

Nevada 77.9

Minnesota 77.0

Rhode Island 75.8

New Jersey 72.6

Maryland 72.5

Actors 

California 5.3

New York 4.2

District of Columbia 1.9

Nevada 1.3

New Jersey 1.1

Florida 1.0

Minnesota 0.9

Illinois 0.9

Utah 0.9

Oregon 0.9

Connecticut 0.9

Massachusetts 0.8

Maryland 0.8

Montana 0.7

Washington 0.7

Announcers

North Dakota 4.7

Montana 3.6

Alaska 3.4

Vermont 3.4

South Dakota 2.9

West Virginia 2.9

Hawaii 2.8

Nebraska 2.8

Florida 2.6

District of Columbia 2.5

Maine 2.4

New Mexico 2.4

Tennessee 2.4

Idaho 2.4

Iowa 2.4

Architects

District of Columbia 24.6

Massachusetts 12.9

Colorado 12.7

Washington 11.7

Vermont 10.7

Hawaii 10.3

New York 9.3

Connecticut 9.1

Oregon 9.1

Maryland 9.0

California 8.5

Virginia 7.9

Illinois 7.8

New Jersey 7.5

Minnesota 7.5

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators

New Mexico 18.1

Vermont 16.2

Hawaii 14.9

Montana 13.0

New York 12.6

California 12.4

Alaska 12.3

Maine 12.1

District of Columbia 11.4

Oregon 11.4

Colorado 10.9

Washington 10.3

Arizona 10.2

Massachusetts 9.9

Connecticut 9.9

Dancers and 

choreographers

Nevada 6.9

Hawaii 4.7

Alaska 2.0

Arizona 1.5

Utah 1.4

Florida 1.4

New York 1.4

Nebraska 1.2

Texas 1.1

Oklahoma 1.1

Indiana 1.1

California 1.0

Colorado 1.0

District of Columbia 1.0

Michigan 1.0

Designers

Massachusetts 36.9

Connecticut 36.5

Rhode Island 36.2

District of Columbia 34.8

New York 34.5

California 34.1

Michigan 32.8

Colorado 32.6

Minnesota 31.9

Oregon 31.6

Washington 31.4

Vermont 30.9

New Hampshire 30.7

New Jersey 30.3

Wisconsin 29.3

Entertainers and 

performers

Nevada 8.9

Florida 3.4

Hawaii 2.9

District of Columbia 2.6

California 2.0

Arizona 1.8

New York 1.5

Colorado 1.5

Tennessee 1.4

Texas 1.3

Vermont 1.3

Oregon 1.3

South Dakota 1.3

New Jersey 1.2

Missouri 1.1

Musicians and singers 

Tennessee 11.8

Hawaii 10.1

District of Columbia 9.8

Nevada 8.9

New York 8.6

California 7.8

Florida 6.9

Massachusetts 6.9

New Jersey 6.8

Colorado 6.4

Minnesota 6.2

Arizona 6.0

Louisiana 6.0

Connecticut 6.0

Rhode Island 5.9

Photographers 

District of Columbia 7.1

Hawaii 6.4

Rhode Island 6.1

New York 6.0

California 5.9

Maryland 5.4

Minnesota 5.1

South Dakota 5.1

Colorado 5.1

Wyoming 5.1

Montana 5.0

New Mexico 4.8

Oregon 4.8

Massachusetts 4.7

Connecticut 4.7

Producers and directors 

District of Columbia 22.2

New York 10.6

California 10.1

Maryland 6.5

Connecticut 5.9

Massachusetts 5.8

Hawaii 5.4

New Jersey 5.4

Tennessee 4.9

Colorado 4.7

Florida 4.7

Virginia 4.6

Minnesota 4.6

Georgia 4.4

Utah 4.3

Writers and authors 

District of Columbia 31.3

Vermont 11.3

New York 10.8

Massachusetts 9.8

California 9.0

Oregon 8.6

Connecticut 8.1

Colorado 8.1

Maine 7.9

Maryland 7.7

Montana 7.5

Minnesota 7.2

Alaska 7.1

Virginia 7.0

Washington 6.9
62 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 16

 All artists by state of residence, 2000 to 2003-2005 

Total artists, 

2003-2005

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2003-2005

Rank by 

percent

Total artists, 

2000

Percent of 

civilian labor 

force, 2000

Rank by 

percent

Percent change in 

number of artists, 

2000 to 2003-2005

United States 1,999,474 1.38 1,930,762 1.40 3.6

Alabama 18,632 0.87 46 18,485 0.90 44 0.8%

Alaska 3,405 1.02 36 3,363 1.08 32 1.2%

Arizona 29,906 1.11 30 31,490 1.33 20 -5.0%

Arkansas 10,869 0.83 48 9,917 0.79 48 9.6%

California 352,424 2.05 3 330,594 2.09 3 6.6%

Colorado 38,900 1.59 7 35,750 1.56 9 8.8%

Connecticut 29,861 1.66 5 29,278 1.67 6 2.0%

Delaware 4,231 1.00 38 4,051 1.02 37 4.5%

District of Columbia 9,925 3.49 1 8,317 2.82 1 19.3%

Florida 116,937 1.42 15 107,986 1.46 13 8.3%

Georgia 53,737 1.22 23 50,865 1.25 24 5.6%

Hawaii 10,321 1.68 4 10,551 1.85 4 -2.2%

Idaho 7,557 1.10 31 6,884 1.08 32 9.8%

Illinois 79,932 1.25 22 83,846 1.35 19 -4.7%

Indiana 29,537 0.95 40 29,274 0.94 41 0.9%

Iowa 14,413 0.92 44 15,721 1.01 38 -8.3%

Kansas 16,280 1.14 26 14,348 1.05 36 13.5%

Kentucky 17,395 0.90 45 15,292 0.80 47 13.8%

Louisiana 21,137 1.02 35 18,383 0.92 42 15.0%

Maine 9,425 1.37 18 8,976 1.36 18 5.0%

Maryland 38,745 1.34 19 39,013 1.42 16 -0.7%

Massachusetts 54,852 1.65 6 57,342 1.73 5 -4.3%

Michigan 60,052 1.20 24 62,796 1.28 22 -4.4%

Minnesota 39,631 1.43 13 38,400 1.43 15 3.2%

Mississippi 10,200 0.76 50 9,723 0.77 49 4.9%

Missouri 36,367 1.25 21 31,515 1.12 31 15.4%

Montana 5,285 1.10 32 5,451 1.20 27 -3.0%

Nebraska 8,610 0.92 43 8,753 0.96 39 -1.6%

Nevada 16,684 1.42 14 15,028 1.51 11 11.0%

New Hampshire 8,013 1.13 27 8,291 1.22 26 -3.4%

New Jersey 65,037 1.49 11 61,842 1.48 12 5.2%

New Mexico 13,847 1.54 9 11,427 1.39 17 21.2%

New York 212,025 2.28 2 193,349 2.14 2 9.7%

North Carolina 42,400 1.01 37 43,005 1.06 35 -1.4%

North Dakota 2,505 0.73 51 3,035 0.91 43 -17.5%

Ohio 60,032 1.05 34 61,438 1.08 32 -2.3%

Oklahoma 14,378 0.86 47 14,026 0.86 45 2.5%

Oregon 28,671 1.58 8 28,082 1.61 7 2.1%

Pennsylvania 64,924 1.07 33 70,319 1.17 29 -7.7%

Rhode Island 7,770 1.41 16 8,240 1.55 10 -5.7%

South Carolina 19,118 0.94 41 18,673 0.96 39 2.4%

South Dakota 3,800 0.94 42 3,001 0.77 49 26.6%

Tennessee 33,579 1.15 25 35,234 1.26 23 -4.7%

Texas 120,916 1.12 29 114,944 1.17 29 5.2%

Utah 16,534 1.39 17 13,616 1.24 25 21.4%

Vermont 5,124 1.49 10 4,786 1.44 14 7.1%

Virginia 48,310 1.28 20 46,939 1.32 21 2.9%

Washington 45,157 1.43 12 47,048 1.58 8 -4.0%

West Virginia 6,388 0.80 49 5,959 0.75 51 7.2%

Wisconsin 33,030 1.12 28 33,935 1.18 28 -2.7%

Wyoming 2,663 0.97 39 2,181 0.85 46 22.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 2003-2005 data from American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples; 2000 data from Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 

5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 63

Table 17

 All artists by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Total artists 2000 Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 1,930,762 12,908 1,917,854 to 1,943,670

Alabama 18,485 1,265 17,220 to 19,750

Alaska 3,363 498 2,865 to 3,861

Arizona 31,490 1,649 29,841 to 33,139

Arkansas 9,917 855 9,062 to 10,772

California 330,594 5,333 325,261 to 335,927

Colorado 35,750 1,755 33,995 to 37,505

Connecticut 29,278 1,466 27,812 to 30,744

Delaware 4,051 592 3,459 to 4,643

District of Columbia 8,317 844 7,473 to 9,161

Florida 107,986 3,053 104,933 to 111,039

Georgia 50,865 2,096 48,769 to 52,961

Hawaii 10,551 953 9,598 to 11,504

Idaho 6,884 712 6,172 to 7,596

Illinois 83,846 2,690 81,156 to 86,536

Indiana 29,274 1,591 27,683 to 30,865

Iowa 15,721 1,076 14,645 to 16,797

Kansas 14,348 1,028 13,320 to 15,376

Kentucky 15,292 1,062 14,230 to 16,354

Louisiana 18,383 1,164 17,219 to 19,547

Maine 8,976 812 8,164 to 9,788

Maryland 39,013 1,834 37,179 to 40,847

Massachusetts 57,342 2,222 55,120 to 59,564

Michigan 62,796 2,328 60,468 to 65,124

Minnesota 38,400 1,680 36,720 to 40,080

Mississippi 9,723 847 8,876 to 10,570

Missouri 31,515 1,523 29,992 to 33,038

Montana 5,451 633 4,818 to 6,084

Nebraska 8,753 803 7,950 to 9,556

Nevada 15,028 1,138 13,890 to 16,166

New Hampshire 8,291 781 7,510 to 9,072

New Jersey 61,842 2,310 59,532 to 64,152

New Mexico 11,427 993 10,434 to 12,420

New York 193,349 4,078 189,271 to 197,427

North Carolina 43,005 1,928 41,077 to 44,933

North Dakota 3,035 512 2,523 to 3,547

Ohio 61,438 2,127 59,311 to 63,565

Oklahoma 14,026 1,017 13,009 to 15,043

Oregon 28,082 1,556 26,526 to 29,638

Pennsylvania 70,319 2,275 68,044 to 72,594

Rhode Island 8,240 843 7,397 to 9,083

South Carolina 18,673 1,271 17,402 to 19,944

South Dakota 3,001 470 2,531 to 3,471

Tennessee 35,234 1,744 33,490 to 36,978

Texas 114,944 3,152 111,792 to 118,096

Utah 13,616 1,084 12,532 to 14,700

Vermont 4,786 593 4,193 to 5,379

Virginia 46,939 2,013 44,926 to 48,952

Washington 47,048 2,014 45,034 to 49,062

West Virginia 5,959 663 5,296 to 6,622

Wisconsin 33,935 1,580 32,355 to 35,515

Wyoming 2,181 401 1,780 to 2,582

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
64 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 18

Actors by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Actors 2000 Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 39,054 1,842 37,212 to 40,896

Alabama 226 140 86 to 366

Alaska 0 227 0 to 227

Arizona 388 184 204 to 572

Arkansas 93 83 10 to 176

California 18,253 1,259 16,994 to 19,512

Colorado 187 127 60 to 314

Connecticut 230 130 100 to 360

Delaware 40 227 0 to 267

District of Columbia 18 227 0 to 245

Florida 1,573 370 1,203 to 1,943

Georgia 465 201 264 to 666

Hawaii 0 227 0 to 227

Idaho 119 94 25 to 213

Illinois 746 255 491 to 1,001

Indiana 108 97 11 to 205

Iowa 125 96 29 to 221

Kansas 81 77 4 to 158

Kentucky 57 65 0 to 122

Louisiana 95 84 11 to 179

Maine 0 227 0 to 227

Maryland 448 197 251 to 645

Massachusetts 525 214 311 to 739

Michigan 341 172 169 to 513

Minnesota 539 200 339 to 739

Mississippi 43 227 0 to 270

Missouri 96 84 12 to 180

Montana 54 63 0 to 117

Nebraska 104 88 16 to 192

Nevada 266 152 114 to 418

New Hampshire 14 227 0 to 241

New Jersey 822 267 555 to 1,089

New Mexico 0 227 0 to 227

New York 8,145 841 7,304 to 8,986

North Carolina 340 172 168 to 512

North Dakota 0 227 0 to 227

Ohio 405 173 232 to 578

Oklahoma 72 73 0 to 145

Oregon 336 171 165 to 507

Pennsylvania 764 238 526 to 1,002

Rhode Island 69 77 0 to 146

South Carolina 144 112 32 to 256

South Dakota 0 227 0 to 227

Tennessee 459 200 259 to 659

Texas 1,039 300 739 to 1,339

Utah 244 146 98 to 390

Vermont 0 227 0 to 227

Virginia 255 149 106 to 404

Washington 442 196 246 to 638

West Virginia 29 227 0 to 256

Wisconsin 247 135 112 to 382

Wyoming 0 227 0 to 227

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 65

Table 19

Announcers by state of residence with margin or error, 2000 

Announcers 2000 Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 55,392 2,194 53,198 to 57,586

Alabama 785 261 524 to 1,046

Alaska 270 141 129 to 411

Arizona 925 283 642 to 1,208

Arkansas 555 203 352 to 758

California 5,364 683 4,681 to 6,047

Colorado 902 280 622 to 1,182

Connecticut 751 236 515 to 987

Delaware 239 144 95 to 383

District of Columbia 140 110 30 to 250

Florida 4,037 592 3,445 to 4,629

Georgia 1,768 392 1,376 to 2,160

Hawaii 379 181 198 to 560

Idaho 392 170 222 to 562

Illinois 2,623 477 2,146 to 3,100

Indiana 1,254 330 924 to 1,584

Iowa 754 236 518 to 990

Kansas 548 201 347 to 749

Kentucky 823 247 576 to 1,070

Louisiana 1,103 286 817 to 1,389

Maine 279 144 135 to 423

Maryland 870 275 595 to 1,145

Massachusetts 881 277 604 to 1,158

Michigan 1,830 399 1,431 to 2,229

Minnesota 1,218 300 918 to 1,518

Mississippi 762 237 525 to 999

Missouri 1,038 277 761 to 1,315

Montana 316 153 163 to 469

Nebraska 328 156 172 to 484

Nevada 291 159 132 to 450

New Hampshire 243 134 109 to 377

New Jersey 1,231 327 904 to 1,558

New Mexico 439 195 244 to 634

New York 3,317 537 2,780 to 3,854

North Carolina 1,598 373 1,225 to 1,971

North Dakota 273 154 119 to 427

Ohio 1,767 362 1,405 to 2,129

Oklahoma 667 222 445 to 889

Oregon 885 277 608 to 1,162

Pennsylvania 2,235 407 1,828 to 2,642

Rhode Island 254 149 105 to 403

South Carolina 751 255 496 to 1,006

South Dakota 85 79 6 to 164

Tennessee 1,480 359 1,121 to 1,839

Texas 4,016 591 3,425 to 4,607

Utah 245 146 99 to 391

Vermont 254 137 117 to 391

Virginia 1,337 341 996 to 1,678

Washington 986 293 693 to 1,279

West Virginia 389 170 219 to 559

Wisconsin 1,330 314 1,016 to 1,644

Wyoming 185 117 68 to 302

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
66 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 20

Architects by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Architects 2000 Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 196,705 4,133 192,572 to 200,838

Alabama 1,699 384 1,315 to 2,083

Alaska 313 152 161 to 465

Arizona 3,430 546 2,884 to 3,976

Arkansas 633 216 417 to 849

California 29,617 1,603 28,014 to 31,220

Colorado 5,559 695 4,864 to 6,254

Connecticut 2,993 471 2,522 to 3,464

Delaware 433 194 239 to 627

District of Columbia 1,260 331 929 to 1,591

Florida 10,162 939 9,223 to 11,101

Georgia 6,064 726 5,338 to 6,790

Hawaii 1,005 295 710 to 1,300

Idaho 801 243 558 to 1,044

Illinois 9,898 927 8,971 to 10,825

Indiana 1,942 411 1,531 to 2,353

Iowa 1,248 304 944 to 1,552

Kansas 1,674 352 1,322 to 2,026

Kentucky 1,357 317 1,040 to 1,674

Louisiana 2,049 389 1,660 to 2,438

Maine 590 209 381 to 799

Maryland 4,704 639 4,065 to 5,343

Massachusetts 8,222 845 7,377 to 9,067

Michigan 4,339 614 3,725 to 4,953

Minnesota 4,218 559 3,659 to 4,777

Mississippi 528 198 330 to 726

Missouri 3,477 507 2,970 to 3,984

Montana 635 217 418 to 852

Nebraska 1,034 277 757 to 1,311

Nevada 1,259 331 928 to 1,590

New Hampshire 728 232 496 to 960

New Jersey 6,534 753 5,781 to 7,287

New Mexico 1,091 308 783 to 1,399

New York 18,195 1,257 16,938 to 19,452

North Carolina 4,055 593 3,462 to 4,648

North Dakota 244 146 98 to 390

Ohio 6,765 708 6,057 to 7,473

Oklahoma 1,535 337 1,198 to 1,872

Oregon 3,263 532 2,731 to 3,795

Pennsylvania 7,368 738 6,630 to 8,106

Rhode Island 755 256 499 to 1,011

South Carolina 1,991 416 1,575 to 2,407

South Dakota 208 124 84 to 332

Tennessee 2,969 508 2,461 to 3,477

Texas 12,294 1,033 11,261 to 13,327

Utah 1,427 352 1,075 to 1,779

Vermont 681 224 457 to 905

Virginia 5,815 711 5,104 to 6,526

Washington 6,611 757 5,854 to 7,368

West Virginia 326 155 171 to 481

Wisconsin 2,473 428 2,045 to 2,901

Wyoming 234 132 102 to 366

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 67

Table 21

Fine artists, art directors, and animators by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators 2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 233,661 4,504 229,157 to 238,165

Alabama 1,848 401 1,447 to 2,249

Alaska 668 222 446 to 890

Arizona 5,364 682 4,682 to 6,046

Arkansas 1,229 302 927 to 1,531

California 42,401 1,918 40,483 to 44,319

Colorado 4,208 604 3,604 to 4,812

Connecticut 3,489 508 2,981 to 3,997

Delaware 575 223 352 to 798

District of Columbia 383 182 201 to 565

Florida 12,469 1,040 11,429 to 13,509

Georgia 5,879 714 5,165 to 6,593

Hawaii 2,155 432 1,723 to 2,587

Idaho 745 235 510 to 980

Illinois 9,806 923 8,883 to 10,729

Indiana 3,253 532 2,721 to 3,785

Iowa 1,668 351 1,317 to 2,019

Kansas 1,985 383 1,602 to 2,368

Kentucky 1,689 354 1,335 to 2,043

Louisiana 2,054 390 1,664 to 2,444

Maine 1,825 367 1,458 to 2,192

Maryland 3,821 576 3,245 to 4,397

Massachusetts 6,074 726 5,348 to 6,800

Michigan 6,520 752 5,768 to 7,272

Minnesota 4,441 573 3,868 to 5,014

Mississippi 904 259 645 to 1,163

Missouri 3,952 541 3,411 to 4,493

Montana 987 270 717 to 1,257

Nebraska 797 243 554 to 1,040

Nevada 1,456 356 1,100 to 1,812

New Hampshire 1,072 282 790 to 1,354

New Jersey 7,758 821 6,937 to 8,579

New Mexico 2,946 506 2,440 to 3,452

New York 23,252 1,421 21,831 to 24,673

North Carolina 5,057 663 4,394 to 5,720

North Dakota 331 170 161 to 501

Ohio 6,834 711 6,123 to 7,545

Oklahoma 1,793 364 1,429 to 2,157

Oregon 3,463 548 2,915 to 4,011

Pennsylvania 8,632 799 7,833 to 9,431

Rhode Island 739 253 486 to 992

South Carolina 1,771 392 1,379 to 2,163

South Dakota 500 192 308 to 692

Tennessee 3,730 569 3,161 to 4,299

Texas 13,783 1,094 12,689 to 14,877

Utah 2,014 418 1,596 to 2,432

Vermont 987 270 717 to 1,257

Virginia 4,930 654 4,276 to 5,584

Washington 6,266 737 5,529 to 7,003

West Virginia 817 246 571 to 1,063

Wisconsin 4,000 544 3,456 to 4,544

Wyoming 341 159 182 to 500

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
68 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 22

Dancers and choreographers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Dancers and 

choreographers 

2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 26,129 1,507 24,622 to 27,636

Alabama 252 148 104 to 400

Alaska 161 109 52 to 270

Arizona 729 252 477 to 981

Arkansas 64 69 0 to 133

California 3,356 540 2,816 to 3,896

Colorado 544 217 327 to 761

Connecticut 47 227 0 to 274

Delaware 20 227 0 to 247

District of Columbia 64 75 0 to 139

Florida 2,340 451 1,889 to 2,791

Georgia 672 242 430 to 914

Hawaii 565 222 343 to 787

Idaho 94 83 11 to 177

Illinois 831 269 562 to 1,100

Indiana 591 227 364 to 818

Iowa 156 107 49 to 263

Kansas 155 107 48 to 262

Kentucky 271 142 129 to 413

Louisiana 224 129 95 to 353

Maine 179 115 64 to 294

Maryland 291 159 132 to 450

Massachusetts 369 179 190 to 548

Michigan 1,094 308 786 to 1,402

Minnesota 327 156 171 to 483

Mississippi 23 227 0 to 250

Missouri 589 209 380 to 798

Montana 0 227 0 to 227

Nebraska 266 140 126 to 406

Nevada 1,285 334 951 to 1,619

New Hampshire 66 70 0 to 136

New Jersey 482 205 277 to 687

New Mexico 172 122 50 to 294

New York 2,712 485 2,227 to 3,197

North Carolina 642 236 406 to 878

North Dakota 0 227 0 to 227

Ohio 841 250 591 to 1,091

Oklahoma 248 135 113 to 383

Oregon 271 153 118 to 424

Pennsylvania 733 233 500 to 966

Rhode Island 119 102 17 to 221

South Carolina 310 164 146 to 474

South Dakota 0 227 0 to 227

Tennessee 283 157 126 to 440

Texas 2,100 427 1,673 to 2,527

Utah 235 143 92 to 378

Vermont 10 227 0 to 237

Virginia 283 157 126 to 440

Washington 406 188 218 to 594

West Virginia 200 122 78 to 322

Wisconsin 457 184 273 to 641

Wyoming 0 227 0 to 227

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 69

Table 23

Designers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Designers 2000 Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 751,928 8,072 743,856 to 760,000

Alabama 8,011 834 7,177 to 8,845

Alaska 1,056 279 777 to 1,335

Arizona 11,228 987 10,241 to 12,215

Arkansas 4,061 548 3,513 to 4,609

California 113,943 3,141 110,802 to 117,084

Colorado 13,818 1,094 12,724 to 14,912

Connecticut 12,292 952 11,340 to 13,244

Delaware 1,691 383 1,308 to 2,074

District of Columbia 1,831 398 1,433 to 2,229

Florida 39,734 1,856 37,878 to 41,590

Georgia 19,390 1,296 18,094 to 20,686

Hawaii 3,044 514 2,530 to 3,558

Idaho 2,862 460 2,402 to 3,322

Illinois 34,326 1,725 32,601 to 36,051

Indiana 12,774 1,052 11,722 to 13,826

Iowa 7,138 726 6,412 to 7,864

Kansas 5,965 664 5,301 to 6,629

Kentucky 6,579 697 5,882 to 7,276

Louisiana 6,493 693 5,800 to 7,186

Maine 3,264 491 2,773 to 3,755

Maryland 14,338 1,115 13,223 to 15,453

Massachusetts 23,993 1,441 22,552 to 25,434

Michigan 32,901 1,688 31,213 to 34,589

Minnesota 15,787 1,079 14,708 to 16,866

Mississippi 4,034 546 3,488 to 4,580

Missouri 12,829 973 11,856 to 13,802

Montana 1,679 352 1,327 to 2,031

Nebraska 3,599 516 3,083 to 4,115

Nevada 4,999 658 4,341 to 5,657

New Hampshire 3,749 526 3,223 to 4,275

New Jersey 26,001 1,501 24,500 to 27,502

New Mexico 3,450 547 2,903 to 3,997

New York 65,690 2,385 63,305 to 68,075

North Carolina 18,673 1,272 17,401 to 19,945

North Dakota 1,251 329 922 to 1,580

Ohio 27,614 1,428 26,186 to 29,042

Oklahoma 5,209 621 4,588 to 5,830

Oregon 11,455 996 10,459 to 12,451

Pennsylvania 29,487 1,476 28,011 to 30,963

Rhode Island 3,701 566 3,135 to 4,267

South Carolina 7,004 779 6,225 to 7,783

South Dakota 1,148 291 857 to 1,439

Tennessee 12,298 1,033 11,265 to 13,331

Texas 47,080 2,020 45,060 to 49,100

Utah 6,021 722 5,299 to 6,743

Vermont 1,514 334 1,180 to 1,848

Virginia 18,792 1,276 17,516 to 20,068

Washington 18,762 1,275 17,487 to 20,037

West Virginia 2,383 420 1,963 to 2,803

Wisconsin 16,050 1,088 14,962 to 17,138

Wyoming 937 263 674 to 1,200

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
70 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 24

Entertainers and performers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Entertainers and 

performers, 2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 37,511 1,805 35,706 to 39,316

Alabama 242 145 97 to 387

Alaska 8 227 0 to 235

Arizona 913 282 631 to 1,195

Arkansas 118 93 25 to 211

California 6,839 771 6,068 to 7,610

Colorado 612 231 381 to 843

Connecticut 254 137 117 to 391

Delaware 0 227 0 to 227

District of Columbia 119 102 17 to 221

Florida 5,451 688 4,763 to 6,139

Georgia 848 271 577 to 1,119

Hawaii 303 162 141 to 465

Idaho 59 66 0 to 125

Illinois 1,170 319 851 to 1,489

Indiana 433 194 239 to 627

Iowa 188 118 70 to 306

Kansas 272 142 130 to 414

Kentucky 350 161 189 to 511

Louisiana 332 157 175 to 489

Maine 152 106 46 to 258

Maryland 431 194 237 to 625

Massachusetts 462 200 262 to 662

Michigan 994 294 700 to 1,288

Minnesota 409 174 235 to 583

Mississippi 155 107 48 to 262

Missouri 463 185 278 to 648

Montana 68 71 0 to 139

Nebraska 51 61 0 to 112

Nevada 1,505 361 1,144 to 1,866

New Hampshire 127 97 30 to 224

New Jersey 1,109 310 799 to 1,419

New Mexico 99 93 6 to 192

New York 3,130 521 2,609 to 3,651

North Carolina 917 282 635 to 1,199

North Dakota 35 227 0 to 262

Ohio 974 269 705 to 1,243

Oklahoma 195 120 75 to 315

Oregon 397 186 211 to 583

Pennsylvania 1,025 275 750 to 1,300

Rhode Island 88 87 1 to 175

South Carolina 411 189 222 to 600

South Dakota 60 67 0 to 127

Tennessee 863 274 589 to 1,137

Texas 2,576 473 2,103 to 3,049

Utah 193 129 64 to 322

Vermont 69 71 0 to 140

Virginia 731 252 479 to 983

Washington 872 275 597 to 1,147

West Virginia 40 227 0 to 267

Wisconsin 399 172 227 to 571

Wyoming 0 227 0 to 227

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 71

Table 25

Musicians and singers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Musicians and 

singers 2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 163,453 3,768 159,685 to 167,221

Alabama 2,183 435 1,748 to 2,618

Alaska 174 113 61 to 287

Arizona 2,894 501 2,393 to 3,395

Arkansas 1,272 307 965 to 1,579

California 24,498 1,458 23,040 to 25,956

Colorado 2,418 458 1,960 to 2,876

Connecticut 2,274 410 1,864 to 2,684

Delaware 321 167 154 to 488

District of Columbia 618 232 386 to 850

Florida 10,927 974 9,953 to 11,901

Georgia 5,325 680 4,645 to 6,005

Hawaii 1,115 311 804 to 1,426

Idaho 490 190 300 to 680

Illinois 6,180 733 5,447 to 6,913

Indiana 2,883 500 2,383 to 3,383

Iowa 1,129 289 840 to 1,418

Kansas 1,154 292 862 to 1,446

Kentucky 1,222 301 921 to 1,523

Louisiana 2,593 438 2,155 to 3,031

Maine 607 212 395 to 819

Maryland 3,745 570 3,175 to 4,315

Massachusetts 4,302 611 3,691 to 4,913

Michigan 4,728 641 4,087 to 5,369

Minnesota 3,427 504 2,923 to 3,931

Mississippi 1,160 293 867 to 1,453

Missouri 3,008 472 2,536 to 3,480

Montana 351 161 190 to 512

Nebraska 541 200 341 to 741

Nevada 1,491 360 1,131 to 1,851

New Hampshire 521 196 325 to 717

New Jersey 5,390 684 4,706 to 6,074

New Mexico 748 255 493 to 1,003

New York 15,388 1,156 14,232 to 16,544

North Carolina 3,318 537 2,781 to 3,855

North Dakota 210 135 75 to 345

Ohio 4,743 592 4,151 to 5,335

Oklahoma 1,329 314 1,015 to 1,643

Oregon 1,778 393 1,385 to 2,171

Pennsylvania 5,902 661 5,241 to 6,563

Rhode Island 422 191 231 to 613

South Carolina 2,513 467 2,046 to 2,980

South Dakota 279 144 135 to 423

Tennessee 6,087 727 5,360 to 6,814

Texas 10,939 975 9,964 to 11,914

Utah 791 262 529 to 1,053

Vermont 262 139 123 to 401

Virginia 3,398 543 2,855 to 3,941

Washington 3,366 541 2,825 to 3,907

West Virginia 515 195 320 to 710

Wisconsin 2,441 425 2,016 to 2,866

Wyoming 83 78 5 to 161

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
72 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 26

Photographers by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Photographers 

2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 122,350 3,260 119,090 to 125,610

Alabama 1,336 341 995 to 1,677

Alaska 225 129 96 to 354

Arizona 1,908 407 1,501 to 2,315

Arkansas 853 251 602 to 1,104

California 20,178 1,324 18,854 to 21,502

Colorado 2,050 422 1,628 to 2,472

Connecticut 1,759 361 1,398 to 2,120

Delaware 171 122 49 to 293

District of Columbia 581 225 356 to 806

Florida 6,849 771 6,078 to 7,620

Georgia 3,564 556 3,008 to 4,120

Hawaii 659 239 420 to 898

Idaho 512 195 317 to 707

Illinois 5,843 712 5,131 to 6,555

Indiana 2,113 428 1,685 to 2,541

Iowa 1,385 320 1,065 to 1,705

Kansas 982 270 712 to 1,252

Kentucky 1,112 287 825 to 1,399

Louisiana 1,354 317 1,037 to 1,671

Maine 462 185 277 to 647

Maryland 2,968 508 2,460 to 3,476

Massachusetts 2,533 469 2,064 to 3,002

Michigan 3,752 571 3,181 to 4,323

Minnesota 2,051 390 1,661 to 2,441

Mississippi 878 255 623 to 1,133

Missouri 2,306 413 1,893 to 2,719

Montana 439 180 259 to 619

Nebraska 543 200 343 to 743

Nevada 1,007 296 711 to 1,303

New Hampshire 528 198 330 to 726

New Jersey 2,897 502 2,395 to 3,399

New Mexico 879 276 603 to 1,155

New York 11,329 992 10,337 to 12,321

North Carolina 2,624 477 2,147 to 3,101

North Dakota 108 97 11 to 205

Ohio 3,868 535 3,333 to 4,403

Oklahoma 1,005 273 732 to 1,278

Oregon 1,575 370 1,205 to 1,945

Pennsylvania 4,757 593 4,164 to 5,350

Rhode Island 789 262 527 to 1,051

South Carolina 1,229 327 902 to 1,556

South Dakota 390 170 220 to 560

Tennessee 2,338 451 1,887 to 2,789

Texas 7,740 820 6,920 to 8,560

Utah 604 229 375 to 833

Vermont 188 118 70 to 306

Virginia 3,280 534 2,746 to 3,814

Washington 2,718 486 2,232 to 3,204

West Virginia 671 223 448 to 894

Wisconsin 2,286 411 1,875 to 2,697

Wyoming 174 113 61 to 287

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 73

Table 27

Producers and directors by state of residence with margin of error, 2000

Producers and 

directors 2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 140,889 3,498 137,391 to 144,387

Alabama 982 292 690 to 1,274

Alaska 85 79 6 to 164

Arizona 1,212 324 888 to 1,536

Arkansas 494 191 303 to 685

California 34,523 1,731 32,792 to 36,254

Colorado 2,234 440 1,794 to 2,674

Connecticut 2,387 420 1,967 to 2,807

Delaware 262 151 111 to 413

District of Columbia 1,512 362 1,150 to 1,874

Florida 8,152 841 7,311 to 8,993

Georgia 3,317 537 2,780 to 3,854

Hawaii 651 238 413 to 889

Idaho 138 101 37 to 239

Illinois 4,995 659 4,336 to 5,654

Indiana 1,714 386 1,328 to 2,100

Iowa 966 267 699 to 1,233

Kansas 739 234 505 to 973

Kentucky 878 255 623 to 1,133

Louisiana 1,121 288 833 to 1,409

Maine 464 185 279 to 649

Maryland 3,612 560 3,052 to 4,172

Massachusetts 3,718 568 3,150 to 4,286

Michigan 2,527 469 2,058 to 2,996

Minnesota 2,491 429 2,062 to 2,920

Mississippi 668 222 446 to 890

Missouri 1,585 343 1,242 to 1,928

Montana 242 134 108 to 376

Nebraska 582 208 374 to 790

Nevada 700 247 453 to 947

New Hampshire 286 145 141 to 431

New Jersey 4,559 629 3,930 to 5,188

New Mexico 517 212 305 to 729

New York 20,548 1,335 19,213 to 21,883

North Carolina 2,440 460 1,980 to 2,900

North Dakota 271 153 118 to 424

Ohio 2,974 469 2,505 to 3,443

Oklahoma 953 266 687 to 1,219

Oregon 1,542 366 1,176 to 1,908

Pennsylvania 3,625 518 3,107 to 4,143

Rhode Island 420 191 229 to 611

South Carolina 1,193 322 871 to 1,515

South Dakota 180 115 65 to 295

Tennessee 2,729 487 2,242 to 3,216

Texas 6,471 750 5,721 to 7,221

Utah 1,054 303 751 to 1,357

Vermont 181 116 65 to 297

Virginia 3,025 513 2,512 to 3,538

Washington 2,673 482 2,191 to 3,155

West Virginia 271 142 129 to 413

Wisconsin 1,924 377 1,547 to 2,301

Wyoming 102 87 15 to 189

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
74 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 28

Writers and authors by state of residence with margin of error, 2000 

Writers and 

authors 2000

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 163,690 3,770 159,920 to 167,460

Alabama 921 283 638 to 1,204

Alaska 403 173 230 to 576

Arizona 2,499 466 2,033 to 2,965

Arkansas 545 201 344 to 746

California 31,622 1,657 29,965 to 33,279

Colorado 3,218 529 2,689 to 3,747

Connecticut 2,802 455 2,347 to 3,257

Delaware 299 161 138 to 460

District of Columbia 1,791 394 1,397 to 2,185

Florida 6,292 739 5,553 to 7,031

Georgia 3,573 557 3,016 to 4,130

Hawaii 675 242 433 to 917

Idaho 672 223 449 to 895

Illinois 7,428 803 6,625 to 8,231

Indiana 2,209 438 1,771 to 2,647

Iowa 964 267 697 to 1,231

Kansas 793 242 551 to 1,035

Kentucky 954 266 688 to 1,220

Louisiana 965 267 698 to 1,232

Maine 1,146 291 855 to 1,437

Maryland 3,785 573 3,212 to 4,358

Massachusetts 6,263 737 5,526 to 7,000

Michigan 3,770 572 3,198 to 4,342

Minnesota 3,492 508 2,984 to 4,000

Mississippi 568 205 363 to 773

Missouri 2,172 401 1,771 to 2,573

Montana 680 224 456 to 904

Nebraska 908 259 649 to 1,167

Nevada 769 258 511 to 1,027

New Hampshire 957 266 691 to 1,223

New Jersey 5,059 663 4,396 to 5,722

New Mexico 1,086 307 779 to 1,393

New York 21,643 1,371 20,272 to 23,014

North Carolina 3,341 539 2,802 to 3,880

North Dakota 312 165 147 to 477

Ohio 4,653 587 4,066 to 5,240

Oklahoma 1,020 275 745 to 1,295

Oregon 3,117 520 2,597 to 3,637

Pennsylvania 5,791 655 5,136 to 6,446

Rhode Island 884 277 607 to 1,161

South Carolina 1,356 343 1,013 to 1,699

South Dakota 151 106 45 to 257

Tennessee 1,998 417 1,581 to 2,415

Texas 6,906 775 6,131 to 7,681

Utah 788 262 526 to 1,050

Vermont 640 218 422 to 858

Virginia 5,093 665 4,428 to 5,758

Washington 3,946 585 3,361 to 4,531

West Virginia 318 153 165 to 471

Wisconsin 2,328 415 1,913 to 2,743

Wyoming 125 96 29 to 221

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample. 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 75

Table 29

 All artists by state of residence with margin of error, 2003-2005 

Total artists, 

2003-2005

Margin of error +/- 

(90% confidence) Low end of range High end of range

United States 1,999,474 26,279 1,973,195 to 2,025,753

Alabama 18,632 2,540 16,092 to 21,172

Alaska 3,405 950 2,455 to 4,355

Arizona 29,906 3,217 26,689 to 33,122

Arkansas 10,869 1,819 9,050 to 12,688

California 352,424 11,016 341,409 to 363,440

Colorado 38,900 3,662 35,237 to 42,562

Connecticut 29,861 3,208 26,652 to 33,069

Delaware 4,231 1,210 3,021 to 5,441

District of Columbia 9,925 1,840 8,085 to 11,765

Florida 116,937 6,356 110,582 to 123,293

Georgia 53,737 4,310 49,427 to 58,046

Hawaii 10,321 1,887 8,434 to 12,207

Idaho 7,557 1,516 6,041 to 9,073

Illinois 79,932 5,256 74,676 to 85,187

Indiana 29,537 3,197 26,340 to 32,734

Iowa 14,413 1,815 12,599 to 16,228

Kansas 16,280 2,076 14,205 to 18,356

Kentucky 17,395 2,454 14,941 to 19,850

Louisiana 21,137 2,705 18,432 to 23,842

Maine 9,425 1,578 7,846 to 11,003

Maryland 38,745 3,658 35,087 to 42,403

Massachusetts 54,852 4,349 50,504 to 59,201

Michigan 60,052 3,987 56,066 to 64,039

Minnesota 39,631 3,005 36,627 to 42,636

Mississippi 10,200 1,880 8,320 to 12,081

Missouri 36,367 3,545 32,822 to 39,912

Montana 5,285 1,183 4,102 to 6,468

Nebraska 8,610 1,402 7,207 to 10,012

Nevada 16,684 2,400 14,284 to 19,084

New Hampshire 8,013 1,560 6,453 to 9,573

New Jersey 65,037 4,738 60,299 to 69,775

New Mexico 13,847 2,186 11,661 to 16,034

New York 212,025 8,539 203,486 to 220,564

North Carolina 42,400 3,830 38,570 to 46,230

North Dakota 2,505 699 1,806 to 3,203

Ohio 60,032 4,272 55,760 to 64,304

Oklahoma 14,378 2,092 12,286 to 16,470

Oregon 28,671 3,145 25,526 to 31,816

Pennsylvania 64,924 4,443 60,481 to 69,367

Rhode Island 7,770 1,638 6,133 to 9,408

South Carolina 19,118 2,573 16,546 to 21,691

South Dakota 3,800 1,147 2,654 to 4,947

Tennessee 33,579 3,408 30,172 to 36,987

Texas 120,916 6,467 114,449 to 127,384

Utah 16,534 2,390 14,144 to 18,923

Vermont 5,124 997 4,127 to 6,121

Virginia 48,310 4,085 44,225 to 52,396

Washington 45,157 3,948 41,209 to 49,105

West Virginia 6,388 1,488 4,900 to 7,876

Wisconsin 33,030 2,745 30,285 to 35,776

Wyoming 2,663 840 1,823 to 3,503

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
76 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 30

Labor force, professionals, and artists by state of residence, by gender and 

minority status, 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% sample.

Civilian Labor Force All Professionals All Artists

Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority

United States 137,678,709 46.8 27.2 26,835,799 55.8 21.4 1,930,762 45.7 17.4

Alabama 2,043,047 46.7 25.9 362,015 59.1 20.1 18,485 51.0 13.7

Alaska 310,011 45.9 26.7 61,659 56.2 19.2 3,363 51.4 20.7

Arizona 2,374,703 45.4 31.3 443,073 52.5 21.0 31,490 45.3 16.8

Arkansas 1,257,059 46.7 18.7 196,998 62.1 14.0 9,917 46.6 6.8

California 15,839,026 45.4 48.3 3,246,042 50.9 36.2 330,594 42.3 28.1

Colorado 2,296,743 45.6 21.6 484,369 50.8 13.9 35,750 47.9 11.5

Connecticut 1,754,599 47.6 19.7 396,156 55.6 14.6 29,278 46.7 8.1

Delaware 395,627 47.9 25.1 79,766 55.9 21.7 4,051 49.1 12.3

District of Columbia 295,352 51.4 63.2 87,482 50.9 41.9 8,317 45.4 30.5

Florida 7,407,007 47.0 33.4 1,331,445 56.7 26.6 107,986 44.0 22.9

Georgia 4,070,069 46.7 34.2 734,850 57.6 26.3 50,865 46.5 17.4

Hawaii 571,183 48.3 75.8 108,269 55.7 63.8 10,551 42.2 59.2

Idaho 636,773 44.9 10.2 111,849 54.3 6.3 6,884 48.1 3.9

Illinois 6,202,326 46.8 27.8 1,197,213 56.2 22.3 83,846 45.7 15.3

Indiana 3,113,723 46.5 12.4 518,199 58.0 10.5 29,274 50.2 9.0

Iowa 1,555,160 47.3 5.9 268,976 59.0 5.3 15,721 51.9 5.8

Kansas 1,371,129 46.6 14.4 268,052 58.2 10.9 14,348 46.7 10.0

Kentucky 1,901,766 46.8 9.7 316,469 61.2 7.8 15,292 48.5 4.9

Louisiana 2,001,196 47.4 32.8 364,039 59.9 24.2 18,383 43.2 16.7

Maine 660,847 48.1 3.1 127,153 60.7 3.1 8,976 53.0 3.3

Maryland 2,740,786 49.0 35.8 674,158 54.1 31.1 39,013 47.3 22.5

Massachusetts 3,311,751 48.2 15.3 821,571 55.4 13.8 57,342 48.4 9.5

Michigan 4,917,572 46.8 18.4 916,368 54.5 16.2 62,796 42.7 10.9

Minnesota 2,684,375 47.5 9.2 548,683 56.9 8.0 38,400 46.6 6.2

Mississippi 1,262,941 47.9 34.4 205,859 63.3 24.7 9,723 49.7 15.8

Missouri 2,809,449 47.6 14.2 506,609 58.5 12.7 31,515 45.9 8.8

Montana 455,084 46.8 8.3 80,211 56.4 7.5 5,451 43.5 3.7

Nebraska 908,559 47.6 10.2 159,372 60.2 7.1 8,753 54.7 4.8

Nevada 993,798 45.0 30.7 133,939 54.9 19.3 15,028 46.8 19.4

New Hampshire 677,906 47.0 4.5 144,569 55.6 4.7 8,291 49.6 2.3

New Jersey 4,187,819 47.0 31.7 907,214 55.2 26.9 61,842 46.2 20.8

New Mexico 822,217 46.7 50.0 171,217 54.9 34.9 11,427 53.2 31.7

New York 9,036,572 47.7 34.1 2,010,763 56.9 25.8 193,349 45.5 21.4

North Carolina 4,041,907 47.3 26.9 736,107 59.5 19.7 43,005 49.3 11.8

North Dakota 333,041 47.5 6.2 56,706 62.4 5.6 3,035 49.1 4.7

Ohio 5,680,706 47.3 13.7 1,020,148 56.9 12.3 61,438 46.0 8.0

Oklahoma 1,634,255 46.0 22.7 287,555 57.1 18.7 14,026 47.2 15.6

Oregon 1,741,064 45.7 14.8 328,042 53.7 10.8 28,082 46.4 9.8

Pennsylvania 5,995,250 47.1 13.3 1,178,690 56.7 12.0 70,319 46.5 8.4

Rhode Island 530,293 48.3 14.4 110,090 57.9 9.7 8,240 50.8 9.1

South Carolina 1,948,505 48.0 30.2 335,871 60.2 20.1 18,673 49.7 11.4

South Dakota 387,918 47.6 8.4 64,045 61.4 6.5 3,001 60.6 5.5

Tennessee 2,804,346 46.6 18.6 482,035 58.6 15.3 35,234 42.6 7.7

Texas 9,831,049 45.3 42.4 1,866,382 55.0 30.9 114,944 44.2 25.8

Utah 1,100,151 44.8 13.4 204,574 50.7 7.9 13,616 46.1 6.3

Vermont 331,345 48.4 3.4 72,749 59.6 4.0 4,786 50.0 0.9

Virginia 3,562,712 48.0 27.4 792,983 54.5 21.5 46,939 48.7 16.3

Washington 2,979,722 46.4 18.9 615,164 52.5 15.1 47,048 46.7 12.6

West Virginia 789,601 45.4 4.9 141,448 60.4 5.7 5,959 48.4 5.6

Wisconsin 2,865,051 47.5 9.6 514,732 58.3 7.4 33,935 49.5 4.5

Wyoming 255,618 46.0 9.6 43,871 59.1 7.3 2,181 62.0 3.8
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 77

Table 31 

Labor force, professionals, and artists by state of residence, by gender and 

minority status, 2003-2005 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples: 2003, 2004, 2005

Civilian Labor Force All Professionals All ARTISTs

Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority

United States 144,898,471 46.4 30.4 28,415,796 56.1 24.0 1,999,474 45.9 19.9

Alabama 2,132,786 47.1 28.2 396,597 59.5 22.2 18,632 49.4 13.1

Alaska 335,143 46.5 28.5 66,313 55.5 17.9 3,405 56.7 16.5

Arizona 2,698,501 44.6 36.1 504,569 54.1 23.7 29,906 45.3 20.6

Arkansas 1,308,576 46.5 21.1 213,787 60.6 15.8 10,869 44.4 20.2

California 17,188,643 44.6 52.8 3,484,113 50.8 39.9 352,424 42.6 29.9

Colorado 2,449,444 45.5 24.8 514,667 51.2 15.9 38,900 44.1 13.8

Connecticut 1,802,459 47.6 22.7 411,519 56.6 18.2 29,861 53.9 9.3

Delaware 423,782 48.3 27.8 88,319 56.4 24.0 4,231 35.9 14.2

District of Columbia 284,271 50.1 63.6 90,484 53.1 43.9 9,925 48.0 34.0

Florida 8,260,138 46.5 37.9 1,464,126 56.1 30.7 116,937 43.3 28.5

Georgia 4,414,826 46.3 37.8 795,489 58.4 30.1 53,737 47.2 21.4

Hawaii 612,514 47.7 75.4 117,846 56.2 66.4 10,321 43.0 59.7

Idaho 687,631 45.0 12.2 126,992 53.7 7.9 7,557 48.5 7.2

Illinois 6,390,213 46.3 30.7 1,222,034 57.0 24.8 79,932 46.6 17.2

Indiana 3,114,060 46.5 13.9 528,318 58.9 11.2 29,537 49.2 8.4

Iowa 1,566,880 47.3 7.0 284,276 61.5 6.2 14,413 59.5 4.6

Kansas 1,428,388 47.0 15.8 285,995 58.6 13.0 16,280 53.7 5.1

Kentucky 1,939,849 46.8 10.5 331,360 61.2 8.8 17,395 46.6 4.2

Louisiana 2,076,834 47.3 35.1 391,763 60.5 27.7 21,137 46.3 22.3

Maine 690,258 48.3 3.2 133,643 61.1 2.7 9,425 48.2 4.7

Maryland 2,901,577 48.8 39.1 713,010 56.2 33.9 38,745 54.1 27.2

Massachusetts 3,333,843 47.6 18.0 830,600 56.4 16.0 54,852 49.1 6.8

Michigan 4,991,642 46.9 19.5 955,365 54.6 17.9 60,052 42.9 9.1

Minnesota 2,779,920 47.1 11.4 585,784 57.2 10.9 39,631 49.3 8.6

Mississippi 1,335,909 47.9 36.7 217,869 64.0 27.5 10,200 55.7 22.6

Missouri 2,903,743 47.3 15.2 536,706 59.3 13.6 36,367 47.4 8.2

Montana 481,323 47.0 8.7 91,056 58.3 7.6 5,285 49.4 10.6

Nebraska 932,803 47.6 12.3 163,345 61.7 8.4 8,610 59.7 3.3

Nevada 1,174,972 44.3 36.5 161,541 53.3 22.1 16,684 33.9 26.0

New Hampshire 709,559 46.9 5.2 152,922 56.5 6.6 8,013 56.2 5.5

New Jersey 4,376,032 46.7 35.4 964,941 55.1 30.5 65,037 42.9 23.9

New Mexico 898,404 47.0 54.2 192,461 54.8 38.3 13,847 38.9 20.1

New York 9,287,372 47.2 36.8 2,078,110 56.8 28.7 212,025 45.8 25.1

North Carolina 4,198,209 47.3 29.5 772,076 60.7 22.5 42,400 45.8 19.0

North Dakota 341,878 46.9 7.4 61,654 60.0 7.8 2,505 50.5 1.7

Ohio 5,724,382 47.6 14.8 1,039,393 59.1 13.7 60,032 46.3 8.5

Oklahoma 1,664,513 46.0 24.7 296,726 58.4 20.6 14,378 48.3 17.9

Oregon 1,811,496 45.6 16.8 352,323 52.0 12.6 28,671 39.9 13.1

Pennsylvania 6,049,770 47.1 14.6 1,214,185 57.5 13.8 64,924 47.6 10.0

Rhode Island 551,879 48.5 17.3 117,351 59.5 10.5 7,770 50.2 8.1

South Carolina 2,023,551 47.5 32.3 355,436 60.7 21.8 19,118 54.2 11.0

South Dakota 404,705 47.9 6.5 65,384 63.4 5.6 3,800 49.1 9.6

Tennessee 2,925,864 46.8 20.8 517,574 58.4 16.2 33,579 40.2 10.7

Texas 10,831,252 44.8 47.1 2,016,013 55.1 34.5 120,916 44.2 31.1

Utah 1,190,078 43.9 15.2 225,734 51.3 9.3 16,534 38.8 7.0

Vermont 343,144 47.6 3.3 74,521 60.1 4.4 5,124 49.6 1.5

Virginia 3,765,005 47.4 30.0 836,542 54.4 23.3 48,310 52.0 18.4

Washington 3,150,620 46.1 21.1 648,103 51.9 16.5 45,157 51.2 11.9

West Virginia 795,354 46.0 5.0 141,826 59.9 5.4 6,388 53.5 3.3

Wisconsin 2,939,402 47.2 11.6 536,789 58.8 9.8 33,030 50.3 5.0

Wyoming 275,075 46.0 10.7 48,246 60.0 8.2 2,663 51.6 9.5
78 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 32

Labor force, professionals, and artists by region and sub-region of residence, 

by gender and minority status, 2003-2005

Civilian Labor Force All Professionals All Artists

Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority Number Percent 

female

Percent 

minority

United States 144,898,471 46.4 30.4 28,415,796 56.1 24.0 1,999,474 45.9 19.9

Northeast 27,144,315 47.2 25.9 5,977,794 56.8 21.7 457,031 46.9 18.3

New England 7,431,142 47.7 15.8 1,720,557 57.2 13.8 115,045 50.9 7.0

Middle Atlantic 19,713,174 47.0 29.7 4,257,237 56.6 24.9 341,986 45.6 22.0

Midwest 33,518,015 47.0 17.4 6,265,043 58.0 15.0 384,190 48.0 9.6

East North Central 23,159,699 46.9 19.7 4,281,899 57.5 17.0 262,583 46.4 10.8

West North Central 10,358,316 47.2 12.2 1,983,144 59.2 10.8 121,607 51.3 7.1

South 51,282,297 46.5 34.5 9,638,994 57.5 27.0 586,899 46.5 23.0

South Atlantic 27,066,713 47.1 34.3 5,257,306 57.2 27.5 339,792 47.5 23.1

East South Central 8,334,408 47.0 22.8 1,463,399 60.2 17.8 79,807 45.7 11.4

West South Central 15,881,176 45.4 41.0 2,918,288 56.5 30.8 167,300 44.8 28.2

West 32,953,844 45.0 40.8 6,533,965 51.8 30.4 571,353 43.2 24.9

Mountain 9,855,427 45.1 28.7 1,865,266 53.3 18.9 131,375 42.5 16.1

Pacific 23,098,417 45.0 45.9 4,668,698 51.2 35.0 439,978 43.4 27.6

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 79

Table 33

Regional distribution of artists in the United states, 1990 to 2003-2005

Civilian 

labor force Artists

Percent change Percent artists 

in labor force 

of region

Percent of US 

artists in region

Percent of US 

labor force 

in region Labor 

force Artists

United States

2003-2005 144,898,471 1,999,474 5.3 3.7 1.38 100.0 100.0

2000 137,668,735 1,927,400 11.5 11.6 1.40 100.0 100.0

1990 123,473,450 1,727,507 NA NA 1.40 100.0 100.0

Northeast

2003-2005 27,144,315 457,031 2.5 4.0 1.68 22.9 18.7

2000 26,471,574 439,400 2.0 3.6 1.66 22.8 19.2

1990 25,956,522 424,218 NA NA 1.63 24.6 21.0

Midwest

2003-2005 33,518,015 384,190 2.0 -0.5 1.15 19.2 23.1

2000 32,861,324 386,304 10.1 8.7 1.18 20.0 23.9

1990 29,839,257 355,416 NA NA 1.19 20.6 24.2

South

2003-2005 51,282,297 586,899 6.9 5.5 1.14 29.4 35.4

2000 47,969,612 556,065 15.9 13.1 1.16 28.9 34.8

1990 41,386,889 491,579 NA NA 1.19 28.5 33.5

West

2003-2005 32,953,844 571,353 8.5 4.7 1.73 28.6 22.7

2000 30,366,362 545,620 15.5 19.6 1.80 28.3 22.1

1990 26,290,782 456,294 NA NA 1.74 26.4 21.3

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
80 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 34

Artists by geographic region and sub-region of the United States, 

1990 to 2003-2005 

Total Civilian Labor Force All ARTISTS

2003-2005 2000 1990

Percent 

change 

2000 to 

2003-

2005

Percent 

change 

1990 to 

2000

2003-2005 2000 1990

Percent 

change 

2000 to 

2003-

2005

Percent 

change 

1990 to 

2000

United States 144,898,471 137,668,735 123,473,450 5.3 11.5 1,999,474 1,927,400 1,727,507 3.7 11.6

Northeast 27,144,315 26,471,574 25,956,522 2.5 2.0 457,031 439,400 424,218 4.0 3.6

New England 7,431,142 7,262,449 7,082,901 2.3 2.5 115,045 116,355 110,137 -1.1 5.6

Middle Atlantic 19,713,174 19,209,125 18,873,621 2.6 1.8 341,986 323,045 314,081 5.9 2.9

Midwest 33,518,015 32,861,324 29,839,257 2.0 10.1 384,190 386,304 355,416 -0.5 8.7

East North Central 23,159,699 22,803,018 20,929,615 1.6 9.0 262,583 270,440 252,698 -2.9 7.0

West North Central 10,358,316 10,058,306 8,909,642 3.0 12.9 121,607 115,864 102,718 5.0 12.8

South 51,282,297 47,969,612 41,386,889 6.9 15.9 586,899 556,065 491,579 5.5 13.1

South Atlantic 27,066,713 25,232,289 21,727,250 7.3 16.1 339,792 319,610 280,098 6.3 14.1

East South Central 8,334,408 8,027,035 7,087,257 3.8 13.3 79,807 78,825 71,250 1.2 10.6

West South Central 15,881,176 14,710,288 12,572,382 8.0 17.0 167,300 157,630 140,231 6.1 12.4

West 32,953,844 30,366,362 26,290,782 8.5 15.5 571,353 545,620 456,294 4.7 19.6

Mountain 9,855,427 8,933,761 6,640,338 10.3 34.5 131,375 127,135 95,747 3.3 32.8

Pacific 23,098,417 21,432,601 19,650,444 7.8 9.1 439,978 418,485 360,547 5.1 16.1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American Community Survey, 

Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 81

Table 35 

Distribution of artists in the United States by region and sub-region, 1990, 2000, 

and 2003-2005

2003–2005

Total civilian labor 

force 2003-2005 

Total artists 

2003-2005 

Artists as a percent 

of the region's total 

labor force

Percent of U.S. artists 

in region

Percent of U.S. labor 

force in region

United States 144,898,471 1,999,474 1.38 100.0 100.0

Northeast 27,144,315 457,031 1.68 22.9 18.7

New England 7,431,142 115,045 1.55 5.8 5.1

Middle Atlantic 19,713,174 341,986 1.73 17.1 13.6

Midwest 33,518,015 384,190 1.15 19.2 23.1

East North Central 23,159,699 262,583 1.13 13.1 16.0

West North Central 10,358,316 121,607 1.17 6.1 7.1

South 51,282,297 586,899 1.14 29.4 35.4

South Atlantic 27,066,713 339,792 1.26 17.0 18.7

East South Central 8,334,408 79,807 0.96 4.0 5.8

West South Central 15,881,176 167,300 1.05 8.4 11.0

West 32,953,844 571,353 1.73 28.6 22.7

Mountain 9,855,427 131,375 1.33 6.6 6.8

Pacific 23,098,417 439,978 1.90 22.0 15.9

2000

Total civilian labor 

force 2000 Total artists 2000

Artists as a percent 

of the region's total 

labor force

Percent of U.S. artists 

in region

Percent of U.S. labor 

force in region

United States 137,668,735 1,927,400 1.40 100.0 100.0

Northeast 26,471,574 439,400 1.66 22.8 19.2

New England 7,262,449 116,355 1.60 6.0 5.3

Middle Atlantic 19,209,125 323,045 1.68 16.8 14.0

Midwest 32,861,324 386,304 1.18 20.0 23.9

East North Central 22,803,018 270,440 1.19 14.0 16.6

West North Central 10,058,306 115,864 1.15 6.0 7.3

South 47,969,612 556,065 1.16 28.9 34.8

South Atlantic 25,232,289 319,610 1.27 16.6 18.3

East South Central 8,027,035 78,825 0.98 4.1 5.8

West South Central 14,710,288 157,630 1.07 8.2 10.7

West 30,366,362 545,620 1.80 28.3 22.1

Mountain 8,933,761 127,135 1.42 6.6 6.5

Pacific 21,432,601 418,485 1.95 21.7 15.6

1990

Total civilian labor 

force 1990 Total artists 1990

Artists as a percent 

of the region's total 

labor force

Percent of U.S. artists 

in region

Percent of U.S. labor 

force in region

United States 123,473,450 1,727,507 1.40 100.0 100.0

Northeast 25,956,522 424,218 1.63 24.6 21.0

New England 7,082,901 110,137 1.55 6.4 5.7

Middle Atlantic 18,873,621 314,081 1.66 18.2 15.3

Midwest 29,839,257 355,416 1.19 20.6 24.2

East North Central 20,929,615 252,698 1.21 14.6 17.0

West North Central 8,909,642 102,718 1.15 5.9 7.2

South 41,386,889 491,579 1.19 28.5 33.5

South Atlantic 21,727,250 280,098 1.29 16.2 17.6

East South Central 7,087,257 71,250 1.01 4.1 5.7

West South Central 12,572,382 140,231 1.12 8.1 10.2

West 26,290,782 456,294 1.74 26.4 21.3

Mountain 6,640,338 95,747 1.44 5.5 5.4

Pacific 19,650,444 360,547 1.83 20.9 15.9

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
82 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 36

Artists by region for the United States, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

United States

Total artists 1,999,474 100.0 1,927,400 100.0 1,727,507 100.0

Actors 39,717 2.0 38,605 2.0 35,916 2.1

Announcers 55,817 2.8 54,855 2.8 68,590 4.0

Architects 198,498 9.9 192,860 10.0 167,151 9.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 10.9 231,690 12.0 278,516 16.1

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 1.3 26,915 1.4 21,771 1.3

Designers 779,359 39.0 749,335 38.9 619,328 35.9

Entertainers and performers 41,128 2.1 37,590 2.0 16,929 1.0

Musicians and singers 169,647 8.5 170,015 8.8 148,162 8.6

Photographers 147,389 7.4 124,045 6.4 117,084 6.8

Producers and directors 139,996 7.0 139,335 7.2 120,609 7.0

Writers and authors 185,276 9.3 162,155 8.4 133,471 7.7

Northeast

Total artists 457,031 100.0 439,400 100.0 424,218 100.0

Actors 10,995 2.4 10,575 2.4 10,239 2.4

Announcers 9,419 2.1 9,155 2.1 12,245 2.9

Architects 45,000 9.8 45,185 10.3 41,868 9.9

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 54,158 11.8 53,485 12.2 67,949 16.0

Dancers and choreographers 4,076 0.9 4,585 1.0 4,993 1.2

Designers 171,468 37.5 168,570 38.4 153,456 36.2

Entertainers and performers 6,992 1.5 6,125 1.4 3,881 0.9

Musicians and singers 37,740 8.3 36,695 8.4 33,215 7.8

Photographers 32,242 7.1 25,720 5.9 27,978 6.6

Producers and directors 35,879 7.9 35,560 8.1 31,392 7.4

Writers and authors 49,062 10.7 43,745 10.0 37,002 8.7

Midwest

Total artists 384,190 100.0 386,304 100.0 355,416 100.0

Actors 3,322 0.9 2,934 0.8 5,030 1.4

Announcers 12,766 3.3 13,210 3.4 16,475 4.6

Architects 36,839 9.6 36,375 9.4 30,776 8.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 35,309 9.2 43,785 11.3 58,604 16.5

Dancers and choreographers 6,114 1.6 5,330 1.4 3,639 1.0

Designers 164,852 42.9 170,475 44.1 140,277 39.5

Entertainers and performers 5,930 1.5 5,860 1.5 2,922 0.8

Musicians and singers 32,540 8.5 31,915 8.3 28,952 8.1

Photographers 29,691 7.7 26,410 6.8 24,941 7.0

Producers and directors 21,614 5.6 20,905 5.4 20,917 5.9

Writers and authors 35,213 9.2 29,105 7.5 22,883 6.4

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 83

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

South

Total artists 586,899 100.0 556,065 100.0 491,579 100.0

Actors 4,847 0.8 5,175 0.9 7,680 1.6

Announcers 23,415 4.0 21,180 3.8 24,923 5.1

Architects 59,462 10.1 56,780 10.2 46,954 9.6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 56,682 9.7 60,925 11.0 79,476 16.2

Dancers and choreographers 8,271 1.4 9,135 1.6 7,012 1.4

Designers 233,279 39.7 215,505 38.8 174,367 35.5

Entertainers and performers 14,789 2.5 13,535 2.4 4,927 1.0

Musicians and singers 60,483 10.3 58,175 10.5 47,139 9.6

Photographers 42,406 7.2 38,455 6.9 33,815 6.9

Producers and directors 33,262 5.7 37,270 6.7 31,195 6.3

Writers and authors 50,003 8.5 39,930 7.2 34,091 6.9

West

Total artists 571,353 125.0 545,620 100.0 456,294 100.0

Actors 20,554 4.5 19,920 3.7 12,968 2.8

Announcers 10,217 2.2 11,310 2.1 14,949 3.3

Architects 57,197 12.5 54,530 10.0 47,553 10.4

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 70,848 15.5 73,480 13.5 72,488 15.9

Dancers and choreographers 7,190 1.6 7,855 1.4 6,126 1.3

Designers 209,759 45.9 194,790 35.7 151,219 33.1

Entertainers and performers 13,416 2.9 12,065 2.2 5,199 1.1

Musicians and singers 38,883 8.5 43,230 7.9 38,857 8.5

Photographers 43,051 9.4 33,455 6.1 30,354 6.7

Producers and directors 49,241 10.8 45,615 8.4 37,093 8.1

Writers and authors 50,997 11.2 49,370 9.0 39,488 8.7

Table 36

Artists by region for the United States, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005, continued

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
84 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 37

Artists by sub-region for the Northeast Region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

Note: The Northeast Region includes the New England and Middle Atlantic sub-regions. New England includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 

Rhode Island, and Vermont. Middle Atlantic includes New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

United States

Total artists 1,999,474 100.0 1,927,400 100.0 1,727,507 100.0

Actors 39,717 2.0 38,605 2.0 35,916 2.1

Announcers 55,817 2.8 54,855 2.8 68,590 4.0

Architects 198,498 9.9 192,860 10.0 167,151 9.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 10.9 231,690 12.0 278,516 16.1

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 1.3 26,915 1.4 21,771 1.3

Designers 779,359 39.0 749,335 38.9 619,328 35.9

Entertainers and performers 41,128 2.1 37,590 2.0 16,929 1.0

Musicians and singers 169,647 8.5 170,015 8.8 148,162 8.6

Photographers 147,389 7.4 124,045 6.4 117,084 6.8

Producers and directors 139,996 7.0 139,335 7.2 120,609 7.0

Writers and authors 185,276 9.3 162,155 8.4 133,471 7.7

Northeast

Total artists 457,031 100.0 439,400 100.0 424,218 100.0

Actors 10,995 2.4 10,575 2.4 10,239 2.4

Announcers 9,419 2.1 9,155 2.1 12,245 2.9

Architects 45,000 9.8 45,185 10.3 41,868 9.9

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 54,158 11.8 53,485 12.2 67,949 16.0

Dancers and choreographers 4,076 0.9 4,585 1.0 4,993 1.2

Designers 171,468 37.5 168,570 38.4 153,456 36.2

Entertainers and performers 6,992 1.5 6,125 1.4 3,881 0.9

Musicians and singers 37,740 8.3 36,695 8.4 33,215 7.8

Photographers 32,242 7.1 25,720 5.9 27,978 6.6

Producers and directors 35,879 7.9 35,560 8.1 31,392 7.4

Writers and authors 49,062 10.7 43,745 10.0 37,002 8.7

New England

Total artists 115,045 100.0 116,355 100.0 110,137 100.0

Actors 713 0.6 960 0.8 1,789 1.6

Announcers 2,873 2.5 2,605 2.2 3,084 2.8

Architects 13,759 12.0 14,150 12.2 12,552 11.4

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 14,584 12.7 14,060 12.1 18,834 17.1

Dancers and choreographers 511 0.4 770 0.7 811 0.7

Designers 46,291 40.2 48,340 41.5 40,529 36.8

Entertainers and performers 1,064 0.9 1,200 1.0 919 0.8

Musicians and singers 8,695 7.6 8,415 7.2 7,424 6.7

Photographers 6,941 6.0 6,495 5.6 7,303 6.6

Producers and directors 5,818 5.1 7,180 6.2 6,840 6.2

Writers and authors 13,796 12.0 12,180 10.5 10,052 9.1

Middle Atlantic

Total artists 341,986 100.0 323,045 100.0 314,081 100.0

Actors 10,282 3.0 9,615 3.0 8,450 2.7

Announcers 6,546 1.9 6,550 2.0 9,161 2.9

Architects 31,241 9.1 31,035 9.6 29,316 9.3

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 39,574 11.6 39,425 12.2 49,115 15.6

Dancers and choreographers 3,564 1.0 3,815 1.2 4,182 1.3

Designers 125,177 36.6 120,230 37.2 112,927 36.0

Entertainers and performers 5,928 1.7 4,925 1.5 2,962 0.9

Musicians and singers 29,046 8.5 28,280 8.8 25,791 8.2

Photographers 25,301 7.4 19,225 6.0 20,675 6.6

Producers and directors 30,061 8.8 28,380 8.8 24,552 7.8

Writers and authors 35,266 10.3 31,565 9.8 26,950 8.6
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 85

Table 38

Artists by sub-region for the Midwest Region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

United States

Total artists 1,999,474 100.0 1,927,400 100.0 1,727,507 100.0

Actors 39,717 2.0 38,605 2.0 35,916 2.1

Announcers 55,817 2.8 54,855 2.8 68,590 4.0

Architects 198,498 9.9 192,860 10.0 167,151 9.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 10.9 231,690 12.0 278,516 16.1

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 1.3 26,915 1.4 21,771 1.3

Designers 779,359 39.0 749,335 38.9 619,328 35.9

Entertainers and performers 41,128 2.1 37,590 2.0 16,929 1.0

Musicians and singers 169,647 8.5 170,015 8.8 148,162 8.6

Photographers 147,389 7.4 124,045 6.4 117,084 6.8

Producers and directors 139,996 7.0 139,335 7.2 120,609 7.0

Writers and authors 185,276 9.3 162,155 8.4 133,471 7.7

Midwest

Total artists 384,190 100.0 386,304 100.0 355,416 100.0

Actors 3,322 0.9 2,934 0.8 5,030 1.4

Announcers 12,766 3.3 13,210 3.4 16,475 4.6

Architects 36,839 9.6 36,375 9.4 30,776 8.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 35,309 9.2 43,785 11.3 58,604 16.5

Dancers and choreographers 6,114 1.6 5,330 1.4 3,639 1.0

Designers 164,852 42.9 170,475 44.1 140,277 39.5

Entertainers and performers 5,930 1.5 5,860 1.5 2,922 0.8

Musicians and singers 32,540 8.5 31,915 8.3 28,952 8.1

Photographers 29,691 7.7 26,410 6.8 24,941 7.0

Producers and directors 21,614 5.6 20,905 5.4 20,917 5.9

Writers and authors 35,213 9.2 29,105 7.5 22,883 6.4

East North Central

Total artists 262,583 100.0 270,440 100.0 252,698 100.0

Actors 2,481 0.9 2,140 0.8 3,582 1.4

Announcers 7,101 2.7 8,870 3.3 10,360 4.1

Architects 25,850 9.8 25,730 9.5 21,931 8.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 23,267 8.9 29,640 11.0 41,059 16.2

Dancers and choreographers 5,196 2.0 3,915 1.4 2,693 1.1

Designers 115,843 44.1 122,025 45.1 102,951 40.7

Entertainers and performers 3,437 1.3 4,030 1.5 1,979 0.8

Musicians and singers 21,676 8.3 22,285 8.2 20,418 8.1

Photographers 19,272 7.3 17,580 6.5 17,437 6.9

Producers and directors 14,803 5.6 14,440 5.3 14,904 5.9

Writers and authors 23,658 9.0 19,785 7.3 15,384 6.1

West North Central

Total artists 121,607 100.0 115,864 100.0 102,718 100.0

Actors 841 0.7 794 0.7 1,448 1.4

Announcers 5,665 4.7 4,340 3.7 6,115 6.0

Architects 10,989 9.0 10,645 9.2 8,845 8.6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 12,042 9.9 14,145 12.2 17,545 17.1

Dancers and choreographers 918 0.8 1,415 1.2 946 0.9

Designers 49,010 40.3 48,450 41.8 37,326 36.3

Entertainers and performers 2,494 2.1 1,830 1.6 943 0.9

Musicians and singers 10,864 8.9 9,630 8.3 8,534 8.3

Photographers 10,419 8.6 8,830 7.6 7,504 7.3

Producers and directors 6,811 5.6 6,465 5.6 6,013 5.9

Writers and authors 11,555 9.5 9,320 8.0 7,499 7.3

Note: The Midwest Region includes the East North Central and West North Central sub-regions. East North Central includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and 

Wisconsin. West North Central includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
86 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 39

Artists by sub-region for the South Region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005 

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

United States

Total artists 1,999,474 100.0 1,927,400 100.0 1,727,507 100.0

Actors 39,717 2.0 38,605 2.0 35,916 2.1

Announcers 55,817 2.8 54,855 2.8 68,590 4.0

Architects 198,498 9.9 192,860 10.0 167,151 9.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 10.9 231,690 12.0 278,516 16.1

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 1.3 26,915 1.4 21,771 1.3

Designers 779,359 39.0 749,335 38.9 619,328 35.9

Entertainers and performers 41,128 2.1 37,590 2.0 16,929 1.0

Musicians and singers 169,647 8.5 170,015 8.8 148,162 8.6

Photographers 147,389 7.4 124,045 6.4 117,084 6.8

Producers and directors 139,996 7.0 139,335 7.2 120,609 7.0

Writers and authors 185,276 9.3 162,155 8.4 133,471 7.7

South

Total artists 586,899 100.0 556,065 100.0 491,579 100.0

Actors 4,847 0.8 5,175 0.9 7,680 1.6

Announcers 23,415 4.0 21,180 3.8 24,923 5.1

Architects 59,462 10.1 56,780 10.2 46,954 9.6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 56,682 9.7 60,925 11.0 79,476 16.2

Dancers and choreographers 8,271 1.4 9,135 1.6 7,012 1.4

Designers 233,279 39.7 215,505 38.8 174,367 35.5

Entertainers and performers 14,789 2.5 13,535 2.4 4,927 1.0

Musicians and singers 60,483 10.3 58,175 10.5 47,139 9.6

Photographers 42,406 7.2 38,455 6.9 33,815 6.9

Producers and directors 33,262 5.7 37,270 6.7 31,195 6.3

Writers and authors 50,003 8.5 39,930 7.2 34,091 6.9

South Atlantic

Total artists 339,792 100.0 319,610 100.0 280,098 100.0

Actors 2,789 0.8 3,375 1.1 4,663 1.7

Announcers 11,720 3.4 11,200 3.5 12,189 4.4

Architects 36,009 10.6 33,590 10.5 28,736 10.3

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 32,734 9.6 35,315 11.0 46,094 16.5

Dancers and choreographers 4,511 1.3 4,910 1.5 3,872 1.4

Designers 135,221 39.8 122,290 38.3 99,836 35.6

Entertainers and performers 10,004 2.9 8,565 2.7 2,940 1.0

Musicians and singers 30,375 8.9 29,915 9.4 23,670 8.5

Photographers 22,860 6.7 21,565 6.7 18,087 6.5

Producers and directors 19,900 5.9 23,290 7.3 18,187 6.5

Writers and authors 33,668 9.9 25,595 8.0 21,824 7.8

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 87

Table 39

Artists by sub-region for the South Region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005, continued 

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

East South Central

Total artists 79,807 100.0 78,825 100.0 71,250 100.0

Actors 676 0.8 570 0.7 1,032 1.4

Announcers 3,425 4.3 3,640 4.6 4,600 6.5

Architects 5,749 7.2 6,160 7.8 5,296 7.4

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 7,889 9.9 7,995 10.1 10,459 14.7

Dancers and choreographers 1,066 1.3 990 1.3 679 1.0

Designers 29,330 36.8 30,460 38.6 25,446 35.7

Entertainers and performers 1,705 2.1 1,495 1.9 543 0.8

Musicians and singers 12,592 15.8 11,670 14.8 9,816 13.8

Photographers 7,356 9.2 5,985 7.6 5,199 7.3

Producers and directors 4,896 6.1 5,305 6.7 4,303 6.0

Writers and authors 5,125 6.4 4,555 5.8 3,877 5.4

West South Central

Total artists 167,300 100.0 157,630 100.0 140,231 100.0

Actors 1,382 0.8 1,230 0.8 1,985 1.4

Announcers 8,271 4.9 6,340 4.0 8,134 5.8

Architects 17,704 10.6 17,030 10.8 12,922 9.2

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 16,059 9.6 17,615 11.2 22,923 16.3

Dancers and choreographers 2,694 1.6 3,235 2.1 2,461 1.8

Designers 68,728 41.1 62,755 39.8 49,085 35.0

Entertainers and performers 3,080 1.8 3,475 2.2 1,444 1.0

Musicians and singers 17,517 10.5 16,590 10.5 13,653 9.7

Photographers 12,190 7.3 10,905 6.9 10,529 7.5

Producers and directors 8,466 5.1 8,675 5.5 8,705 6.2

Writers and authors 11,210 6.7 9,780 6.2 8,390 6.0

Note: The South Region includes the South Atlantic, East South Central and West South Central sub-regions. South Atlantic includes Delaware, District of Columbia, 

Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. East South Central includes Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. 

West South Central includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal 

Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 

census occupation codes.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
88 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 40

Artists by sub-region for the West Region, 1990, 2000, and 2003-2005

2003–2005 2000 1990

Number percent Number percent Number percent

United States

Total artists 1,999,474 100.0 1,927,400 100.0 1,727,507 100.0

Actors 39,717 2.0 38,605 2.0 35,916 2.1

Announcers 55,817 2.8 54,855 2.8 68,590 4.0

Architects 198,498 9.9 192,860 10.0 167,151 9.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 10.9 231,690 12.0 278,516 16.1

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 1.3 26,915 1.4 21,771 1.3

Designers 779,359 39.0 749,335 38.9 619,328 35.9

Entertainers and performers 41,128 2.1 37,590 2.0 16,929 1.0

Musicians and singers 169,647 8.5 170,015 8.8 148,162 8.6

Photographers 147,389 7.4 124,045 6.4 117,084 6.8

Producers and directors 139,996 7.0 139,335 7.2 120,609 7.0

Writers and authors 185,276 9.3 162,155 8.4 133,471 7.7

West

Total artists 571,353 100.0 545,620 100.0 456,294 100.0

Actors 20,554 3.6 19,920 3.7 12,968 2.8

Announcers 10,217 1.8 11,310 2.1 14,949 3.3

Architects 57,197 10.0 54,530 10.0 47,553 10.4

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 70,848 12.4 73,480 13.5 72,488 15.9

Dancers and choreographers 7,190 1.3 7,855 1.4 6,126 1.3

Designers 209,759 36.7 194,790 35.7 151,219 33.1

Entertainers and performers 13,416 2.3 12,065 2.2 5,199 1.1

Musicians and singers 38,883 6.8 43,230 7.9 38,857 8.5

Photographers 43,051 7.5 33,455 6.1 30,354 6.7

Producers and directors 49,241 8.6 45,615 8.4 37,093 8.1

Writers and authors 50,997 8.9 49,370 9.0 39,488 8.7

Mountain

Total artists 131,375 100.0 127,135 100.0 95,747 100.0

Actors 1,641 1.2 1,260 1.0 1,392 1.5

Announcers 4,076 3.1 3,715 2.9 4,692 4.9

Architects 15,132 11.5 14,290 11.2 9,078 9.5

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 15,547 11.8 19,075 15.0 17,839 18.6

Dancers and choreographers 2,588 2.0 3,155 2.5 1,944 2.0

Designers 54,633 41.6 46,375 36.5 31,410 32.8

Entertainers and performers 4,106 3.1 3,840 3.0 1,028 1.1

Musicians and singers 8,719 6.6 10,175 8.0 8,135 8.5

Photographers 7,948 6.0 8,145 6.4 7,061 7.4

Producers and directors 6,496 4.9 6,430 5.1 5,470 5.7

Writers and authors 10,488 8.0 10,675 8.4 7,698 8.0

Pacific

Total artists 439,978 100.0 418,485 100.0 360,547 100.0

Actors 18,912 4.3 18,660 4.5 11,576 3.2

Announcers 6,141 1.4 7,595 1.8 10,257 2.8

Architects 42,065 9.6 40,240 9.6 38,475 10.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 55,301 12.6 54,405 13.0 54,649 15.2

Dancers and choreographers 4,603 1.0 4,700 1.1 4,182 1.2

Designers 155,126 35.3 148,415 35.5 119,809 33.2

Entertainers and performers 9,311 2.1 8,225 2.0 4,171 1.2

Musicians and singers 30,164 6.9 33,055 7.9 30,722 8.5

Photographers 35,103 8.0 25,310 6.0 23,293 6.5

Producers and directors 42,744 9.7 39,185 9.4 31,623 8.8

Writers and authors 40,509 9.2 38,695 9.2 317,90 8.8

Note: The West Region includes the Mountain and Pacific sub-regions. Mountain includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. 

Pacific includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 1990 and 2000 data from Census 1990 and 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulations; 2003-2005 from American 

Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples. 1990 data have been adjusted to match 2000 census occupation codes.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 89

Table 41 

Sub-regions ranked for each artist occupation by number of artists per 10,000 

people, 2003-2005

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples: 2003, 2004, 2005

Total artists

Pacific 94.7

Middle Atlantic 87.5

New England 83.6

Mountain 67.6

West North Central 63.7

South Atlantic 63.3

East North Central 58.6

West South Central 51.7

East South Central 46.9

Actors 

Pacific 4.1

Middle Atlantic 2.6

Mountain 0.8

East North Central 0.6

South Atlantic 0.5

New England 0.5

West North Central 0.4

West South Central 0.4

East South Central 0.4

Announcers

West North Central 3.0

West South Central 2.6

South Atlantic 2.2

Mountain 2.1

New England 2.1

East South Central 2.0

Middle Atlantic 1.7

East North Central 1.6

Pacific 1.3

Architects

New England 10.0

Pacific 9.0

Middle Atlantic 8.0

Mountain 7.8

South Atlantic 6.7

East North Central 5.8

West North Central 5.8

West South Central 5.5

East South Central 3.4

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators

Pacific 11.9

New England 10.6

Middle Atlantic 10.1

Mountain 8.0

West North Central 6.3

South Atlantic 6.1

East North Central 5.2

West South Central 5.0

East South Central 4.6

Dancers and 

choreographers

Mountain 1.3

East North Central 1.2

Pacific 1.0

Middle Atlantic 0.9

South Atlantic 0.8

West South Central 0.8

East South Central 0.6

West North Central 0.5

New England 0.4

Designers

New England 33.6

Pacific 33.4

Middle Atlantic 32.0

Mountain 28.1

East North Central 25.9

West North Central 25.7

South Atlantic 25.2

West South Central 21.2

East South Central 17.2

Entertainers and 

performers

Mountain 2.1

Pacific 2.0

South Atlantic 1.9

Middle Atlantic 1.5

West North Central 1.3

East South Central 1.0

West South Central 1.0

New England 0.8

East North Central 0.8

Musicians and singers

Middle Atlantic 7.4

East South Central 7.4

Pacific 6.5

New England 6.3

West North Central 5.7

South Atlantic 5.7

West South Central 5.4

East North Central 4.8

Mountain 4.5

Photographers 

Pacific 7.6

Middle Atlantic 6.5

West North Central 5.5

New England 5.0

East South Central 4.3

East North Central 4.3

South Atlantic 4.3

Mountain 4.1

West South Central 3.8

Producers and directors 

Pacific 9.2

Middle Atlantic 7.7

New England 4.2

South Atlantic 3.7

West North Central 3.6

Mountain 3.3

East North Central 3.3

East South Central 2.9

West South Central 2.6

Writers and Authors 

New England 10.0

Middle Atlantic 9.0

Pacific 8.7

South Atlantic 6.3

West North Central 6.1

Mountain 5.4

East North Central 5.3

West South Central 3.5

East South Central 3.0
90 National Endowment for the Arts

Total civilian labor 

force Total artists Actors Announcers Architects

Total in United States 137,668,735 1,927,400 38,605 54,855 192,860 

Total in Metropolitan Areas 109,004,137 1,685,403 37,174 43,061 176,250 

Percent in Metropolitan Areas 79.2 87.4 96.3 78.5 91.4 

Abilene, TX MSA 60,205 635 0 65 45 

Akron, OH PMSA 360,511 4,895 25 175 570 

Albany, GA MSA 54,000 324 0 15 20 

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA 451,662 5,275 20 240 705 

Albuquerque, NM MSA 349,108 5,920 20 245 640 

Alexandria, LA MSA 54,426 534 0 85 55 

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA MSA 319,406 3,520 20 80 300 

Altoona, PA MSA 61,598 555 0 20 85 

Amarillo, TX MSA 107,303 1,229 4 110 45 

Anchorage, AK MSA 134,791 1,920 0 125 170 

Ann Arbor, MI PMSA 312,196 4,955 25 115 640 

Anniston, AL MSA 51,176 355 0 35 35 

Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI MSA 197,007 2,485 20 50 200 

Asheville, NC MSA 115,164 1,880 0 30 225 

Athens, GA MSA 81,143 1,160 20 60 185 

Atlanta, GA MSA 2,203,509 34,350 330 820 4,685 

Atlantic-Cape May, NJ PMSA 173,942 1,579 4 40 200 

Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA 56,220 493 4 20 30 

Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC MSA 219,287 1,890 10 45 45 

Austin-San Marcos, TX MSA 688,517 12,935 160 425 1,465 

Bakersfield, CA MSA 264,164 1,925 40 120 145 

Bangor, ME MSA 48,674 520 0 55 50 

Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA MSA 76,793 1,484 0 30 190 

Baton Rouge, LA MSA 295,682 3,120 10 235 415 

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA 169,067 1,294 4 45 50 

Bellingham, WA MSA 87,193 1,304 15 25 125 

Benton Harbor, MI MSA 81,065 884 0 15 85 

Bergen-Passaic, NJ PMSA 686,064 12,450 230 180 1,075 

Billings, MT MSA 68,631 779 0 65 120 

Biloxi-Gulfport-Pascagoula, MS MSA 166,606 1,555 0 55 105 

Binghamton, NY MSA 122,526 1,155 0 45 105 

Birmingham, AL MSA 447,265 5,310 80 145 765 

Bismarck, ND MSA 52,157 495 0 25 15 

Bloomington, IN MSA 64,641 1,308 4 55 65 

Bloomington-Normal, IL MSA 86,009 983 4 30 70 

Boise City, ID MSA 226,374 2,995 20 75 475 

Boston, MA-NH PMSA 1,823,510 38,885 410 515 6,655 

Boulder-Longmont, CO PMSA 169,889 4,485 15 50 750 

Brazoria, TX PMSA 112,832 849 0 50 65 

Bremerton, WA PMSA 104,461 1,784 20 0 265 

Bridgeport, CT PMSA 231,345 3,555 20 60 355 

Brockton, MA PMSA 133,959 1,240 15 40 140 

Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX MSA 122,912 835 0 65 35 

Bryan-College Station, TX MSA 78,746 710 0 50 90 

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY MSA 572,323 5,550 35 210 615 

Burlington, VT MSA 96,076 1,584 0 100 245 

Canton-Massillon, OH MSA 202,922 1,665 0 75 110 

Casper, WY MSA 34,982 328 0 30 20 

Cedar Rapids, IA MSA 107,558 1,433 4 55 100 

Champaign-Urbana, IL MSA 98,739 1,574 4 100 160 

Charleston, WV MSA 119,400 934 10 75 45 

Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA 262,358 3,115 15 80 495 

Table 42 

Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 91

Table 

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators

Dancers and 

choreographers Designers Entertainers and 

performers

Musicians and 

singers Photographers Producers and 

directors 

Writers and 

authors 

231,690 26,915 749,335 37,590 170,015 124,045 139,335 162,155

194,452 24,473 651,780 33,910 147,853 105,398 128,144 142,908

83.9 90.9 87.0 90.2 87.0 85.0 92.0 88.1

50 30 205 25 125 20 55 15

595 120 2,100 115 390 265 230 310

4 0 145 0 90 15 20 15

530 75 1,850 90 415 385 365 600

1,125 90 1,955 55 365 505 405 515

20 4 190 0 90 50 25 15

450 50 1,665 40 305 250 115 245

50 0 225 10 55 30 35 45

140 30 445 10 125 150 85 85

265 80 685 20 150 135 150 140

455 25 2,250 120 350 235 195 545

40 0 110 0 50 60 15 10

325 35 1,295 20 160 195 50 135

290 15 685 30 180 195 105 125

65 10 405 25 155 80 30 125

3,690 490 13,520 640 2,735 2,200 2,835 2,405

210 10 695 40 235 50 55 40

55 0 235 4 55 25 55 10

230 50 765 15 290 155 175 110

1,485 165 5,060 270 1,200 640 670 1,395

190 15 625 100 180 185 165 160

85 0 160 0 20 40 80 30

285 4 480 25 165 55 110 140

205 50 1,175 50 455 195 185 145

160 25 545 40 155 125 85 60

145 10 535 4 70 100 60 215

105 4 405 0 25 100 50 95

1,500 70 5,250 205 1,420 590 1,095 835

170 10 225 4 45 55 50 35

150 15 700 65 190 160 70 45

150 30 535 30 70 65 70 55

525 45 2,185 50 530 390 280 315

60 0 265 0 40 20 35 35

65 4 580 25 185 40 55 230

110 4 450 10 105 30 40 130

265 20 1,390 15 140 220 75 300

3,855 235 15,450 310 2,845 1,755 2,535 4,320

425 0 1,785 60 375 250 140 635

90 4 435 15 80 25 50 35

260 4 665 20 115 150 30 255

430 20 1,665 15 305 180 215 290

105 0 590 0 60 100 110 80

50 10 345 0 150 40 70 70

40 25 265 0 90 45 40 65

625 80 2,390 25 455 490 355 270

170 4 680 25 75 60 90 135

175 60 770 30 95 205 60 85

45 4 120 10 4 40 25 30

100 10 830 4 85 75 70 100

160 15 560 10 170 90 170 135

105 40 370 4 75 100 40 70

385 45 1,090 90 300 160 175 280
92 National Endowment for the Arts

Total civilian 

labor force Total artists Actors Announcers Architects

Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSA 807,503 9,730 95 385 1,135 

Charlottesville, VA MSA 81,134 1,459 0 45 305 

Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA 235,039 2,645 0 100 225 

Cheyenne, WY MSA 38,782 374 0 15 40 

Chicago, IL PMSA 4,137,250 64,800 1,080 1,335 8,320 

Chico-Paradise, CA MSA 90,892 1,235 15 50 35 

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN PMSA 840,817 11,555 110 265 1,365 

Clarksville-Hopkinsville, TN-KY MSA 84,304 579 0 75 45 

Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH PMSA 1,117,237 13,420 90 400 1,510 

Colorado Springs, CO MSA 256,815 3,690 30 120 410 

Columbia, MO MSA 77,072 1,105 0 45 55 

Columbia, SC MSA 275,599 3,009 4 80 335 

Columbus, GA-AL MSA 117,286 1,114 20 70 40 

Columbus, OH MSA 825,501 10,775 100 325 1,540 

Corpus Christi, TX MSA 168,735 1,425 0 140 125 

Corvallis, OR MSA 40,325 610 15 30 40 

Cumberland, MD-WV MSA 45,421 304 0 15 50 

Dallas, TX PMSA 1,828,288 27,990 315 680 4,005 

Danbury, CT PMSA 117,533 2,674 20 30 350 

Danville, VA MSA 52,777 340 0 55 20 

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA 186,232 1,905 0 130 95 

Dayton-Springfield, OH MSA 476,216 4,930 30 165 340 

Daytona Beach, FL MSA 221,271 2,400 0 125 100 

Decatur, AL MSA 69,241 469 0 15 15 

Decatur, IL MSA 56,597 533 4 35 10 

Denver, CO PMSA 1,162,554 18,480 145 465 2,840 

Des Moines, IA MSA 256,027 3,585 15 125 430 

Detroit, MI PMSA 2,174,313 33,215 135 765 2,730 

Dothan, AL MSA 62,981 584 4 40 45 

Dover, DE MSA 61,335 354 0 40 40 

Dubuque, IA MSA 47,835 509 0 30 15 

Duluth-Superior, MN-WI MSA 123,130 1,410 20 130 100 

Dutchess County, NY PMSA 138,721 1,950 15 45 205 

Eau Claire, WI MSA 80,842 759 4 55 65 

El Paso, TX MSA 265,950 2,185 30 150 195 

Elkhart-Goshen, IN MSA 96,460 699 10 10 40 

Elmira, NY MSA 42,520 470 0 30 25 

Enid, OK MSA 27,451 208 0 4 15 

Erie, PA MSA 137,309 1,420 20 110 95 

Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA 166,046 2,705 0 105 255 

Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY MSA 154,150 1,554 4 95 60 

Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN MSA 100,656 1,209 0 90 105 

Fayetteville, NC MSA 120,644 790 0 80 75 

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA 158,158 1,654 4 75 215 

Fitchburg-Leominster, MA PMSA 71,971 750 0 15 25 

Flint, MI PMSA 207,805 2,259 4 85 110 

Florence, AL MSA 65,555 553 4 30 35 

Florence, SC MSA 60,390 374 0 25 0 

Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA 142,884 2,730 50 60 340 

Fort Lauderdale, FL PMSA 801,771 12,180 180 400 905 

Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL MSA 193,602 2,880 35 140 340 

Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, FL MSA 135,360 1,645 0 25 75 

Fort Walton Beach, FL MSA 75,533 1,055 0 75 15 

Fort Wayne, IN MSA 265,217 2,845 0 155 175 

Table 42 

Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000, continued

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 93

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators

Dancers and 

choreographers Designers Entertainers and 

performers

Musicians and 

singers Photographers Producers and 

directors 

Writers and 

authors 

815 250 4,045 295 640 530 895 645

220 4 430 25 135 40 55 200

300 0 1,290 40 295 195 65 135

70 4 120 0 30 45 25 25

7,230 610 26,440 895 4,845 4,150 4,065 5,830

220 0 490 35 80 110 50 150

1,195 180 5,275 165 915 680 545 860

40 30 240 0 40 95 4 10

1,540 165 5,475 215 1,565 785 630 1,045

605 65 1,235 90 285 230 220 400

120 25 400 30 115 140 75 100

295 55 965 70 330 220 315 340

125 25 425 4 145 125 85 50

1,140 165 4,550 215 675 635 670 760

160 40 495 65 110 135 85 70

115 0 215 0 20 35 25 115

55 4 105 0 45 15 0 15

3,185 470 11,285 645 2,115 1,735 1,830 1,725

405 4 1,010 35 195 165 180 280

40 10 140 0 20 40 0 15

185 60 845 50 205 135 130 70

525 145 2,225 55 375 475 280 315

415 40 885 135 355 150 115 80

50 20 215 10 55 70 15 4

50 4 235 20 30 60 55 30

1,940 250 7,400 355 1,350 975 1,230 1,530

355 50 1,395 75 295 265 205 375

3,015 380 18,610 425 2,290 1,575 1,540 1,750

20 25 290 15 35 45 35 30

30 4 165 0 20 30 10 15

40 15 305 4 30 35 10 25

175 10 440 20 140 80 130 165

355 15 710 65 140 135 100 165

90 0 335 10 75 45 50 30

215 80 835 40 180 200 150 110

55 20 355 4 45 25 60 75

45 0 230 0 60 35 25 20

30 10 85 10 4 35 0 15

160 0 575 40 90 135 65 130

460 45 920 60 195 210 135 320

115 40 595 40 155 170 185 95

100 4 440 0 175 95 100 100

75 35 270 30 65 90 25 45

215 20 695 0 125 80 105 120

60 10 330 20 80 90 65 55

155 175 1,175 45 220 145 80 65

4 0 285 10 75 35 25 50

15 0 180 4 55 50 45 0

515 45 1,005 15 160 160 90 290

1,315 215 4,770 620 1,255 755 840 925

260 40 1,190 30 330 180 205 130

300 35 685 55 165 170 65 70

140 15 425 45 140 95 85 20

220 105 1,165 75 320 225 195 210
94 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 

Total civilian 

labor force Total artists Actors Announcers Architects

Fort Worth-Arlington, TX PMSA 874,336 10,545 85 265 1,145 

Fresno, CA MSA 390,203 3,325 45 160 410 

Gadsden, AL MSA 46,159 343 0 4 50 

Gainesville, FL MSA 113,192 2,005 20 150 250 

Galveston-Texas City, TX PMSA 122,418 1,069 4 20 95 

Gary, IN PMSA 307,586 2,325 40 45 230 

Glens Falls, NY MSA 60,504 589 0 25 70 

Goldsboro, NC MSA 50,306 324 0 25 30 

Grand Junction, CO MSA 58,341 568 10 25 95 

Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI MSA 566,389 7,159 4 140 535 

Great Falls, MT MSA 37,084 390 0 35 30 

Greeley, CO PMSA 92,688 955 10 10 45 

Green Bay, WI MSA 125,319 1,454 0 40 100 

Greensboro—Winston-Salem-High Point, NC MSA 662,343 7,400 55 235 365 

Greenville, NC MSA 69,264 685 15 10 25 

Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC MSA 487,127 5,015 15 140 595 

Hagerstown, MD PMSA 63,529 680 10 40 30 

Hamilton-Middletown, OH PMSA 170,375 1,550 0 25 135 

Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA MSA 323,650 2,930 40 125 275 

Hartford, CT MSA 618,522 7,670 60 155 705 

Hattiesburg, MS MSA 53,587 560 0 10 10 

Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC MSA 182,736 1,265 25 75 35 

Honolulu, HI MSA 408,644 6,979 4 175 965 

Houma, LA MSA 83,564 515 0 10 30 

Houston, TX PMSA 2,026,819 26,265 275 770 3,315 

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA 136,287 960 15 105 30 

Huntsville, AL MSA 174,166 1,950 10 80 160 

Indianapolis, IN MSA 847,890 10,075 65 290 905 

Iowa City, IA MSA 66,914 910 10 10 75 

Jackson, MI MSA 75,862 730 10 20 35 

Jackson, MS MSA 215,430 2,340 10 125 320 

Jackson, TN MSA 54,372 558 4 30 0 

Jacksonville, FL MSA 545,631 6,595 25 220 615 

Jacksonville, NC MSA 52,679 423 4 4 15 

Jamestown, NY MSA 67,276 482 4 4 40 

Janesville-Beloit, WI MSA 80,890 624 0 0 50 

Jersey City, NJ PMSA 297,490 5,895 210 70 485 

Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA 227,319 2,034 4 100 120 

Johnstown, PA MSA 103,606 682 4 70 30 

Jonesboro, AR MSA 42,453 289 0 25 40 

Joplin, MO MSA 78,619 585 0 45 35 

Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, MI MSA 234,002 2,390 10 130 155 

Kankakee, IL PMSA 51,528 370 15 15 45 

Kansas City, MO-KS MSA 930,944 13,540 135 380 1,740 

Kenosha, WI PMSA 77,701 669 4 15 50 

Killeen-Temple, TX MSA 119,386 804 4 15 30 

Knoxville, TN MSA 346,955 5,035 85 255 465 

Kokomo, IN MSA 49,913 348 0 20 15 

Lafayette, IN MSA 96,771 850 0 35 75 

Lafayette, LA MSA 171,936 1,800 0 85 145 

Lake Charles, LA MSA 85,283 665 0 25 65 

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA 219,003 1,955 20 100 130 

Lancaster, PA MSA 242,982 2,790 35 75 230 

Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA 241,001 2,675 45 80 170 

Table 42

Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000, continued

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 95

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators

Dancers and 

choreographers Designers Entertainers and 

performers

Musicians and 

singers Photographers Producers and 

directors 

Writers 

and authors 

1,320 305 4,050 255 1,220 710 650 540

470 45 1,020 20 410 270 235 240

20 35 95 20 50 65 0 4

235 25 620 20 135 175 160 215

130 35 465 50 80 50 40 100

215 90 980 55 200 210 80 180

100 0 200 4 65 50 45 30

0 20 155 4 30 30 20 10

70 4 215 0 25 65 4 55

690 85 3,735 85 615 505 335 430

50 15 120 10 55 30 15 30

110 30 385 0 175 55 55 80

170 4 735 10 60 95 130 110

895 80 3,390 105 755 650 280 590

45 20 325 0 75 65 30 75

465 45 2,215 50 550 330 270 340

105 15 290 10 55 60 30 35

170 0 805 15 125 130 60 85

265 20 1,325 60 230 160 145 285

785 80 3,265 45 580 520 705 770

35 25 255 0 140 35 50 0

125 25 640 0 230 40 45 25

1,090 360 1,940 230 790 525 520 380

25 10 265 0 25 85 25 40

2,285 570 12,205 580 2,330 1,500 1,095 1,340

105 15 370 25 95 65 100 35

265 50 710 40 205 185 95 150

1,175 245 4,240 180 945 750 570 710

120 0 385 10 55 50 50 145

115 40 305 0 55 65 25 60

195 25 870 15 255 180 215 130

50 4 285 0 110 20 25 30

725 185 2,430 180 935 500 460 320

25 30 195 10 45 25 10 60

60 10 190 4 45 30 40 55

90 15 300 4 70 35 25 35

740 30 2,450 60 500 295 580 475

305 15 820 45 205 175 105 140

55 4 305 4 60 50 45 55

25 0 125 4 20 15 15 20

55 10 275 20 45 40 40 20

220 45 985 55 290 240 90 170

20 10 110 10 20 50 25 50

1,955 175 5,555 240 965 830 575 990

35 25 375 0 55 30 20 60

150 45 230 20 100 80 75 55

570 60 1,730 105 600 380 395 390

25 10 210 4 25 10 4 25

75 0 350 15 90 110 45 55

195 25 650 10 260 215 110 105

50 25 220 0 80 120 55 25

215 50 790 265 180 115 55 35

465 10 1,240 55 185 155 145 195

260 75 1,090 30 300 165 205 255
96 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 

Total civilian 

labor force Total artists Actors Announcers Architects

Laredo, TX MSA 69,008 445 10 65 15 

Las Cruces, NM MSA 74,502 700 0 65 30 

Las Vegas, NV-AZ MSA 760,390 12,270 240 320 905 

Lawrence, KS MSA 57,880 1,049 0 4 65 

Lawrence, MA-NH PMSA 200,339 2,204 4 35 215 

Lawton, OK MSA 43,746 308 0 35 25 

Lewiston-Auburn, ME MSA 47,432 490 0 20 55 

Lexington, KY MSA 260,400 3,175 50 80 445 

Lima, OH MSA 75,266 424 0 20 50 

Lincoln, NE MSA 144,831 1,760 15 115 170 

Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR MSA 295,383 3,185 30 190 315 

Longview-Marshall, TX MSA 96,628 694 0 4 65 

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA 4,307,710 140,620 14,690 1,680 7,645 

Louisville, KY-IN MSA 525,705 6,035 10 205 505 

Lowell, MA-NH PMSA 158,807 1,755 10 30 75 

Lubbock, TX MSA 121,785 1,450 0 125 170 

Lynchburg, VA MSA 106,703 950 0 60 40 

Macon, GA MSA 147,989 1,284 4 70 125 

Madison, WI MSA 255,876 4,735 30 185 475 

Manchester, NH PMSA 109,028 1,049 4 20 65 

Mansfield, OH MSA 84,095 700 0 20 15 

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA 204,773 1,380 0 105 95 

Medford-Ashland, OR MSA 87,115 1,550 110 65 120 

Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL MSA 218,138 2,695 45 135 80 

Memphis, TN-AR-MS MSA 553,956 6,545 0 230 695 

Merced, CA MSA 86,651 515 0 70 40 

Miami, FL PMSA 1,009,419 16,225 200 705 2,010 

Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ PMSA 615,020 8,410 55 85 1,035 

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI PMSA 781,978 10,975 110 315 1,215 

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI MSA 1,678,218 28,685 430 455 3,215 

Missoula, MT MSA 53,701 884 10 35 115 

Mobile, AL MSA 243,934 2,585 0 100 170 

Modesto, CA MSA 197,306 1,394 25 60 60 

Monmouth-Ocean, NJ PMSA 533,706 6,855 90 145 750 

Monroe, LA MSA 69,812 625 10 55 45 

Montgomery, AL MSA 152,669 1,395 35 90 115 

Muncie, IN MSA 60,104 554 0 25 60 

Myrtle Beach, SC MSA 102,254 1,455 0 95 50 

Naples, FL MSA 109,375 1,830 10 20 190 

Nashua, NH PMSA 106,663 1,144 0 25 85 

Nashville, TN MSA 661,550 14,295 130 335 950 

Nassau-Suffolk, NY PMSA 1,366,407 20,670 300 550 2,745 

New Bedford, MA PMSA 85,545 740 0 10 45 

New Haven-Meriden, CT PMSA 278,118 4,345 75 90 690 

New London-Norwich, CT-RI MSA 148,388 2,390 0 35 175 

New Orleans, LA MSA 620,885 8,175 70 305 1,020 

New York, NY PMSA 4,268,149 132,990 7,450 1,300 11,230 

Newark, NJ PMSA 1,012,018 15,190 225 195 1,485 

Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA-NC MSA 723,280 9,510 85 255 760 

Oakland, CA PMSA 1,207,247 22,120 315 175 3,430 

Ocala, FL MSA 104,321 925 10 30 60 

Odessa-Midland, TX MSA 108,744 864 4 30 85 

Oklahoma City, OK MSA 537,705 5,870 40 270 610 

Olympia, WA PMSA 106,780 1,205 0 45 230 

Table 42 

Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000, continued

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 97

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators

Dancers and 

choreographers Designers Entertainers and 

performers

Musicians and 

singers Photographers Producers and 

directors 

Writers 

and authors 

45 0 140 15 70 55 30 0

140 10 215 0 95 70 40 35

900 1,230 3,815 1,565 1,495 610 570 620

190 30 330 20 180 75 50 105

190 15 1,185 0 205 155 75 125

40 0 120 4 35 35 4 10

30 0 215 20 20 25 30 75

330 65 1,110 125 240 210 285 235

45 0 190 0 45 35 4 35

125 50 720 15 70 180 145 155

325 15 1,280 50 340 290 185 165

65 15 240 20 125 70 35 55

16,460 1,350 39,295 3,365 12,345 7,280 22,660 13,850

765 180 2,335 120 705 335 430 445

235 30 875 30 170 60 95 145

110 50 455 15 210 175 65 75

80 0 475 10 115 75 45 50

105 40 400 40 230 95 90 85

485 30 2,045 70 225 330 335 525

115 15 475 20 75 95 85 80

120 0 290 30 65 80 40 40

110 25 505 35 340 85 25 55

215 25 485 15 50 125 145 195

270 120 1,000 210 215 250 130 240

690 120 2,340 195 915 380 535 445

75 0 225 15 40 15 15 20

1,650 250 5,960 215 1,545 1,165 1,650 875

1,125 20 3,745 110 540 390 505 800

1,180 210 4,890 145 840 670 680 720

3,380 270 12,025 400 2,185 1,825 1,730 2,770

135 4 270 10 70 45 30 160

345 20 1,025 70 410 175 135 135

115 4 675 45 130 170 50 60

680 80 3,015 155 545 375 440 580

70 15 210 30 75 65 20 30

155 0 600 45 90 140 70 55

40 10 245 10 70 4 35 55

130 120 425 120 255 115 90 55

220 0 920 85 230 75 35 45

150 0 665 4 45 20 50 100

950 105 3,950 385 4,310 805 1,475 900

2,830 165 8,555 250 1,355 1,160 1,390 1,370

115 20 285 25 85 35 60 60

435 20 1,740 50 340 225 245 435

245 0 1,380 25 160 110 80 180

1,100 235 2,580 155 1,170 570 495 475

16,130 2,050 42,225 2,060 11,530 7,290 16,150 15,575

1,945 150 6,045 240 1,400 885 1,285 1,335

1,015 220 3,525 260 1,165 910 690 625

2,695 95 8,615 310 1,520 1,040 1,525 2,400

110 10 330 35 145 45 55 95

110 20 385 25 85 55 35 30

690 160 2,155 115 620 365 405 440

155 10 395 25 100 75 60 110
98 National Endowment for the Arts

Total civilian 

labor force Total artists Actors Announcers Architects

Omaha, NE-IA MSA 382,385 4,510 50 120 485 

Orange County, CA PMSA 1,409,925 25,795 690 340 2,550 

Orlando, FL MSA 840,083 16,835 680 490 1,525 

Owensboro, KY MSA 45,592 300 0 10 35 

Panama City, FL MSA 68,258 635 0 75 30 

Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH MSA 71,811 594 0 50 35 

Pensacola, FL MSA 181,395 2,250 0 125 145 

Peoria-Pekin, IL MSA 174,260 2,109 4 110 145 

Philadelphia, PA-NJ PMSA 2,509,145 35,670 430 955 4,585 

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ MSA 1,564,963 22,525 180 590 2,715 

Pine Bluff, AR MSA 36,228 205 0 30 15 

Pittsfield, MA MSA 43,190 609 0 10 45 

Pocatello, ID MSA 38,272 333 0 35 15 

Portland, ME MSA 135,247 2,230 25 55 325 

Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA MSA 1,024,868 18,850 155 345 2,515 

Portsmouth-Rochester, NH-ME 132,255 2,035 15 55 150 

Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA MSA 602,547 8,345 45 270 660 

Provo-Orem, UT MSA 174,405 2,900 40 30 110 

Pueblo, CO MSA 63,691 514 4 15 40 

Punta Gorda, FL MSA 52,494 584 0 10 35 

Racine, WI PMSA 96,859 1,125 0 40 55 

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA 654,600 10,090 40 260 1,345 

Rapid City, SD MSA 46,474 435 0 25 20 

Reading, PA MSA 190,536 2,229 4 65 150 

Redding, CA MSA 72,112 644 0 65 75 

Reno, NV MSA 180,709 2,534 4 30 200 

Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA MSA 92,357 835 0 35 55 

Richmond-Petersburg, VA MSA 516,050 6,570 80 195 735 

Riverside-San Bernardino, CA PMSA 1,373,152 13,865 360 420 935 

Roanoke, VA MSA 121,187 1,250 0 55 100 

Rochester, MN MSA 69,531 790 0 0 85 

Rochester, NY MSA 558,973 6,875 20 205 590 

Rockford, IL MSA 190,382 2,009 4 90 180 

Rocky Mount, NC MSA 67,031 308 0 15 0 

Sacramento, CA PMSA 786,521 10,090 105 280 1,460 

Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, MI MSA 193,707 2,010 20 125 105 

Salem, OR PMSA 168,552 1,610 10 50 115 

Salinas, CA MSA 179,620 2,894 25 65 285 

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT MSA 680,362 9,080 155 165 965 

San Angelo, TX MSA 49,044 355 0 20 15 

San Antonio, TX MSA 728,575 8,760 40 285 1,170 

San Diego, CA MSA 1,319,474 23,510 435 470 2,320 

San Francisco, CA PMSA 955,020 35,470 500 320 4,780 

San Jose, CA PMSA 878,092 13,825 105 50 1,325 

San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, CA MSA 116,558 2,320 45 40 300 

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA MSA 193,717 4,359 95 55 490 

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA PMSA 137,684 3,265 45 50 290 

Santa Fe, NM MSA 78,013 2,625 15 35 400 

Santa Rosa, CA PMSA 239,432 4,680 40 110 620 

Sarasota-Bradenton, FL MSA 256,566 4,545 65 105 360 

Savannah, GA MSA 137,908 1,850 20 50 220 

Scranton—Wilkes-Barre—Hazleton, PA MSA 299,290 2,785 15 130 225 

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA PMSA 1,319,309 28,535 320 440 4,890 

Sharon, PA MSA 55,526 474 0 30 10 

Sheboygan, WI MSA 61,086 585 0 15 60 

Table 42 

Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000, continued

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 99

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators

Dancers and 

choreographers Designers Entertainers and 

performers

Musicians and 

singers Photographers Producers and 

directors 

Writers 

and authors 

415 150 1,845 55 395 350 285 360

3,285 360 11,485 735 1,935 1,615 1,195 1,605

1,885 500 5,020 2,265 1,350 1,040 1,365 715

15 0 165 0 15 15 35 10

90 15 210 20 70 45 60 20

70 20 250 4 60 50 20 35

290 95 830 65 230 175 130 165

370 20 835 40 160 145 125 155

4,070 415 14,410 570 3,000 2,140 1,975 3,120

3,115 515 8,555 605 2,130 1,430 1,115 1,575

25 0 80 0 40 15 0 0

80 0 290 4 65 30 25 60

35 4 140 4 40 30 15 15

360 20 770 20 70 165 180 240

2,310 215 7,895 285 1,235 950 1,065 1,880

295 15 770 35 125 175 155 245

780 110 4,035 100 580 655 420 690

480 35 1,440 30 130 120 220 265

55 0 175 10 135 15 50 15

65 0 270 10 125 4 10 55

80 0 585 15 130 105 15 100

1,005 130 4,170 130 700 620 660 1,030

105 15 120 10 20 60 35 25

360 0 1,000 35 195 175 85 160

120 15 185 4 30 50 40 60

245 135 935 175 220 180 165 245

60 0 335 10 90 60 80 110

790 90 2,720 65 660 455 225 555

1,800 235 5,590 420 1,540 1,110 580 875

135 0 510 10 130 80 130 100

120 0 285 10 55 95 55 85

745 50 2,830 105 700 630 450 550

200 50 875 0 180 145 145 140

4 4 190 0 60 10 25 0

1,200 260 3,670 180 680 890 535 830

195 40 860 50 275 145 80 115

175 15 740 45 75 175 75 135

515 4 1,100 20 310 210 135 225

1,110 260 3,930 165 555 585 660 530

60 10 100 20 35 15 40 40

1,055 290 2,900 310 980 670 470 590

2,850 260 9,605 370 2,045 1,740 1,355 2,060

5,220 415 13,400 295 1,940 1,915 2,935 3,750

1,425 110 7,585 140 660 680 685 1,060

405 15 860 35 170 160 90 200

640 4 1,455 95 245 370 445 465

505 15 1,300 70 260 275 125 330

870 15 660 20 150 95 45 320

930 15 1,580 110 300 260 240 475

580 115 1,865 120 680 220 130 305

290 10 650 15 215 160 95 125

285 25 1,160 30 250 230 195 240

3,610 195 11,545 290 1,795 1,480 1,545 2,425

75 0 205 4 70 15 20 45

85 10 300 0 30 30 20 35
100 National Endowment for the Arts

Total civilian 

labor force Total artists Actors Announcers Architects

Sherman-Denison, TX MSA 53,301 388 4 35 20 

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA 178,863 1,390 0 115 120 

Sioux City, IA-NE MSA 64,571 640 0 35 60 

Sioux Falls, SD MSA 98,965 1,179 4 70 155 

South Bend, IN MSA 135,101 1,415 0 170 120 

Spokane, WA MSA 207,836 2,735 0 115 335 

Springfield, IL MSA 108,420 1,124 0 95 120 

Springfield, MA MSA 296,633 3,725 35 200 315 

Springfield, MO MSA 171,147 2,400 10 75 230 

St. Cloud, MN MSA 94,845 879 0 40 40 

St. Joseph, MO MSA 49,910 394 4 10 35 

St. Louis, MO-IL MSA 1,325,629 16,755 50 510 2,060 

Stamford-Norwalk, CT PMSA 181,171 5,455 100 105 645 

State College, PA MSA 68,399 1,109 20 70 80 

Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV MSA 58,647 325 0 30 0 

Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA 244,276 1,810 45 70 130 

Sumter, SC MSA 44,744 294 0 4 25 

Syracuse, NY MSA 362,417 4,410 0 120 440 

Tacoma, WA PMSA 335,808 3,130 20 80 360 

Tallahassee, FL MSA 153,492 2,155 0 105 300 

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA 1,136,118 15,200 115 775 1,235 

Terre Haute, IN MSA 72,504 605 0 60 30 

Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR MSA 56,713 408 15 25 0 

Toledo, OH MSA 314,862 3,190 10 145 255 

Topeka, KS MSA 88,295 785 0 25 10 

Trenton, NJ PMSA 180,201 3,020 50 75 515 

Tucson, AZ MSA 391,724 6,460 80 170 680 

Tulsa, OK MSA 404,175 5,085 10 155 680 

Tuscaloosa, AL MSA 79,258 764 0 35 55 

Tyler, TX MSA 82,912 955 10 40 105 

Utica-Rome, NY MSA 140,498 1,285 0 80 60 

Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA PMSA 244,708 2,529 4 85 195 

Ventura, CA PMSA 367,496 6,725 260 100 520 

Victoria, TX MSA 40,369 289 0 4 15 

Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ PMSA 65,618 364 4 0 15 

Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA MSA 153,744 1,009 20 40 40 

Waco, TX MSA 101,874 990 0 50 50 

Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA 2,663,850 47,360 460 1,330 6,970 

Waterbury, CT PMSA 114,315 1,183 4 85 45 

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA MSA 67,381 915 0 25 35 

Wausau, WI MSA 69,228 719 0 25 20 

West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL MSA 510,018 8,435 165 250 1,025 

Wheeling, WV-OH MSA 68,853 480 0 35 30 

Wichita Falls, TX MSA 62,259 510 0 10 20 

Wichita, KS MSA 276,334 3,155 15 125 325 

Williamsport, PA MSA 58,543 509 0 25 15 

Wilmington, NC MSA 120,067 1,954 90 95 205 

Wilmington-Newark, DE-MD PMSA 307,675 3,080 40 70 270 

Worcester, MA-CT PMSA 261,606 3,105 10 80 250 

Yakima, WA MSA 99,133 625 0 45 35 

Yolo, CA PMSA 82,558 1,119 0 4 195 

York, PA MSA 203,260 2,109 10 60 90 

Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA 277,372 2,035 25 60 115 

Yuba City, CA MSA 57,943 429 0 20 55 

Yuma, AZ MSA 55,938 375 0 20 15 

Table 42 

Artists by metropolitan area residence, 2000, continued

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) tabulations.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 101

Fine artists, art 

directors, and 

animators

Dancers and 

choreographers Designers Entertainers and 

performers

Musicians and 

singers Photographers Producers and 

directors 

Writers 

and authors 

55 0 145 10 60 15 4 40

135 15 410 10 260 185 85 55

50 15 275 10 50 60 50 35

110 0 450 45 100 95 105 45

185 20 500 0 180 80 100 60

405 45 1,020 25 250 165 195 180

65 4 420 0 90 100 110 120

390 30 1,450 45 265 275 185 535

205 45 890 65 275 260 135 210

105 15 415 4 80 45 40 95

40 15 160 10 50 30 15 25

1,890 160 6,985 275 1,455 1,220 1,000 1,150

670 15 2,305 25 350 245 440 555

100 10 380 4 85 35 105 220

40 0 115 0 60 20 20 40

125 10 830 85 135 205 75 100

40 0 130 0 30 20 20 25

415 85 1,765 155 330 355 370 375

385 60 1,240 165 255 175 175 215

250 10 685 15 140 165 255 230

1,830 270 5,570 645 1,665 960 945 1,190

55 20 255 20 65 45 45 10

35 4 210 4 30 25 30 30

410 60 1,350 65 380 110 175 230

110 30 315 15 35 70 110 65

215 20 1,000 25 430 85 160 445

1,225 230 2,090 275 495 380 300 535

360 210 1,955 110 555 310 360 380

90 4 305 0 150 35 75 15

45 10 435 10 135 70 45 50

165 10 540 15 155 110 65 85

365 10 955 50 235 245 135 250

945 25 2,330 135 595 420 710 685

15 0 130 10 40 40 20 15

30 35 155 20 45 35 25 0

130 0 370 4 180 185 10 30

100 15 400 20 200 55 60 40

4,110 185 16,060 440 3,115 2,560 5,060 7,070

95 4 580 35 115 65 85 70

85 10 470 15 55 75 75 70

90 4 390 0 50 70 50 20

810 175 3,390 200 780 525 590 525

85 15 160 10 40 60 25 20

45 10 245 25 70 45 30 10

345 80 1,345 30 235 310 160 185

35 10 245 4 65 40 25 45

305 4 800 15 80 115 115 130

380 30 1,350 65 255 255 175 190

255 30 1,535 20 275 175 235 240

45 25 280 0 45 80 40 30

115 15 420 10 70 95 55 140

365 25 1,060 4 150 155 55 135

245 25 940 10 250 195 60 110

45 10 165 4 30 50 30 20

65 0 165 0 45 20 10 35
102 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 43

Top 50 metropolitan areas ranked by number of artists, 2000

Rank of MSA 

by number 

of artists

 Metropolitan Area Total civilian 

labor force

Percent of total 

US labor force Total artists Percent of total 

US artists

Total in United States 137,668,735 100.00 1,927,400 100.00

Total in Metropolitan Areas 109,004,137 1,685,403

Percent in Metropolitan Areas 79.2 87.4

1 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA 4,307,710 3.13 140,620 7.30

2 New York, NY PMSA 4,268,149 3.10 132,990 6.90

3 Chicago, IL PMSA 4,137,250 3.01 64,800 3.36

4 Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA 2,663,850 1.93 47,360 2.46

5 Boston, MA-NH PMSA 1,823,510 1.32 38,885 2.02

6 Philadelphia, PA-NJ PMSA 2,509,145 1.82 35,670 1.85

7 San Francisco, CA PMSA 955,020 0.69 35,470 1.84

8 Atlanta, GA MSA 2,203,509 1.60 34,350 1.78

9 Detroit, MI PMSA 2,174,313 1.58 33,215 1.72

10 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI MSA 1,678,218 1.22 28,685 1.49

11 Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA PMSA 1,319,309 0.96 28,535 1.48

12 Dallas, TX PMSA 1,828,288 1.33 27,990 1.45

13 Houston, TX PMSA 2,026,819 1.47 26,265 1.36

14 Orange County, CA PMSA 1,409,925 1.02 25,795 1.34

15 San Diego, CA MSA 1,319,474 0.96 23,510 1.22

16 Phoenix-Mesa, AZ MSA 1,564,963 1.14 22,525 1.17

17 Oakland, CA PMSA 1,207,247 0.88 22,120 1.15

18 Nassau-Suffolk, NY PMSA 1,366,407 0.99 20,670 1.07

19 Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA MSA 1,024,868 0.74 18,850 0.98

20 Denver, CO PMSA 1,162,554 0.84 18,480 0.96

21 Orlando, FL MSA 840,083 0.61 16,835 0.87

22 St. Louis, MO-IL MSA 1,325,629 0.96 16,755 0.87

23 Miami, FL PMSA 1,009,419 0.73 16,225 0.84

24 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA 1,136,118 0.83 15,200 0.79

25 Newark, NJ PMSA 1,012,018 0.74 15,190 0.79

26 Nashville, TN MSA 661,550 0.48 14,295 0.74

27 Riverside-San Bernardino, CA PMSA 1,373,152 1.00 13,865 0.72

28 San Jose, CA PMSA 878,092 0.64 13,825 0.72

29 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA 930,944 0.68 13,540 0.70

30 Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH PMSA 1,117,237 0.81 13,420 0.70

31 Austin-San Marcos, TX MSA 688,517 0.50 12,935 0.67

32 Bergen-Passaic, NJ PMSA 686,064 0.50 12,450 0.65

33 Las Vegas, NV-AZ MSA 760,390 0.55 12,270 0.64

34 Fort Lauderdale, FL PMSA 801,771 0.58 12,180 0.63

35 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN PMSA 840,817 0.61 11,555 0.60

36 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI PMSA 781,978 0.57 10,975 0.57

37 Columbus, OH MSA 825,501 0.60 10,775 0.56

38 Fort Worth-Arlington, TX PMSA 874,336 0.64 10,545 0.55

39 Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA 654,600 0.48 10,090 0.52

40 Sacramento, CA PMSA 786,521 0.57 10,090 0.52

41 Indianapolis, IN MSA 847,890 0.62 10,075 0.52

42 Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSA 807,503 0.59 9,730 0.50

43 Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA-NC MSA 723,280 0.53 9,510 0.49

44 Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT MSA 680,362 0.49 9,080 0.47

45 San Antonio, TX MSA 728,575 0.53 8,760 0.45

46 West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL MSA 510,018 0.37 8,435 0.44

47 Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ PMSA 615,020 0.45 8,410 0.44

48 Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA MSA 602,547 0.44 8,345 0.43

49 New Orleans, LA MSA 620,885 0.45 8,175 0.42

50 Hartford, CT MSA 618,522 0.45 7,670 0.40

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) tabulations.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 103

Table 44 

Top 50 metropolitan areas ranked by number of artists as a percent of 

the labor force, 2000

Rank of MSA 

by artists as a 

percent of the 

labor force

 Metropolitan Area Total civilian 

labor force Total artists Total artists as 

percent of labor force

Total in United States 137,668,735 1,927,400 1.40

Total in Metropolitan Areas 109,004,137 1,685,403 1.55

Percent in Metropolitan Areas 79.2 87.4

1 San Francisco, CA PMSA 955,020 35,470 3.71

2 Santa Fe, NM MSA 78,013 2,625 3.36

3 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA 4,307,710 140,620 3.26

4 New York, NY PMSA 4,268,149 132,990 3.12

5 Stamford-Norwalk, CT PMSA 181,171 5,455 3.01

6 Boulder-Longmont, CO PMSA 169,889 4,485 2.64

7 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA PMSA 137,684 3,265 2.37

8 Danbury, CT PMSA 117,533 2,674 2.28

9 Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA MSA 193,717 4,359 2.25

10 Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA PMSA 1,319,309 28,535 2.16

10 Nashville, TN MSA 661,550 14,295 2.16

12 Boston, MA-NH PMSA 1,823,510 38,885 2.13

13 Bloomington, IN MSA 64,641 1,308 2.02

14 Orlando, FL MSA 840,083 16,835 2.00

15 San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, CA MSA 116,558 2,320 1.99

16 Jersey City, NJ PMSA 297,490 5,895 1.98

17 Santa Rosa, CA PMSA 239,432 4,680 1.95

18 Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA MSA 76,793 1,484 1.93

19 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA 142,884 2,730 1.91

20 Austin-San Marcos, TX MSA 688,517 12,935 1.88

21 Madison, WI MSA 255,876 4,735 1.85

22 Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA MSA 1,024,868 18,850 1.84

23 Oakland, CA PMSA 1,207,247 22,120 1.83

23 Ventura, CA PMSA 367,496 6,725 1.83

23 Orange County, CA PMSA 1,409,925 25,795 1.83

26 Bergen-Passaic, NJ PMSA 686,064 12,450 1.81

26 Lawrence, KS MSA 57,880 1,049 1.81

28 Charlottesville, VA MSA 81,134 1,459 1.80

29 San Diego, CA MSA 1,319,474 23,510 1.78

29 Medford-Ashland, OR MSA 87,115 1,550 1.78

29 Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV PMSA 2,663,850 47,360 1.78

32 Sarasota-Bradenton, FL MSA 256,566 4,545 1.77

32 Gainesville, FL MSA 113,192 2,005 1.77

34 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI MSA 1,678,218 28,685 1.71

34 Honolulu, HI MSA 408,644 6,979 1.71

34 Bremerton, WA PMSA 104,461 1,784 1.71

37 Albuquerque, NM MSA 349,108 5,920 1.70

38 Trenton, NJ PMSA 180,201 3,020 1.68

39 Naples, FL MSA 109,375 1,830 1.67

40 Provo-Orem, UT MSA 174,405 2,900 1.66

41 West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL MSA 510,018 8,435 1.65

41 Tucson, AZ MSA 391,724 6,460 1.65

41 Portland, ME MSA 135,247 2,230 1.65

41 Burlington, VT MSA 96,076 1,584 1.65

41 Missoula, MT MSA 53,701 884 1.65

46 Asheville, NC MSA 115,164 1,880 1.63

46 Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA 166,046 2,705 1.63

46 Wilmington, NC MSA 120,067 1,954 1.63

49 State College, PA MSA 68,399 1,109 1.62

50 Las Vegas, NV-AZ MSA 760,390 12,270 1.61

50 Salinas, CA MSA 179,620 2,894 1.61

50 New London-Norwich, CT-RI MSA 148,388 2,390 1.61

50 Miami, FL PMSA 1,009,419 16,225 1.61

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) tabulations.
104 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 45

Age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations and 

detailed artist occupations, 2000 

Gender Race and Hispanic Origin 

Total Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic 

Total labor force (age 16 and older)

Civilian Labor Force 137,678,709 73,290,223 64,388,486 100,180,336 14,474,300 8,324,013 14,700,060 

Professional and related occupations 26,835,799 11,864,634 14,971,165 21,102,127 2,179,488 2,052,776 1,501,408 

All artists 1,930,762 1,047,650 883,112 1,595,008 88,797 125,471 121,486 

Actors 39,054 21,953 17,101 30,228 3,609 2,405 2,812 

Announcers 55,392 43,385 12,007 43,087 5,404 2,540 4,361 

Architects 196,705 157,154 39,551 164,381 5,737 15,552 11,035 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 233,661 123,329 110,332 198,124 6,105 15,356 14,076 

Dancers and choreographers 26,129 4,099 22,030 17,797 2,748 2,728 2,856 

Designers 751,928 332,402 419,526 623,000 23,753 54,469 50,706 

Entertainers and performers 37,511 18,727 18,784 29,033 2,927 2,704 2,847 

Musicians and singers 163,453 106,417 57,036 128,122 16,543 7,480 11,308 

Photographers 122,350 75,098 47,252 100,263 6,140 7,382 8,565 

Producers and directors 140,889 87,747 53,142 115,830 9,306 7,387 8,366 

Writers and authors 163,690 77,339 86,351 145,143 6,525 7,468 4,554 

Labor Force under 35

Civilian Labor Force 52,767,955 27,977,476 24,790,479 35,161,153 6,168,428 3,590,244 7,848,130 

Professional and related occupations 8,925,682 3,971,127 4,954,555 6,545,595 775,475 920,552 684,060 

All artists 717,639 381,506 336,133 550,946 42,852 60,409 63,432 

Actors 18,064 9,570 8,494 13,103 1,949 1,465 1,547 

Announcers 29,723 23,118 6,605 22,151 3,257 1,433 2,882 

Architects 57,419 40,481 16,938 43,991 1,918 6,708 4,802 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 70,495 43,385 27,110 54,628 2,729 6,226 6,912 

Dancers and choreographers 22,268 2,642 19,626 15,197 2,270 2,336 2,465 

Designers 294,195 137,192 157,003 228,835 11,435 27,435 26,490 

Entertainers and performers 19,801 8,217 11,584 15,190 1,696 1,355 1,560 

Musicians and singers 51,697 37,972 13,725 36,911 6,805 2,763 5,218 

Photographers 47,306 22,483 24,823 35,141 3,244 3,740 5,181 

Producers and directors 60,795 34,325 26,470 47,430 5,012 3,765 4,588 

Writers and authors 45,876 22,121 23,755 38,369 2,537 3,183 1,787 

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 105

Gender (percent) Race and Hispanic Origin (percent)

Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic

53.2 46.8 72.8 10.5 6.0 10.7

44.2 55.8 78.6 8.1 7.6 5.6

54.3 45.7 82.6 4.6 6.5 6.3

56.2 43.8 77.4 9.2 6.2 7.2

78.3 21.7 77.8 9.8 4.6 7.9

79.9 20.1 83.6 2.9 7.9 5.6

52.8 47.2 84.8 2.6 6.6 6.0

15.7 84.3 68.1 10.5 10.4 10.9

44.2 55.8 82.9 3.2 7.2 6.7

49.9 50.1 77.4 7.8 7.2 7.6

65.1 34.9 78.4 10.1 4.6 6.9

61.4 38.6 81.9 5.0 6.0 7.0

62.3 37.7 82.2 6.6 5.2 5.9

47.2 52.8 88.7 4.0 4.6 2.8

53.0 47.0 66.6 11.7 6.8 14.9

44.5 55.5 73.3 8.7 10.3 7.7

53.2 46.8 76.8 6.0 8.4 8.8

53.0 47.0 72.5 10.8 8.1 8.6

77.8 22.2 74.5 11.0 4.8 9.7

70.5 29.5 76.6 3.3 11.7 8.4

61.5 38.5 77.5 3.9 8.8 9.8

11.9 88.1 68.2 10.2 10.5 11.1

46.6 53.4 77.8 3.9 9.3 9.0

41.5 58.5 76.7 8.6 6.8 7.9

73.5 26.5 71.4 13.2 5.3 10.1

47.5 52.5 74.3 6.9 7.9 11.0

56.5 43.5 78.0 8.2 6.2 7.5

48.2 51.8 83.6 5.5 6.9 3.9

Table 
106 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 45

Age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations and 

detailed artist occupations, 2000, continued

Gender Race and Hispanic Origin 

Total Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic 

Labor force age 35 through 54

Civilian Labor Force 66,276,902 35,066,625 31,210,277 49,773,269 6,805,755 3,891,231 5,806,647 

Professional and related occupations 14,380,644 6,134,091 8,246,553 11,583,075 1,154,431 946,315 696,823 

All artists 940,404 511,140 429,264 799,478 38,352 54,203 48,371 

Actors 15,224 9,088 6,136 12,467 1,350 698 709 

Announcers 21,342 16,407 4,935 17,271 1,868 963 1,240 

Architects 109,557 89,560 19,997 94,488 3,221 6,707 5,141 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 119,901 58,644 61,257 103,755 2,812 7,302 6,032 

Dancers and choreographers 3,400 1,155 2,245 2,175 451 383 391 

Designers 368,938 154,769 214,169 314,441 10,532 23,559 20,406 

Entertainers and performers 13,665 8,174 5,491 10,608 959 968 1,130 

Musicians and singers 75,019 49,992 25,027 59,037 7,142 4,019 4,821 

Photographers 60,077 41,272 18,805 51,746 2,485 3,030 2,816 

Producers and directors 69,832 45,765 24,067 59,336 3,948 3,200 3,348 

Writers and authors 83,449 36,314 47,135 74,154 3,584 3,374 2,337 

Labor force age 55 and older

Civilian Labor Force 18,633,852 10,246,122 8,387,730 15,245,914 1,500,117 842,538 1,045,283 

Professional and related occupations 3,529,473 1,759,416 1,770,057 2,973,457 249,582 185,909 120,525 

All artists 272,719 155,004 117,715 244,584 7,593 10,859 9,683 

Actors 5,766 3,295 2,471 4,658 310 242 556 

Announcers 4,327 3,860 467 3,665 279 144 239 

Architects 29,729 27,113 2,616 25,902 598 2,137 1,092 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 43,265 21,300 21,965 39,741 564 1,828 1,132 

Dancers and choreographers 461 302 159 425 27 9 0 

Designers 88,795 40,441 48,354 79,724 1,786 3,475 3,810 

Entertainers and performers 4,045 2,336 1,709 3,235 272 381 157 

Musicians and singers 36,737 18,453 18,284 32,174 2,596 698 1,269 

Photographers 14,967 11,343 3,624 13,376 411 612 568 

Producers and directors 10,262 7,657 2,605 9,064 346 422 430 

Writers and authors 34,365 18,904 15,461 32,620 404 911 430 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 107

Gender (percent) Race and Hispanic Origin (percent)

Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic

52.9 47.1 75.1 10.3 5.9 8.8

42.7 57.3 80.5 8.0 6.6 4.8

54.4 45.6 85.0 4.1 5.8 5.1

59.7 40.3 81.9 8.9 4.6 4.7

76.9 23.1 80.9 8.8 4.5 5.8

81.7 18.3 86.2 2.9 6.1 4.7

48.9 51.1 86.5 2.3 6.1 5.0

34.0 66.0 64.0 13.3 11.3 11.5

41.9 58.1 85.2 2.9 6.4 5.5

59.8 40.2 77.6 7.0 7.1 8.3

66.6 33.4 78.7 9.5 5.4 6.4

68.7 31.3 86.1 4.1 5.0 4.7

65.5 34.5 85.0 5.7 4.6 4.8

43.5 56.5 88.9 4.3 4.0 2.8

55.0 45.0 81.8 8.1 4.5 5.6

49.8 50.2 84.2 7.1 5.3 3.4

56.8 43.2 89.7 2.8 4.0 3.6

57.1 42.9 80.8 5.4 4.2 9.6

89.2 10.8 84.7 6.4 3.3 5.5

91.2 8.8 87.1 2.0 7.2 3.7

49.2 50.8 91.9 1.3 4.2 2.6

65.5 34.5 92.2 5.9 2.0 0.0

45.5 54.5 89.8 2.0 3.9 4.3

57.8 42.2 80.0 6.7 9.4 3.9

50.2 49.8 87.6 7.1 1.9 3.5

75.8 24.2 89.4 2.7 4.1 3.8

74.6 25.4 88.3 3.4 4.1 4.2

55.0 45.0 94.9 1.2 2.7 1.3
108 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 46

Age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations and 

detailed artist occupations, 2003-2005 

Gender Race and Hispanic Origin 

Total Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic 

Total labor force (age 16 and older)

Civilian Labor Force 144,898,471 77,630,434 67,268,037 100,906,566 16,076,716 8,986,785 18,928,404 

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 12,462,782 15,953,014 21,588,309 2,537,814 2,398,389 1,891,285 

All artists 1,999,474 1,080,767 918,707 1,601,804 108,798 136,851 152,021 

Actors 39,717 21,787 17,930 30,431 3,066 3,453 2,767 

Announcers 55,817 43,295 12,522 42,203 5,897 2,261 5,456 

Architects 198,498 154,457 44,041 160,641 7,379 17,172 13,305 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 114,091 102,905 182,655 6,069 15,178 13,095 

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 6,172 19,479 15,370 4,802 1,870 3,610 

Designers 779,359 351,740 427,619 621,464 29,011 62,404 66,480 

Entertainers and performers 41,128 22,578 18,550 30,819 4,953 1,675 3,681 

Musicians and singers 169,647 108,324 61,323 123,888 20,506 8,846 16,407 

Photographers 147,389 84,235 63,155 117,189 8,899 9,250 12,051 

Producers and directors 139,996 90,540 49,456 111,812 10,848 8,039 9,298 

Writers and authors 185,276 83,547 101,729 165,333 7,368 6,704 5,871 

Labor Force under 35

Civilian Labor Force 53,498,507 28,791,646 24,706,862 33,779,619 6,557,612 3,617,639 9,543,638 

Professional and related occupations 9,072,375 3,948,920 5,123,455 6,377,396 866,069 1,013,542 815,369 

All artists 700,428 368,566 331,863 507,572 51,266 67,571 74,019 

Actors 19,805 9,654 10,151 14,582 1,756 1,885 1,582 

Announcers 27,575 21,767 5,808 19,884 3,583 882 3,226 

Architects 52,800 35,984 16,816 40,000 1,978 6,891 3,932 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 55,741 35,024 20,717 42,101 2,085 6,299 5,256 

Dancers and choreographers 20,728 4,183 16,545 12,500 3,933 1,412 2,883 

Designers 288,381 137,078 151,303 210,971 13,048 32,041 32,321 

Entertainers and performers 20,492 9,866 10,625 13,901 3,471 996 2,123 

Musicians and singers 48,742 35,716 13,026 26,517 8,606 4,901 8,718 

Photographers 61,860 25,921 35,939 45,220 4,547 5,272 6,821 

Producers and directors 54,644 32,722 21,922 40,147 5,515 4,534 4,447 

Writers and authors 49,660 20,649 29,011 41,748 2,745 2,457 2,710 

Table continued on next page
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 109

Gender (percent) Race and Hispanic Origin (percent)

Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic

53.6 46.4 69.6 11.1 6.2 13.1

43.9 56.1 76.0 8.9 8.4 6.7

54.1 45.9 80.1 5.4 6.8 7.6

54.9 45.1 76.6 7.7 8.7 7.0

77.6 22.4 75.6 10.6 4.1 9.8

77.8 22.2 80.9 3.7 8.7 6.7

52.6 47.4 84.2 2.8 7.0 6.0

24.1 75.9 59.9 18.7 7.3 14.1

45.1 54.9 79.7 3.7 8.0 8.5

54.9 45.1 74.9 12.0 4.1 8.9

63.9 36.1 73.0 12.1 5.2 9.7

57.2 42.8 79.5 6.0 6.3 8.2

64.7 35.3 79.9 7.7 5.7 6.6

45.1 54.9 89.2 4.0 3.6 3.2

53.8 46.2 63.1 12.3 6.8 17.8

43.5 56.5 70.3 9.5 11.2 9.0

52.6 47.4 72.5 7.3 9.6 10.6

48.7 51.3 73.6 8.9 9.5 8.0

78.9 21.1 72.1 13.0 3.2 11.7

68.2 31.8 75.8 3.7 13.1 7.4

62.8 37.2 75.5 3.7 11.3 9.4

20.2 79.8 60.3 19.0 6.8 13.9

47.5 52.5 73.2 4.5 11.1 11.2

48.1 51.9 67.8 16.9 4.9 10.4

73.3 26.7 54.4 17.7 10.1 17.9

41.9 58.1 73.1 7.4 8.5 11.0

59.9 40.1 73.5 10.1 8.3 8.1

41.6 58.4 84.1 5.5 4.9 5.5
110 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 46

Age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional occupations and 

detailed artist occupations, 2003-2005, continued

Gender Race and Hispanic Origin 

Total Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic 

Labor force age 35 through 54

Civilian Labor Force 68,830,446 36,634,937 32,195,509 49,101,364 7,636,453 4,239,649 7,852,980 

Professional and related occupations 14,678,337 6,272,557 8,405,779 11,334,183 1,338,591 1,114,096 891,467 

All artists 966,322 527,500 438,823 799,132 45,832 53,850 67,509 

Actors 14,230 8,136 6,094 10,666 1,217 1,190 1,157 

Announcers 23,024 16,935 6,089 17,935 1,775 1,135 2,179 

Architects 108,805 85,118 23,687 87,353 5,008 7,589 8,855 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 111,907 55,173 56,734 96,264 2,911 6,745 5,987 

Dancers and choreographers 4,065 1,839 2,226 2,063 837 438 727 

Designers 382,270 169,016 213,254 315,224 13,001 24,534 29,511 

Entertainers and performers 16,062 9,859 6,203 13,358 1,034 604 1,065 

Musicians and singers 76,513 49,442 27,072 58,867 8,301 3,147 6,198 

Photographers 64,888 42,535 22,353 54,445 3,266 2,656 4,522 

Producers and directors 73,129 49,528 23,601 60,727 4,544 3,188 4,670 

Writers and authors 91,430 39,920 51,510 82,229 3,937 2,625 2,639 

Labor force age 55 and older

Civilian Labor Force 22,569,518 12,203,851 10,365,667 18,025,583 1,882,651 1,129,497 1,531,786 

Professional and related occupations 4,665,084 2,241,304 2,423,780 3,876,730 333,154 270,751 184,449 

All artists 332,723 184,702 148,022 295,101 11,700 15,430 10,492 

Actors 5,682 3,997 1,685 5,183 92 378 29 

Announcers 5,218 4,593 625 4,384 539 244 51 

Architects 36,893 33,355 3,538 33,289 394 2,691 519 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 49,348 23,894 25,454 44,290 1,073 2,133 1,852 

Dancers and choreographers 858 150 708 807 31 20 0 

Designers 108,708 45,647 63,061 95,269 2,962 5,828 4,648 

Entertainers and performers 4,574 2,853 1,721 3,559 448 75 493 

Musicians and singers 44,392 23,167 21,225 38,504 3,599 798 1,490 

Photographers 20,641 15,779 4,862 17,524 1,086 1,323 708 

Producers and directors 12,224 8,291 3,933 10,938 789 317 180 

Writers and authors 44,185 22,978 21,208 41,355 686 1,622 522 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 111

Gender (percent) Race and Hispanic Origin (percent)

Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic

53.2 46.8 71.3 11.1 6.2 11.4

42.7 57.3 77.2 9.1 7.6 6.1

54.6 45.4 82.7 4.7 5.6 7.0

57.2 42.8 75.0 8.6 8.4 8.1

73.6 26.4 77.9 7.7 4.9 9.5

78.2 21.8 80.3 4.6 7.0 8.1

49.3 50.7 86.0 2.6 6.0 5.3

45.2 54.8 50.8 20.6 10.8 17.9

44.2 55.8 82.5 3.4 6.4 7.7

61.4 38.6 83.2 6.4 3.8 6.6

64.6 35.4 76.9 10.8 4.1 8.1

65.6 34.4 83.9 5.0 4.1 7.0

67.7 32.3 83.0 6.2 4.4 6.4

43.7 56.3 89.9 4.3 2.9 2.9

54.1 45.9 79.9 8.3 5.0 6.8

48.0 52.0 83.1 7.1 5.8 4.0

55.5 44.5 88.7 3.5 4.6 3.2

70.3 29.7 91.2 1.6 6.7 0.5

88.0 12.0 84.0 10.3 4.7 1.0

90.4 9.6 90.2 1.1 7.3 1.4

48.4 51.6 89.7 2.2 4.3 3.8

17.5 82.5 94.0 3.7 2.4 0

42.0 58.0 87.6 2.7 5.4 4.3

62.4 37.6 77.8 9.8 1.6 10.8

52.2 47.8 86.7 8.1 1.8 3.4

76.4 23.6 84.9 5.3 6.4 3.4

67.8 32.2 89.5 6.5 2.6 1.5

52.0 48.0 93.6 1.6 3.7 1.2
112 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 47

Median age by gender and race/ethnicity for the labor force, professional 

occupations and detailed artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005 

Gender Race and Hispanic Origin

2000 Total Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic

Civilian Labor Force 39 39 39 40 37 37 33

Professional and related occupations 41 40 41 41 39 36 36

All artists 39 39 39 40 35 35 34

Actors 36 37 35 37 34 32 32

Announcers 33 33 32 34 30 30 28

Architects 41 43 37 42 40 37 36

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 42 40 44 43 37 38 35

Dancers and choreographers 24 31 24 24 25 24 25

Designers 38 38 39 39 35 34 34

Entertainers and performers 33 37 29 34 31 34 31

Musicians and singers 42 40 45 43 37 38 36

Photographers 39 42 33 40 33 34 31

Producers and directors 37 38 35 37 33 34 33

Writers and authors 43 43 42 44 38 37 37

Gender Race and Hispanic Origin

2003–2005 Total Male Female White not 

Hispanic

Black not 

Hispanic

Other not 

Hispanic Hispanic

Civilian Labor Force 40 40 40 42 38 38 34

Professional and related occupations 42 42 42 43 40 37 37

All artists 40 40 40 42 35 35 35

Actors 35 38 33 36 34 33 32

Announcers 35 34 35 35 33 35 33

Architects 43 44 38 44 37 37 40

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 44 41 46 45 40 37 39

Dancers and choreographers 26 28 25 26 25 25 27

Designers 40 38 40 41 36 34 35

Entertainers and performers 35 37 31 36 27 32 33

Musicians and singers 45 42 48 47 37 32 34

Photographers 39 43 31 40 32 31 29

Producers and directors 38 39 36 39 34 34 35

Writers and authors 44 45 43 44 38 40 35

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 113

Table 48 

Household relationship of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed 

artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005

Household relationship Household relationship (percent)

2000 Total Householder Spouse

Child or 

other 

relative

Non-family 

living 

arrangement

Householder Spouse

Child or 

other 

relative

Non-family 

living 

arrangement

Total labor force 

(age 16 and older) 137,678,709 71,776,895 33,456,737 21,217,694 11,227,383 52.1 24.3 15.4 8.2

Professional and 

related occupations 26,835,799 14,433,758 8,569,070 2,072,521 1,760,450 53.8 31.9 7.7 6.6

All artists 1,930,762 1,085,005 468,922 188,338 188,497 56.2 24.3 9.8 9.8

Actors 39,054 21,916 5,569 5,394 6,175 56.1 14.3 13.8 15.8

Announcers 55,392 30,555 5,788 11,090 7,959 55.2 10.4 20.0 14.4

Architects 196,705 144,861 29,279 9,946 12,619 73.6 14.9 5.1 6.4

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators 233,661 128,933 65,800 19,256 19,672 55.2 28.2 8.2 8.4

Dancers and 

Choreographers 26,129 13,125 2,868 3,554 6,582 50.2 11.0 13.6 25.2

Designers 751,928 382,483 223,049 77,454 68,942 50.9 29.7 10.3 9.2

Entertainers and 

Performers 37,511 20,361 5,992 6,091 5,067 54.3 16.0 16.2 13.5

Musicians and Singers 163,453 86,958 39,209 18,302 18,984 53.2 24.0 11.2 11.6

Photographers 122,350 69,571 24,307 17,035 11,437 56.9 19.9 13.9 9.3

Producers and directors 140,889 92,132 22,006 11,195 15,556 65.4 15.6 7.9 11.0

Writers and authors 163,690 94,110 45,055 9,021 15,504 57.5 27.5 5.5 9.5

Table continued on next page
114 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 48

Household relationship of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed 

artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005, continued

Household relationship Household relationship (percent)

2003–2005 Total Householder Spouse

Child or 

other 

relative

Non-family 

living 

arrangement

Householder Spouse

Child or 

other 

relative

Non-family 

living 

arrangement

Total labor force 

(age 16 and older) 144,898,471 76,897,053 36,031,589 22,305,283 9,664,545 53.1 24.9 15.4 6.7

Professional and 

related occupations 28,415,796 16,339,641 8,527,769 2,145,540 1,402,846 57.5 30.0 7.6 4.9

All artists 1,999,474 1,143,901 512,472 184,136 158,964 57.2 25.6 9.2 8.0

Actors 39,717 22,302 5,555 6,562 5,297 56.2 14.0 16.5 13.3

Announcers 55,817 30,927 9,698 10,723 4,469 55.4 17.4 19.2 8.0

Architects 198,498 129,018 50,115 8,538 10,827 65.0 25.2 4.3 5.5

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators 216,996 124,678 57,494 14,432 20,392 57.5 26.5 6.7 9.4

Dancers and 

choreographers 25,651 15,171 1,841 3,819 4,820 59.1 7.2 14.9 18.8

Designers 779,359 421,376 223,768 75,018 59,198 54.1 28.7 9.6 7.6

Entertainers and 

performers 41,128 24,377 6,483 5,559 4,709 59.3 15.8 13.5 11.4

Musicians and singers 169,647 91,493 46,554 18,594 13,006 53.9 27.4 11.0 7.7

Photographers 147,389 77,146 34,982 21,738 13,524 52.3 23.7 14.7 9.2

Producers and directors 139,996 92,526 26,154 9,067 12,249 66.1 18.7 6.5 8.7

Writers and authors 185,276 114,887 49,828 10,086 10,475 62.0 26.9 5.4 5.7

Note: The ACS for 2003 through 2005 did not include the Group quarters population. Consequently, the non-family numbers are not comparable. The 2000 census numbers include 

students in college dormitories and other group quarters.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 115

Table 49 

Household type of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist 

occupations, 2000

Household type Household type (percent)

2000 Total In a family 

household Living alone

In a non-family 

household or

 group quarters

In a family 

household Living alone

In a non-family 

household or 

group quarters

Total labor force 

(age 16 and older) 137,678,709 110,527,395 14,729,086 12,422,228 80.3 10.7 9.0

Professional and 

related occupations 26,835,799 20,750,219 3,602,775 2,482,805 77.3 13.4 9.3

All artists 1,930,762 1,332,960 327,900 269,902 69.0 17.0 14.0

Actors 39,054 20,442 9,736 8,876 52.3 24.9 22.7

Announcers 55,392 35,486 10,013 9,893 64.1 18.1 17.9

Architects 196,705 145,943 30,505 20,257 74.2 15.5 10.3

Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators 233,661 162,552 41,079 30,030 69.6 17.6 12.9

Dancers and 

choreographers 26,129 13,421 4,372 8,336 51.4 16.7 31.9

Designers 751,928 539,162 115,570 97,196 71.7 15.4 12.9

Entertainers and 

performers 37,511 24,188 6,119 7,204 64.5 16.3 19.2

Musicians and singers 163,453 111,226 28,336 23,891 68.0 17.3 14.6

Photographers 122,350 88,952 18,192 15,206 72.7 14.9 12.4

Producers and directors 140,889 84,999 30,696 25,194 60.3 21.8 17.9

Writers and authors 163,690 106,589 33,282 23,819 65.1 20.3 14.6

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample.
116 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 50

Educational attainment of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed 

artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005 

Educational Attainment 

2000 Total Not a high 

school graduate

High school 

graduate Some college Bachelor's 

degree

Advanced 

degree

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 137,678,709 21,427,214 36,922,405 43,129,985 23,425,314 12,773,791 

Professional and related occupations 26,835,799 557,666 2,013,193 7,117,773 9,055,875 8,091,292 

All artists 1,930,762 94,504 239,961 608,842 728,720 258,735 

Actors 39,054 2,394 4,744 12,520 14,993 4,403 

Announcers 55,392 5,701 10,400 22,567 14,489 2,235 

Architects 196,705 268 5,993 23,897 103,670 62,877 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 233,661 12,071 31,327 78,868 85,983 25,412 

Dancers and choreographers 26,129 6,118 8,266 8,338 2,945 462 

Designers 751,928 38,126 112,168 282,654 268,299 50,681 

Entertainers and performers 37,511 5,312 8,515 14,649 6,871 2,164 

Musicians and singers 163,453 12,381 23,196 53,387 43,620 30,869 

Photographers 122,350 7,969 21,276 47,150 38,650 7,305 

Producers and directors 140,889 2,071 8,570 36,320 73,060 20,868 

Writers and authors 163,690 2,093 5,506 28,492 76,140 51,459 

Educational Attainment 

2003-2005 Total Not a high 

school graduate

High school 

graduate Some college Bachelor's 

degree

Advanced 

degree

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 144,898,471 19,434,061 41,316,588 43,685,206 26,163,688 14,298,928 

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 457,545 2,254,728 7,140,733 9,641,669 8,921,120 

All artists 1,999,474 75,208 255,088 578,902 802,167 288,109 

Actors 39,717 2,110 3,935 10,396 17,403 5,874 

Announcers 55,817 3,957 12,889 21,724 14,566 2,681 

Architects 198,498 150 3,886 16,901 104,928 72,632 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 7,741 25,212 72,995 83,749 27,299 

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 4,140 9,670 8,137 3,268 436 

Designers 779,359 30,197 114,448 274,883 303,263 56,568 

Entertainers and performers 41127.7 4,749 9,611 13,374 10,476 2,918 

Musicians and singers 169,647 10,400 29,464 51,318 46,935 31,530 

Photographers 147,389 6,831 28,668 57,081 46,259 8,549 

Producers and directors 139,996 3,158 10,637 29,184 76,398 20,619 

Writers and authors 185,276 1,773 6,668 22,909 94,924 59,002 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 117

Educational Attainment (percent)

Not a high 

school graduate

High school 

graduate Some college Bachelor's 

degree

Advanced 

degree

15.6 26.8 31.3 17.0 9.3

2.1 7.5 26.5 33.7 30.2

4.9 12.4 31.5 37.7 13.4

6.1 12.1 32.1 38.4 11.3

10.3 18.8 40.7 26.2 4.0

0.1 3.0 12.1 52.7 32.0

5.2 13.4 33.8 36.8 10.9

23.4 31.6 31.9 11.3 1.8

5.1 14.9 37.6 35.7 6.7

14.2 22.7 39.1 18.3 5.8

7.6 14.2 32.7 26.7 18.9

6.5 17.4 38.5 31.6 6.0

1.5 6.1 25.8 51.9 14.8

1.3 3.4 17.4 46.5 31.4

Educational Attainment (percent)

Not a high 

school graduate

High school 

graduate Some college Bachelor's 

degree

Advanced 

degree

13.4 28.5 30.1 18.1 9.9

1.6 7.9 25.1 33.9 31.4

3.8 12.8 29.0 40.1 14.4

5.3 9.9 26.2 43.8 14.8

7.1 23.1 38.9 26.1 4.8

0.1 2.0 8.5 52.9 36.6

3.6 11.6 33.6 38.6 12.6

16.1 37.7 31.7 12.7 1.7

3.9 14.7 35.3 38.9 7.3

11.5 23.4 32.5 25.5 7.1

6.1 17.4 30.3 27.7 18.6

4.6 19.5 38.7 31.4 5.8

2.3 7.6 20.8 54.6 14.7

1.0 3.6 12.4 51.2 31.8
118 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 51 

School enrollment of the labor force, professional occupations, and detailed artist 

occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005

School Enrollment School Enrollment (percent)

2000

Total Not in school

Enrolled, 

elementary 

or high 

school

Enrolled, 

college or 

graduate 

school

Not in 

school

Enrolled, 

elementary 

or high 

school

Enrolled, 

college or 

graduate 

school

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 137,678,709 120,622,422 4,772,052 12,284,235 87.6 3.5 8.9

Professional and related occupations 26,835,799 23,333,696 179,315 3,322,788 86.9 0.7 12.4

All artists 1,930,762 1,733,166 23,828 173,768 89.8 1.2 9.0

Actors 39,054 34,153 1,050 3,851 87.5 2.7 9.9

Announcers 55,392 44,143 3,199 8,050 79.7 5.8 14.5

Architects 196,705 183,808 176 12,721 93.4 0.1 6.5

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 233,661 217,131 1,816 14,714 92.9 0.8 6.3

Dancers and choreographers 26,129 21,160 972 3,997 81.0 3.7 15.3

Designers 751,928 677,091 7,968 66,869 90.0 1.1 8.9

Entertainers and performers 37,511 31,336 1,545 4,630 83.5 4.1 12.3

Musicians and singers 163,453 142,054 3,052 18,347 86.9 1.9 11.2

Photographers 122,350 106,903 2,989 12,458 87.4 2.4 10.2

Producers and directors 140,889 127,581 430 12,878 90.6 0.3 9.1

Writers and authors 163,690 147,806 631 15,253 90.3 0.4 9.3

School Enrollment School Enrollment (percent)

2003-2005

Total Not in school

Enrolled, 

elementary 

or high 

school

Enrolled, 

college or 

graduate 

school

Not in 

school

Enrolled, 

elementary 

or high 

school

Enrolled, 

college or 

graduate 

school

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 144,898,471 127,967,318 4,305,627 12,625,526 88.3 3.0 8.7

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 24,857,275 159,379 3,399,142 87.5 0.6 12.0

All artists 1,999,474 1,838,787 17,612 143,075 92.0 0.9 7.2

Actors 39,717 34,975 1,152 3,590 88.1 2.9 9.0

Announcers 55,817 49,014 1,135 5,668 87.8 2.0 10.2

Architects 198,498 189,354 54 9,090 95.4 0.0 4.6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 204,315 1,183 11,498 94.2 0.5 5.3

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 21,786 811 3,054 84.9 3.2 11.9

Designers 779,359 717,611 4,557 57,191 92.1 0.6 7.3

Entertainers and performers 41,128 35,355 1,604 4,169 86.0 3.9 10.1

Musicians and singers 169,647 153,693 2,918 13,036 90.6 1.7 7.7

Photographers 147,389 128,099 3,275 16,015 86.9 2.2 10.9

Producers and directors 139,996 132,754 283 6,959 94.8 0.2 5.0

Writers and authors 185,276 171,831 639 12,806 92.7 0.3 6.9

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 119

Table 52

Full-year, full-time work status for the labor force, professional occupations and 

detailed artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005 

Work status Work status (percent)

2000

Table Total Full-year, 

full-time

Not full-year, 

full-time

Full-year, 

full-time

Not full-year, 

full-time

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 137,678,709 82,654,140 55,024,569 60.0 40.0

Professional and related occupations 26,835,799 15,983,275 10,852,524 59.6 40.4

All artists 1,930,762 1,080,996 849,766 56.0 44.0

Actors 39,054 6,696 32,358 17.1 82.9

Announcers 55,392 26,574 28,818 48.0 52.0

Architects 196,705 153,530 43,175 78.1 21.9

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 233,661 122,328 111,333 52.4 47.6

Dancers and choreographers 26,129 6,091 20,038 23.3 76.7

Designers 751,928 465,776 286,152 61.9 38.1

Entertainers and performers 37,511 11,480 26,031 30.6 69.4

Musicians and singers 163,453 48,495 114,958 29.7 70.3

Photographers 122,350 63,271 59,079 51.7 48.3

Producers and directors 140,889 94,656 46,233 67.2 32.8

Writers and authors 163,690 82,099 81,591 50.2 49.8

Work status Work status (percent)

2003–2005

Table Total Full-year, 

full-time

Not full-year, 

full-time

Full-year, 

full-time

Not full-year, 

full-time

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 144,898,471 88,033,630 56,864,841 60.8 39.2

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 17,173,401 11,242,395 60.4 39.6

All artists 1,999,474 1,104,636 894,838 55.2 44.8

Actors 39,717 5,978 33,739 15.1 84.9

Announcers 55,817 27,121 28,695 48.6 51.4

Architects 198,498 149,338 49,159 75.2 24.8

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 111,732 105,264 51.5 48.5

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 6,381 19,270 24.9 75.1

Designers 779,359 479,691 299,668 61.5 38.5

Entertainers and performers 41,128 13,810 27,317 33.6 66.4

Musicians and singers 169,647 51,212 118,435 30.2 69.8

Photographers 147,389 71,462 75,928 48.5 51.5

Producers and directors 139,996 91,772 48,224 65.6 34.4

Writers and authors 185,276 96,138 89,138 51.9 48.1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
120 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 53 

Class of worker for the labor force, professional occupations and detailed artist 

occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005

Class of Worker 

2000

Total

Employee 

of private 

for-profit 

organization

Employee 

of private 

not-for-profit 

organization

Employee of 

government 

entity

Self-employed

Unpaid family 

worker or 

no recent 

employment

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 137,678,709 94,012,158 9,612,709 19,488,154 13,050,026 1,515,662 

Professional and related occupations 26,835,799 12,206,571 4,524,165 7,830,121 2,253,049 21,893 

All artists 1,930,762 1,101,253 141,779 72,155 608,925 6,650 

Actors 39,054 23,003 5,158 630 10,227 36 

Announcers 55,392 42,118 3,575 1,746 7,848 105 

Architects 196,705 123,346 1,975 13,131 58,038 215 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 233,661 100,758 6,186 4,364 120,881 1,472 

Dancers and choreographers 26,129 17,769 2,546 261 5,502 51 

Designers 751,928 536,249 18,339 19,019 175,489 2,832 

Entertainers and performers 37,511 18,626 1,785 386 16,624 90 

Musicians and singers 163,453 34,904 66,133 4,408 57,673 335 

Photographers 122,350 62,141 3,139 5,692 50,886 492 

Producers and directors 140,889 85,750 17,103 11,361 26,514 161 

Writers and authors 163,690 56,589 15,840 11,157 79,243 861 

Class of Worker 

2003–2005

Total

Employee 

of private 

for-profit 

organization

Employee 

of private 

not-for-profit 

organization

Employee of 

government 

entity

Self-employed

Unpaid family 

worker or 

no recent 

employment

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 144,898,471 97,529,149 10,245,400 20,692,028 14,794,454 1,637,440 

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 12,877,601 4,455,418 8,563,251 2,496,032 23,494 

All artists 1,999,474 1,078,362 154,720 68,684 689,699 8,009 

Actors 39,717 18,744 4,939 140 15,761 133 

Announcers 55,817 39,101 3,560 1,402 11,731 23 

Architects 198,498 120,431 2,746 10,242 64,800 279 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 84,653 6,873 3,594 120,546 1,330 

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 16,695 2,867 273 5,715 101 

Designers 779,359 538,822 24,450 20,989 192,367 2,732 

Entertainers and performers 41,128 19,417 1,646 281 19,619 164 

Musicians and singers 169,647 22,660 68,831 3,273 74,306 578 

Photographers 147,389 74,626 3,002 4,991 63,933 838 

Producers and directors 139,996 81,337 14,633 7,450 35,875 701 

Writers and authors 185,276 61,877 21,173 16,049 85,048 1,130 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 121

Class of Worker (percent)

Employee 

of private 

for-profit 

organization

Employee 

of private 

not-for-profit 

organization

Employee of 

government 

entity

Self-employed

Unpaid family 

worker or 

no recent 

employment

68.3 7.0 14.2 9.5 1.1

45.5 16.9 29.2 8.4 0.1

57.0 7.3 3.7 31.5 0.3

58.9 13.2 1.6 26.2 0.1

76.0 6.5 3.2 14.2 0.2

62.7 1.0 6.7 29.5 0.1

43.1 2.6 1.9 51.7 0.6

68.0 9.7 1.0 21.1 0.2

71.3 2.4 2.5 23.3 0.4

49.7 4.8 1.0 44.3 0.2

21.4 40.5 2.7 35.3 0.2

50.8 2.6 4.7 41.6 0.4

60.9 12.1 8.1 18.8 0.1

34.6 9.7 6.8 48.4 0.5

Class of Worker (percent)

Employee 

of private 

for-profit 

organization

Employee 

of private 

not-for-profit 

organization

Employee of 

government 

entity

Self-employed

Unpaid family 

worker or 

no recent 

employment

67.3 7.1 14.3 10.2 1.1

45.3 15.7 30.1 8.8 0.1

53.9 7.7 3.4 34.5 0.4

47.2 12.4 0.4 39.7 0.3

70.1 6.4 2.5 21.0 0.0

60.7 1.4 5.2 32.6 0.1

39.0 3.2 1.7 55.6 0.6

65.1 11.2 1.1 22.3 0.4

69.1 3.1 2.7 24.7 0.4

47.2 4.0 0.7 47.7 0.4

13.4 40.6 1.9 43.8 0.3

50.6 2.0 3.4 43.4 0.6

58.1 10.5 5.3 25.6 0.5

33.4 11.4 8.7 45.9 0.6
122 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 54

Median income by gender and full-year, full-time work status for the labor force, 

professional occupations and detailed artist occupations, 2000 and 2003-2005 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample and American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.

Total Median income Full-year, fulltime workers

Median income, 

full-year, fulltime workers

Not full-year, 

full-time 

workers

Median income, 

not full-year, 

full-time

2000 (Median incomes are in 1999 dollars)

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 137,678,709 $25,300 82,654,140 $34,000 55,024,569 $11,900 

Professional and related occupations 26,835,799 $36,000 15,983,275 $44,100 10,852,524 $22,500 

All artists 1,930,762 $30,000 1,080,996 $39,500 849,766 $15,100 

Actors 39,054 $22,000 6,696 $35,000 32,358 $19,000 

Announcers 55,392 $21,000 26,574 $30,000 28,818 $10,000 

Architects 196,705 $48,000 153,530 $52,000 43,175 $28,000 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 233,661 $25,000 122,328 $35,000 111,333 $14,000 

Dancers and choreographers 26,129 $15,000 6,091 $25,000 20,038 $12,500 

Designers 751,928 $30,000 465,776 $36,100 286,152 $14,600 

Entertainers and performers 37,511 $18,000 11,480 $30,000 26,031 $13,000 

Musicians and singers 163,453 $20,000 48,495 $34,000 114,958 $14,000 

Photographers 122,350 $24,000 63,271 $33,000 59,079 $12,000 

Producers and directors 140,889 $40,000 94,656 $45,500 46,233 $25,200 

Writers and authors 163,690 $32,000 82,099 $42,300 81,591 $20,000 

2003-2005 (Median incomes are in 1999 dollars)

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 144,898,471 $25,700 88,033,630 $33,000 56,864,841 $11,900 

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 $36,800 17,173,401 $44,800 11,242,395 $24,300 

All artists 1,999,474 $29,700 1,104,636 $38,600 894,838 $17,100 

Actors 39,717 $20,000 5,978 $26,900 33,739 $17,600 

Announcers 55,817 $22,400 27,121 $31,400 28,695 $13,000 

Architects 198,498 $49,500 149,338 $54,100 49,159 $33,000 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 $26,100 111,732 $36,500 105,264 $14,700 

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 $17,000 6,381 $29,500 19,270 $14,200 

Designers 779,359 $29,400 479,691 $35,800 299,668 $16,700 

Entertainers and performers 41,128 $18,400 13,810 $34,000 27,317 $13,600 

Musicians and singers 169,647 $19,300 51,212 $33,000 118,435 $14,800 

Photographers 147,389 $22,400 71,462 $32,100 75,928 $11,300 

Producers and directors 139,996 $40,200 91,772 $44,800 48,224 $29,300 

Writers and authors 185,276 $33,100 96,138 $43,400 89,138 $19,200 

2003-2005 (Median incomes are in 2005 dollars)

Total labor force (age 16 and older) 144,898,471 $30,100 88,033,630 $38,700 56,864,841 $14,000 

Professional and related occupations 28,415,796 $43,200 17,173,401 $52,500 11,242,395 $28,500 

All artists 1,999,474 $34,800 1,104,636 $45,200 894,838 $20,000 

Actors 39,717 $23,400 5,978 $31,500 33,739 $20,700 

Announcers 55,817 $26,300 27,121 $36,800 28,695 $15,300 

Architects 198,498 $58,000 149,338 $63,500 49,159 $38,700 

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 216,996 $30,600 111,732 $42,800 105,264 $17,200 

Dancers and choreographers 25,651 $20,000 6,381 $34,600 19,270 $16,600 

Designers 779,359 $34,400 479,691 $42,000 299,668 $19,600 

Entertainers and performers 41,128 $21,500 13,810 $39,900 27,317 $15,900 

Musicians and singers 169,647 $22,600 51,212 $38,600 118,435 $17,300 

Photographers 147,389 $26,300 71,462 $37,600 75,928 $13,200 

Producers and directors 139,996 $47,100 91,772 $52,500 48,224 $34,400 

Writers and authors 185,276 $38,800 96,138 $50,800 89,138 $22,500 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 123

Men Median income 

for men Women Median income 

for women

73,290,223 $31,000 64,388,486 $20,000

11,864,634 $47,200 14,971,165 $30,000

1,047,650 $36,000 883,112 $23,000

21,953 $25,000 17,101 $19,000

43,385 $22,000 12,007 $17,500

157,154 $51,000 39,551 $35,500

123,329 $31,000 110,332 $18,200

4,099 $19,000 22,030 $15,000

332,402 $37,300 419,526 $23,600

18,727 $22,000 18,784 $15,000

106,417 $22,000 57,036 $15,000

75,098 $30,000 47,252 $14,000

87,747 $43,000 53,142 $35,000

77,339 $38,600 86,351 $28,000

77,630,434 $30,400 67,268,037 $20,900

12,462,782 $47,700 15,953,014 $31,400

1,080,767 $35,800 918,707 $23,300

21,787 $22,800 17,930 $16,300

43,295 $22,000 12,522 $22,400

154,457 $53,800 44,041 $39,500

114,091 $32,300 102,905 $19,300

6,172 $17,400 19,479 $15,600

351,740 $36,300 427,619 $23,900

22,578 $24,200 18,550 $14,900

108,324 $22,300 61,323 $17,200

84,235 $30,300 63,155 $13,900

90,540 $43,000 49,456 $35,800

83,547 $40,300 101,729 $28,400

77,630,434 $35,700 67,268,037 $24,500

12,462,782 $55,900 15,953,014 $36,800

1,080,767 $42,000 918,707 $27,300

21,787 $26,700 17,930 $19,100

43,295 $25,800 12,522 $26,300

154,457 $63,000 44,041 $46,300

114,091 $37,800 102,905 $22,600

6,172 $20,400 19,479 $18,300

351,740 $42,500 427,619 $28,000

22,578 $28,400 18,550 $17,400

108,324 $26,100 61,323 $20,200

84,235 $35,500 63,155 $16,300

90,540 $50,400 49,456 $41,900

83,547 $47,300 101,729 $33,300
124 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 55

Full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by 

gender, for persons who worked in the past 5 years, United States, 1990

Worked in 1989 Did not work in 1989

Total labor 

force and 

labor reserve

Full-year, 

full-time 

workers

Not full-year, 

full-time

Now in labor 

force

Last worked 

2-5 years ago

All persons who worked in the past 5 years 147,302,307 73,221,640 59,178,625 4,397,353 10,504,689

Professional and related workers 18,962,973 9,343,181 8,316,716 313,929 989,147

Total artists 1,974,608 907,773 906,739 56,695 103,401

Actors and directors 127,258 58,086 61,958 2,203 5,011

Announcers 68,170 29,867 33,630 2,182 2,491

Architects 170,470 121,811 42,707 1,968 3,984

Authors 125,048 49,452 62,221 7,585 5,790

Dancers 28,103 4,786 19,589 1,462 2,266

Designers 712,965 363,203 285,991 18,468 45,303

Musicians and composers 181,402 43,409 124,500 5,613 7,880

Painters and sculptors 249,572 110,665 117,269 8,032 13,606

Photographers 169,826 84,931 71,909 4,355 8,631

Teachers of art, drama, and music 24,661 5,604 17,379 410 1,268

Other artists 117,133 35,959 69,586 4,417 7,171

Men who worked in the past 5 years 77,055,897 44,720,226 26,298,294 1,970,199 4,067,178

Professional and related workers 8,488,997 5,414,622 2,651,965 109,336 313,074

Total artists 1,043,901 581,811 402,252 24,413 35,425

Actors and directors 73,295 36,770 33,390 1,190 1,945

Announcers 53,266 24,562 25,561 1,593 1,550

Architects 143,413 107,422 31,715 1,365 2,911

Authors 61,985 28,851 27,330 3,701 2,103

Dancers 6,107 1,273 4,309 284 241

Designers 294,288 198,059 79,989 5,113 11,127

Musicians and composers 117,563 34,020 75,527 3,825 4,191

Painters and sculptors 113,275 60,857 44,986 3,134 4,298

Photographers 112,297 65,585 40,702 2,088 3,922

Teachers of art, drama, and music 11,109 3,304 7,167 133 505

Other artists 57,303 21,108 31,576 1,987 2,632

Women who worked in the past 5 years 70,246,410 28,501,414 32,880,331 2,427,154 6,437,511

Professional and related workers 10,473,976 3,928,559 5,664,751 204,593 676,073

Total artists 930,707 325,962 504,487 32,282 67,976

Actors and directors 53,963 21,316 28,568 1,013 3,066

Announcers 14,904 5,305 8,069 589 941

Architects 27,057 14,389 10,992 603 1,073

Authors 63,063 20,601 34,891 3,884 3,687

Dancers 21,996 3,513 15,280 1,178 2,025

Designers 418,677 165,144 206,002 13,355 34,176

Musicians and composers 63,839 9,389 48,973 1,788 3,689

Painters and sculptors 136,297 49,808 72,283 4,898 9,308

Photographers 57,529 19,346 31,207 2,267 4,709

Teachers of art, drama, and music 13,552 2,300 10,212 277 763

Other artists 59,830 14,851 38,010 2,430 4,539

Note: This table is from Diane C. Ellis and John C. Beresford, Trends in Artist Occupations, 1970-1990; 1994; National Endowment for the Arts, Research Report No. 29. The 

numbers were from tabulations of the 1990 Public Use Microdata Samples, 5% (artists) and 1% (total labor force and professional workers). This table uses the 1990 artist 

categories with no adjustments to 2000 categories. See Appendix A for details on how they differ.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 125

Table 56

Percentage of workers by full-year, full-time work status, by labor force status and year 

last worked, by gender, for persons who worked in the past 5 years, United States, 1990 

Worked in 1989 Did not work in 1989

Total labor 

force and 

labor reserve

Full-year, fulltime workersNot full-year, 

full-time

Now in labor 

force

Last worked 2-5 

years ago

All persons who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 49.7 40.2 3.0 7.1

Professional and related workers 100.0 49.3 43.9 1.7 5.2

Total artists 100.0 46.0 45.9 2.9 5.2

Actors and directors 100.0 45.6 48.7 1.7 3.9

Announcers 100.0 43.8 49.3 3.2 3.7

Architects 100.0 71.5 25.1 1.2 2.3

Authors 100.0 39.5 49.8 6.1 4.6

Dancers 100.0 17.0 69.7 5.2 8.1

Designers 100.0 50.9 40.1 2.6 6.4

Musicians and composers 100.0 23.9 68.6 3.1 4.3

Painters and sculptors 100.0 44.3 47.0 3.2 5.5

Photographers 100.0 50.0 42.3 2.6 5.1

Teachers of art, drama, and music 100.0 22.7 70.5 1.7 5.1

Other artists 100.0 30.7 59.4 3.8 6.1

Men who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 58.0 34.1 2.6 5.3

Professional and related workers 100.0 63.8 31.2 1.3 3.7

Total artists 100.0 55.7 38.5 2.3 3.4

Actors and directors 100.0 50.2 45.6 1.6 2.7

Announcers 100.0 46.1 48.0 3.0 2.9

Architects 100.0 74.9 22.1 1.0 2.0

Authors 100.0 46.5 44.1 6.0 3.4

Dancers 100.0 20.8 70.6 4.7 3.9

Designers 100.0 67.3 27.2 1.7 3.8

Musicians and composers 100.0 28.9 64.2 3.3 3.6

Painters and sculptors 100.0 53.7 39.7 2.8 3.8

Photographers 100.0 58.4 36.2 1.9 3.5

Teachers of art, drama, and music 100.0 29.7 64.5 1.2 4.5

Other artists 100.0 36.8 55.1 3.5 4.6

Women who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 40.6 46.8 3.5 9.2

Professional and related workers 100.0 37.5 54.1 2.0 6.5

Total artists 100.0 35.0 54.2 3.5 7.3

Actors and directors 100.0 39.5 52.9 1.9 5.7

Announcers 100.0 35.6 54.1 4.0 6.3

Architects 100.0 53.2 40.6 2.2 4.0

Authors 100.0 32.7 55.3 6.2 5.8

Dancers 100.0 16.0 69.5 5.4 9.2

Designers 100.0 39.4 49.2 3.2 8.2

Musicians and composers 100.0 14.7 76.7 2.8 5.8

Painters and sculptors 100.0 36.5 53.0 3.6 6.8

Photographers 100.0 33.6 54.2 3.9 8.2

Teachers of art, drama, and music 100.0 17.0 75.4 2.0 5.6

Other artists 100.0 24.8 63.5 4.1 7.6

Note: This table is from Diane C. Ellis and John C. Beresford, Trends in Artist Occupations, 1970-1990; 1994; National Endowment for the Arts, Research Division Report No. 29. 

The numbers were from tabulations of the 1990 Public Use Microdata Samples, 5% (artists) and 1% (total labor force and professional workers). This table uses the 1990 artist 

categories with no adjustments to 2000 categories. See Appendix A for details on how they differ.
126 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 57

Full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by 

gender, for persons who worked in the past 5 years, United States, 2000

Worked in 1999 Did not work in 1999

Total labor 

force and labor 

reserve

Full-year, fulltime workersNot full-year, 

full-time

Now in 

labor force

Last worked 

2-5 years ago

All persons who worked in the past 5 years 168,123,607 87,989,597 63,006,684 4,962,208 12,165,118

Professional and related workers 31,197,611 16,638,608 12,311,324 491,692 1,755,987

Total artists 2,321,637 1,128,057 981,660 62,120 149,800

Actors 55,906 7,171 41,299 1,667 5,769

Announcers 65,077 27,636 32,823 1,840 2,778

Architects 216,867 157,231 49,072 2,348 8,216

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 292,315 129,308 128,704 10,829 23,474

Dancers and choreographers 34,340 6,602 22,815 1,876 3,047

Designers 894,897 483,954 329,920 20,528 60,495

Entertainers and performers 49,438 12,496 31,567 1,861 3,514

Musicians and singers 206,872 53,975 132,231 7,380 13,286

Photographers 151,607 66,827 70,916 3,730 10,134

Producers and directors 157,141 97,605 50,640 3,054 5,842

Writers and authors 197,177 85,252 91,673 7,007 13,245

Men who worked in the past 5 years 87,535,641 52,492,399 27,766,555 2,377,876 4,898,811

Professional and related workers 13,431,797 8,816,959 3,901,735 182,879 530,224

Total artists 1,207,216 694,451 429,118 28,471 55,176

Actors 29,975 4,316 22,407 773 2,479

Announcers 49,859 22,276 24,595 1,443 1,545

Architects 171,078 131,548 32,525 1,794 5,211

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 147,837 78,468 53,738 5,039 10,592

Dancers and choreographers 4,794 958 3,507 141 188

Designers 373,475 250,111 102,424 6,566 14,374

Entertainers and performers 24,459 7,878 14,263 909 1,409

Musicians and singers 131,694 41,673 77,390 5,004 7,627

Photographers 88,208 47,644 34,406 1,655 4,503

Producers and directors 95,854 63,719 27,580 1,880 2,675

Writers and authors 89,983 45,860 36,283 3,267 4,573

Women who worked in the past 5 years 80,587,966 35,497,198 35,240,129 2,584,332 7,266,307

Professional and related workers 17,765,814 7,821,649 8,409,589 308,813 1,225,763

Total artists 1,114,421 433,606 552,542 33,649 94,624

Actors 25,931 2,855 18,892 894 3,290

Announcers 15,218 5,360 8,228 397 1,233

Architects 45,789 25,683 16,547 554 3,005

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 144,478 50,840 74,966 5,790 12,882

Dancers and choreographers 29,546 5,644 19,308 1,735 2,859

Designers 521,422 233,843 227,496 13,962 46,121

Entertainers and performers 24,979 4,618 17,304 952 2,105

Musicians and singers 75,178 12,302 54,841 2,376 5,659

Photographers 63,399 19,183 36,510 2,075 5,631

Producers and directors 61,287 33,886 23,060 1,174 3,167

Writers and authors 107,194 39,392 55,390 3,740 8,672

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 127

Table 58

Percentage of workers by full-year, full-time work status, labor force status and year last 

worked, by gender, for persons who worked in the past 5 years, United States, 2000 

Worked in 1999 Did not work in 1999

Total labor 

force and labor 

reserve

Full-year, fulltime workersNot full-year, 

full-time

Now in labor 

force

Last worked 2-5 

years ago

All persons who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 52.3 37.5 3.0 7.2

Professional and related workers 100.0 53.3 39.5 1.6 5.6

Total artists 100.0 48.6 42.3 2.7 6.5

Actors 100.0 12.8 73.9 3.0 10.3

Announcers 100.0 42.5 50.4 2.8 4.3

Architects 100.0 72.5 22.6 1.1 3.8

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 100.0 44.2 44.0 3.7 8.0

Dancers and choreographers 100.0 19.2 66.4 5.5 8.9

Designers 100.0 54.1 36.9 2.3 6.8

Entertainers and performers 100.0 25.3 63.9 3.8 7.1

Musicians and singers 100.0 26.1 63.9 3.6 6.4

Photographers 100.0 44.1 46.8 2.5 6.7

Producers and directors 100.0 62.1 32.2 1.9 3.7

Writers and authors 100.0 43.2 46.5 3.6 6.7

Men who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 60.0 31.7 2.7 5.6

Professional and related workers 100.0 65.6 29.0 1.4 3.9

Total artists 100.0 57.5 35.5 2.4 4.6

Actors 100.0 14.4 74.8 2.6 8.3

Announcers 100.0 44.7 49.3 2.9 3.1

Architects 100.0 76.9 19.0 1.0 3.0

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 100.0 53.1 36.3 3.4 7.2

Dancers and choreographers 100.0 20.0 73.2 2.9 3.9

Designers 100.0 67.0 27.4 1.8 3.8

Entertainers and performers 100.0 32.2 58.3 3.7 5.8

Musicians and singers 100.0 31.6 58.8 3.8 5.8

Photographers 100.0 54.0 39.0 1.9 5.1

Producers and directors 100.0 66.5 28.8 2.0 2.8

Writers and authors 100.0 51.0 40.3 3.6 5.1

Women who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 44.0 43.7 3.2 9.0

Professional and related workers 100.0 44.0 47.3 1.7 6.9

Total artists 100.0 38.9 49.6 3.0 8.5

Actors 100.0 11.0 72.9 3.4 12.7

Announcers 100.0 35.2 54.1 2.6 8.1

Architects 100.0 56.1 36.1 1.2 6.6

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 100.0 35.2 51.9 4.0 8.9

Dancers and choreographers 100.0 19.1 65.3 5.9 9.7

Designers 100.0 44.8 43.6 2.7 8.8

Entertainers and performers 100.0 18.5 69.3 3.8 8.4

Musicians and singers 100.0 16.4 72.9 3.2 7.5

Photographers 100.0 30.3 57.6 3.3 8.9

Producers and directors 100.0 55.3 37.6 1.9 5.2

Writers and authors 100.0 36.7 51.7 3.5 8.1

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2000 Public Use Microdata 5% Sample.
128 National Endowment for the Arts

Table 59 

Full-year, full-time work status by labor force status and year last worked, by 

gender, for persons who worked in the past 5 years, United States, 2003-2005

Worked in past 12 months Did not work in past 12 months

Total labor 

force and labor 

reserve

Full-year, fulltime workersNot full-year, 

full-time

Now in 

labor force

Last worked 

1-5 years ago

All persons who worked in the past 5 years 171,490,933 90,967,631 63,993,319 2,159,305 14,370,677

Professional and related workers 33,013,165 17,600,196 12,917,024 232,887 2,263,058

Total artists 2,386,922 1,134,195 1,057,337 22,834 172,556

Actors 56,838 6,145 42,835 1,129 6,729

Announcers 64,149 27,836 32,835 711 2,767

Architects 215,142 151,242 54,448 1,916 7,535

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 274,309 117,374 130,361 2,984 23,590

Dancers and choreographers 33,033 6,451 22,852 648 3,081

Designers 923,087 491,562 347,519 7,216 76,790

Entertainers and performers 50,821 14,270 32,734 520 3,296

Musicians and singers 208,593 54,012 139,745 1,754 13,081

Photographers 177,715 73,508 89,145 1,937 13,125

Producers and directors 157,523 93,040 56,966 1,298 6,219

Writers and authors 225,713 98,754 107,895 2,721 16,343

Men who worked in the past 5 years 88,882,004 54,052,680 28,232,695 1,026,338 5,570,292

Professional and related workers 13,992,263 9,066,433 4,123,604 102,776 699,450

Total artists 1,222,637 693,216 462,858 11,498 55,064

Actors 29,684 3,494 23,111 726 2,352

Announcers 48,794 21,712 24,709 423 1,950

Architects 164,202 123,266 35,050 1,526 4,360

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 133,525 70,537 53,635 1,649 7,704

Dancers and choreographers 6,851 1,537 5,193 27 94

Designers 389,526 255,908 111,879 2,813 18,926

Entertainers and performers 26,657 9,510 15,610 325 1,213

Musicians and singers 130,412 41,250 81,996 1,329 5,837

Photographers 96,083 51,788 38,328 887 5,080

Producers and directors 98,676 63,084 32,049 877 2,667

Writers and authors 98,227 51,131 41,298 917 4,881

Women who worked in the past 5 years 82,608,929 36,914,952 35,760,625 1,132,967 8,800,385

Professional and related workers 19,020,902 8,533,763 8,793,420 130,111 1,563,608

Total artists 1,164,285 440,978 594,479 11,335 117,492

Actors 27,154 2,651 19,724 403 4,376

Announcers 15,355 6,124 8,126 288 817

Architects 50,940 27,977 19,398 390 3,175

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 140,783 46,837 76,726 1,335 15,886

Dancers and choreographers 26,183 4,915 17,660 621 2,987

Designers 533,561 235,654 235,640 4,402 57,864

Entertainers and performers 24,164 4,761 17,125 195 2,083

Musicians and singers 78,181 12,762 57,749 425 7,244

Photographers 81,633 21,720 50,817 1,050 8,045

Producers and directors 58,846 29,956 24,918 420 3,552

Writers and authors 127,486 47,623 66,596 1,804 11,462

Note: Because the American Community Survey is an ongoing monthly survey, respondents are interviewed every month and each respondent refers to work in the 12 months 

prior to the interview. In this way, the reference period differs from the 1990 and 2000 census data where the reference period was always the previous calendar year.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 129

Table 60

 Percentage of workers by full-year, full-time work status, by labor force status and year last 

worked, by gender, for persons who worked in the past 5 years, United States, 2003-2005

Worked in past 12 months Did not work in past 12 months

Total labor 

force and labor 

reserve

Full-year, fulltime workersNot full-year, 

full-time

Now in 

labor force

Last worked 

1-5 years ago

All persons who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 53.0 37.3 1.3 8.4

Professional and related workers 100.0 53.3 39.1 0.7 6.9

Total artists 100.0 47.5 44.3 1.0 7.2

Actors 100.0 10.8 75.4 2.0 11.8

Announcers 100.0 43.4 51.2 1.1 4.3

Architects 100.0 70.3 25.3 0.9 3.5

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 100.0 42.8 47.5 1.1 8.6

Dancers and choreographers 100.0 19.5 69.2 2.0 9.3

Designers 100.0 53.3 37.6 0.8 8.3

Entertainers and performers 100.0 28.1 64.4 1.0 6.5

Musicians and singers 100.0 25.9 67.0 0.8 6.3

Photographers 100.0 41.4 50.2 1.1 7.4

Producers and directors 100.0 59.1 36.2 0.8 3.9

Writers and authors 100.0 43.8 47.8 1.2 7.2

Men who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 60.8 31.8 1.2 6.3

Professional and related workers 100.0 64.8 29.5 0.7 5.0

Total artists 100.0 56.7 37.9 0.9 4.5

Actors 100.0 11.8 77.9 2.4 7.9

Announcers 100.0 44.5 50.6 0.9 4.0

Architects 100.0 75.1 21.3 0.9 2.7

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 100.0 52.8 40.2 1.2 5.8

Dancers and choreographers 100.0 22.4 75.8 0.4 1.4

Designers 100.0 65.7 28.7 0.7 4.9

Entertainers and performers 100.0 35.7 58.6 1.2 4.6

Musicians and singers 100.0 31.6 62.9 1.0 4.5

Photographers 100.0 53.9 39.9 0.9 5.3

Producers and directors 100.0 63.9 32.5 0.9 2.7

Writers and authors 100.0 52.1 42.0 0.9 5.0

Women who worked in the past 5 years 100.0 44.7 43.3 1.4 10.7

Professional and related workers 100.0 44.9 46.2 0.7 8.2

Total artists 100.0 37.9 51.1 1.0 10.1

Actors 100.0 9.8 72.6 1.5 16.1

Announcers 100.0 39.9 52.9 1.9 5.3

Architects 100.0 54.9 38.1 0.8 6.2

Fine artists, art directors, and animators 100.0 33.3 54.5 0.9 11.3

Dancers and choreographers 100.0 18.8 67.4 2.4 11.4

Designers 100.0 44.2 44.2 0.8 10.8

Entertainers and performers 100.0 19.7 70.9 0.8 8.6

Musicians and singers 100.0 16.3 73.9 0.5 9.3

Photographers 100.0 26.6 62.3 1.3 9.9

Producers and directors 100.0 50.9 42.3 0.7 6.0

Writers and authors 100.0 37.4 52.2 1.4 9.0

Note: Because the American Community Survey is an ongoing monthly survey, respondents are interviewed every month and each respondent refers to work in the 12 months 

prior to the interview. In this way, the reference period differs from the 1990 and 2000 census data where the reference period was always the previous calendar year.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Samples, 2003, 2004, 2005.

Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 131

Appendix A.

Census occupation codes, 1990 and 2000.

New occupation codes for 2000

In 2000, the United States Census Bureau began to use the 

new Standard Occupation Classification that was designed 

during the 1990s to better describe the modern labor 

force. Key changes include more detail on the increasingly 

prevalent service, communications and information 

occupations, and better descriptions of computer and 

technical occupations that had not existed when the earlier 

coding scheme was developed. 

The 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 

system is used by federal statistical agencies to classify 

workers into occupational categories for the purpose of 

collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. All workers 

are classified into one of over 820 occupations according 

to their occupational definitions. To facilitate classification, 

occupations are combined to form 23 major groups, 96 

minor groups, and 449 broad occupations. Each broad 

occupation includes detailed occupation(s) requiring similar 

job duties, skills, education, or experience. The 2000 

census occupation codes include 509 separate categories 

arranged into the 23 major groups of the SOC. 

Specific occupations included 

in this report

When the Census Bureau publishes data tables from the 

2000 census or the American Community Survey, it usually 

includes the 23 major occupation groups of the SOC. One 

of these groups is called “Arts, design, entertainment, 

sports, and media occupations”, with 2,484,201 people 

at the time of the 2000 census. But this report focuses on 

1,927,400 artists as selected by the National Endowment 

for the Arts. The census group includes athletes, news 

reporters, and other media workers who would not 

fit most definitions of artists. The NEA group includes 

eleven specific occupations, most of which are included 

in the census group, with the notable exception of 

architects (who are classified within the “Architecture and 

engineering occupations” group). Data from the 1990 

census have been adjusted to represent the new categories 

as closely as possible. 

This report focuses on the 11 artist occupations selected by 

the NEA:

• Actors

• Announcers

• Architects, except naval

• Artists and related workers

• Dancers and choreographers

• Designers

• Entertainers and performers, sports and related 

workers, all other

• Musicians, singers and related workers

• Photographers

• Producers and directors

• Writers and authors

Detailed definitions 

of occupations

Following are the definitions for each of the artist 

occupations, as specified in the Standard Occupation 

Classification manual (SOC) and the Census Bureau’s 

occupation coding schemes for the 2000 census (2000 

PUMS) and the more recent American Community Survey 

files (ACS).

Actors 

2000 PUMS 270

ACS 2700

SOC 27-2011 

Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion 

picture productions for entertainment, information, or 

instruction. Interpret serious or comic role by speech, 

gesture, and body movement to entertain or inform 

audience. May dance and sing.
132 National Endowment for the Arts

Announcers

2000 PUMS 280

ACS 2800

SOC 27-3010 

27-3011 Radio and Television Announcers

Talk on radio or television. May interview guests, act as 

master of ceremonies, read news flashes, identify station 

by giving call letters, or announce song title and artist.

27-3012 Public Address System and 

Other Announcers

Make announcements over loudspeaker at sporting or 

other public events. May act as master of ceremonies or 

disc jockey at weddings, parties, clubs, or other gathering 

places.

Architects, except naval 

(called “Architects” in this report)

2000 PUMS 130

ACS 1300

SOC 17-1010 

17-1011 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval

Plan and design structures, such as private residences, 

office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural 

property.

17-1012 Landscape Architects

Plan and design land areas for such projects as parks and 

other recreational facilities, airports, highways, hospitals, 

schools, land subdivisions, and commercial, industrial, and 

residential sites.

Artists and related workers 

(called “Fine artists, art directors, and animators” in this report)

2000 PUMS 260

ACS 2600

SOC 27-1010 

27-1011 Art Directors

Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches, 

and direct workers engaged in art work, layout design, 

and copy writing for visual communications media, such as 

magazines, books, newspapers, and packaging.

27-1012 Craft Artists

Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and 

exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, 

weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.

27-1013 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, 

and Illustrators

Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of 

mediums and techniques, such as painting and sculpture.

27-1014 Multi-Media Artists and Animators

Create special effects, animation, or other visual images 

using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and 

media for use in products or creations, such as computer 

games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

27-1019 Artists and Related Workers, All Other

All artists and related workers not listed separately.

Dancers and Choreographers

2000 PUMS 274

ACS 2740

SOC 27-2030 

27-2031 Dancers

Perform dances. May also sing or act.

27-2032 Choreographers

Create and teach dance. May direct and stage 

presentations.

Designers

2000 PUMS 263

ACS 2630

SOC 27-1020 

27-1021 Commercial and Industrial Designers

Develop and design manufactured products, such as cars, 

home appliances, and children’s toys. Combine artistic 

talent with research on product use, marketing, and 

materials to create the most functional and appealing 

product design.

27-1022 Fashion Designers

Design clothing and accessories. Create original garments 

or design garments that follow well-established fashion 
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 133

trends. May develop the line of color and kinds of 

materials.

27-1023 Floral Designers

Design, cut, and arrange live, dried, or artificial flowers 

and foliage.

27-1024 Graphic Designers

Design or create graphics to meet a client’s specific 

commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, 

displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve 

artistic or decorative effects.

27-1025 Interior Designers

Plan, design, and furnish interiors of residential, 

commercial, or industrial buildings. Formulate design which 

is practical, aesthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, 

such as raising productivity, selling merchandise, or 

improving lifestyle. May specialize in a particular field, style, 

or phase of interior design. 

27-1026 Merchandise Displayers and 

Window Trimmers

Plan and erect commercial displays, such as those in 

windows and interiors of retail stores and at trade 

exhibitions.

27-1027 Set and Exhibit Designers

Design special exhibits and movie, television, and theater 

sets. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct 

research to determine appropriate architectural styles.

27-1029 Designers, All Other

All designers not listed separately.

Entertainers and Performers, Sports and 

Related Workers, All Other 

(called “Entertainers and performers” in this report)

2000 PUMS 276

ACS 2760

SOC 27-2099 

All entertainers and performers, sports and related workers 

not listed separately.

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers 

(called “Musicians” or “Musicians and singers” in this report)

2000 PUMS 275

ACS 2750

SOC 27-2040 

27-2041 Music Directors and Composers

Conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal 

performances by musical groups, such as orchestras, 

choirs, and glee clubs. Include arrangers, composers, 

choral directors, and orchestrators.

27-2042 Musicians and Singers

Play one or more musical instruments or entertain by 

singing songs in recital, in accompaniment, or as a member 

of an orchestra, band, or other musical group. Musical 

performers may entertain onstage, radio, TV, film, video, 

or record in studios. 

Photographers 

2000 PUMS 291

ACS 2910

SOC 27-4021 

Photograph persons, subjects, merchandise, or other 

commercial products. May develop negatives and produce 

finished prints. Include scientific photographers, aerial 

photographers, and photojournalists.

Producers and Directors 

2000 PUMS 271

ACS 2710

SOC 27-2012 

Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or motion 

picture productions for entertainment, information, or 

instruction. Responsible for creative decisions, such as 

interpretation of script, choice of guests, set design, sound, 

special effects, and choreography.

Writers and Authors 

2000 PUMS 285

ACS 2850

SOC 27-3043 

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, 

stories, advertisements, and other material. Does not 

include technical writers, editors, or journalists.
134 National Endowment for the Arts

Conversion of 1990 data to the 

new occupation codes

Under the old occupation coding scheme used for the 

1980 and 1990 censuses, the artist occupations selected 

by the NEA were:

• Actors and directors

• Announcers

• Architects

• Authors

• Dancers

• Designers

• Musicians and composers

• Painters, sculptors, craft-artists, and artist printmakers

• Photographers

• Teachers of art, drama, and music in higher education

• Artists, performers, and related workers, not 

elsewhere classified (n.e.c.)

The Census Bureau has developed conversion factors 

that were used to convert 1990 census data to the 

new occupation codes for this report. Most of the new 

groupings include the same people who would have been 

called artists under the old scheme. Art teachers—there 

were about 21,000 in 1990—are no longer identifiable 

as artists because they are included in the new detailed 

category “Postsecondary teachers”. Announcers, dancers, 

and musicians were almost identical under both schemes. 

Actors and directors were combined in 1990, but became 

two separate categories in 2000, with “actors” separated 

from “producers and directors”. Almost 47,000 “Producers 

and directors” were categorized as “Managers and 

administrators, not elsewhere classified” (not artists) in 

1990. Most of the other categories remain reasonably 

similar to the old definitions. Many of the changes reflect 

the increasing technology in the art world, like the 

inclusion of “Multi-media artists and animators” in the 

“Artists and related workers” group. In this report, we 

have used the more descriptive “Fine artists, art directors, 

and animators” to replace the Census Bureau’s title 

“Artists and related workers”. Our adjusted 1990 numbers 

for “Fine artists, art directors, and animators” and 

“Architects” each include about 10,000 people who were 

placed in the non-artist “Drafting occupations” in 1990. 

Following are the details of how the artist occupations 

were derived from the 1990 census EEO file, using the 

“crosswalk” developed by the Census Bureau. 

Architects, except naval

 100% of Architects

plus 3.165% of Drafting occupations

Artists and related workers

 78.341% of Painters, sculptors, 

 craft-artists, and artist 

 printmakers

plus 11.475% of Technicians n.e.c

plus 10.241% of Artists, performers, and 

 related workers, n.e.c

plus 6.897% of Sales support occupations

plus 4.641% of Designers

plus 3.165% of Drafting occupations

plus 1.667% of Photographers

Designers

 94.937% of Designers

plus 20.737% of Painters, Sculptors, Craft 

 artists, and artist printmakers

plus 4.348% of Managers, horticultural 

 specialty farms

plus 0.146% of Managers and 

 Administrators, n.e.c

Actors

 32.778% of Actors and directors

Producers and directors

 61.111% of Actors and directors

plus 7.229% of Artists, performers, and 

 related workers

plus 0.877% of Managers and 

 administrators, n.e.c

Dancers and choreographers

 99.351% of Dancers

Musicians, singers, and related workers

 100% of Musicians and composers

plus 0.649% of Dancers
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 135

Entertainers and performers, sports and related 

workers, all other

 17.470% of Artists, performers, and related 

 workers, n.e.c

plus 0.556% of Actors and directors 

Announcers

 100% of Announcers

plus 3.333% of Actors and directors 

plus 2.410% of Artists, performers, and 

 related workers, n.e.c

plus 1.064% of Personal service 

 occupations, n.e.c.

Writers and authors

 93.684% of Authors

plus 9.767% of Editors and reporters

plus 4.444% of Public relations specialists

Photographers

 76.667% of Photographers

plus 6.918 % of Photographic process

 machine operators
136 National Endowment for the Arts

Appendix B. Data sources and accuracy 

Data Sources

The numbers in this report are estimates from the 1990 

and 2000 census and the American Community Survey 

(ACS) from 2003 through 2005. The decennial census is a 

complete count of the population, but the artist numbers 

were derived from the occupation information that was 

part of the “long form”, an expanded questionnaire 

answered by approximately one household in six. The 

other households answered only a shorter basic census 

questionnaire. The ACS is an ongoing survey designed to 

replace the long form in future years. The ACS sample is 

smaller than the census long-form sample, with a complex 

sample design, but several years of data can be aggregated 

to produce numbers for small geographic areas and small 

populations such as artists. Thus, the margin of error for 

each individual year is larger than the margin of error for 

the census sample results. In this report, we have used a 

three-year average, making the estimates more reliable 

than one-year estimates, but still less reliable than the 

2000 census long form.

The definition of artists begins with the census or ACS 

question about a person’s occupation. The most reliable 

estimates of occupations are included in the Equal 

Employment Opportunity (EEO) data files. The special 

EEO tabulations were developed to provide detailed 

occupation data from the decennial census. To meet 

the Census Bureau’s disclosure avoidance standards, the 

EEO tabulations used special rounding rules that result in 

numbers that will not exactly agree with other estimates 

from the census. This report includes information from the 

1990 and 2000 EEO files. The 1990 numbers have been 

adjusted, as described in Appendix A. 

Most of the data in this report are from Public Use 

Microdata Samples from the 2000 census and the 

American Community Survey from 2003 through 2005. 

For all files, most tables include the civilian labor force, 

employed and unemployed. The occupation data usually 

refer to the person’s job in the week before the interview 

or questionnaire. The information about income and 

weeks and hours worked refer to the job held longest in 

the reference year. For decennial census data, the reference 

year is the year before the census (1989 or 1999). For 

the ACS, the reference year is the 12 months before the 

interview. Thus, the ACS numbers refer to a rolling time 

period, while the census numbers refer to a fixed calendar 

year. 

For the more detailed characteristics at the national level, 

a combined ACS 2003-3005 microdata file was created. 

Because some of the artist occupations have small 

numbers, year-to-year fluctuations can seem large, but 

much of the differences can be attributed to sampling 

error. When the three years are averaged, the sampling 

error is less. 

1990 and 2000 Census Equal Employment 

Opportunity Data

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/eeoindex/eeoindex.html

The EEO files are special tabulations from the 1990 and 

2000 census that provide detailed data for individual 

occupations. These data were used in Tables 1 through 15, 

33 through 40, and 42 through 44.

Public Use Microdata Samples

PUMS files contain information about individual persons 

and households, including the specific occupation code 

and many personal characteristics. PUMS samples are 

designed to protect the confidentiality of all respondents. 

2000 Census 5% Public Use Microdata Sample

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/

PUMS5.html

2000 census PUMS files were used to prepare Tables 16 

through 28, 30, 41, 45, 47 through 54, 57, and 58.
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 137

2003 through 2005 American Community 

Survey Public Use Microdata Samples

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/

PUMS files from 2003, 2004, and 2005 were combined. 

Adjustments were made to ensure that all variables 

were compatible from year to year, and all weights were 

adjusted. This file was used to prepare Tables 1, 16, 29, 31 

through 40, 46 through 48, 50 through 54, 59 and 60.

1990 Census 5% Public Use Microdata Samples

Tables 55 and 56, reprinted from NEA report #29, were 

prepared from 1990 5 percent and 1 percent PUMS files. 

The text table that includes 1990 information on selfemployment was generated from the 1990 Artist Extract 

file at the Cultural Policy and Arts National Data Archive 

(www.cpanda.org). Because the Artist Extract file includes 

only artists and their household members, the Professional 

and Labor force numbers were generated through the 

IPUMS Online Data Analysis System (http://usa.ipums.

org/usa/sda/), a product of the Integrated Public Use 

Microdata Series at the Minnesota Population Center. 

Accuracy of the data

Every sample survey is subject to two types of error: 

sampling error and nonsampling error. The data in the 

census and ACS products are estimates of the actual 

figures that would have been obtained by interviewing 

the entire population using the same methodology. 

The estimates from the chosen sample also differ from 

other samples of housing units and persons within those 

housing units. Sampling error in data arises due to the use 

of probability sampling, which is necessary to ensure the 

integrity and representativeness of sample survey results. 

The implementation of statistical sampling procedures 

provides the basis for the statistical analysis of sample data. 

Estimates made with PUMS data are subject to additional 

sampling error because the PUMS data consist of a subset 

of the full sample. Thus, standard errors of PUMS estimates 

can be larger than standard errors that would be obtained 

by using all of the ACS data or the census sample data. 

The standard error is a measure of the deviation of a 

sample estimate from the average of all possible samples. 

Sampling error and some types of nonsampling error are 

estimated by the standard error. The sample estimate and 

its estimated standard error permit the construction of 

interval estimates with a prescribed confidence that the 

interval includes the average result of all possible samples. 

Detailed information about estimating standard errors 

can be found in the Census Bureau’s publications about 

the accuracy of the estimates. As each file is released, an 

accompanying publication on accuracy contains specific 

instructions based on the individual sample. Tables 

17 through 29 in this report show estimates of artist 

occupations by state with the margin of error at the 90 

percent confidence level, the standard that the Census 

Bureau uses for most published numbers. In brief, this 

confidence level indicates a 90 percent probability that the 

number would fall within the stated range. 

Further information about accuracy of the data can be 

found on the Census Bureau’s web site. Information and 

standard error formulas for the American Community 

Survey can be found at:

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/Accuracy/

Accuracy1.htm

There is a separate document for each year of the ACS.

Information and standard error formulas for the 2000 

Census PUMS can be found in Chapter 4 of the Technical 

Documentation at:

http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/pums.pdf

The 2000 Census PUMS technical documentation also 

contains instructions for adjusting the standard error 

formula when multiple samples are combined. This 

formula was used to adjust the standard errors for the ACS 

2003-2005 averaged numbers in this report.
138 National Endowment for the Arts

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing 

survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in every 

county, American Indian and Alaska Native Area, and 

Hawaiian Home Land in the United States. This is a 

new approach to producing information about the 

characteristics of local communities, eliminating the need 

for a long form in the 2010 Census. It produces social, 

housing, and economic characteristics for demographic 

groups, eventually for geographic areas as small as census 

tracts and block groups.

The ACS will annually provide the same kind of detailed 

information previously available only every 10 years from 

the census. The 2010 census will continue to count the 

population to support the Constitutional mandate—to 

provide population counts needed to apportion the seats 

in the U. S. House of Representatives. States develop 

redistricting plans based on this information. The ACS 

will not provide those counts, but will provide annually 

updated data on the characteristics of population and 

housing.

The ACS began in 1996 with a sample of counties across 

the country. From 2000 through 2004, the sample 

included between 740,000 and 900,000 addresses 

annually. In 2005, the ACS shifted from a demonstration 

program to the full sample size and design. It became the 

largest household survey in the United States, with an 

annual sample size of about 3 million addresses. Every year 

the ACS can support the release of single-year estimates 

for geographic areas with populations of 65,000 or more. 

The ACS will accumulate samples over three-year and fiveyear intervals to produce estimates for smaller geographic 

areas including census tracts and block groups. 

This report used the ACS Public Use Microdata Samples 

from 2003 through 2005, weighted to represent a threeyear average estimate. Because the data from 2003 and 

2004 are based on smaller samples, the margin of error 

is larger than can be expected when three years of the 

full sample are combined and averaged. Although the 

2003-2005 averages used in this report are more reliable 

than single-year estimates would have been, better 

estimates can be expected from future ACS years. The 

first published three-year estimates will use 2005-2007 

averages, when all three years will include the full 3 million 

sample households. The smallest geographic areas (and 

the smallest artist occupation groups) will need five-year 

averages for reliable estimates. Even with the accumulated 

five-year averages of 15 million sample households, the 

ACS will not achieve the sample size of the decennial 

census long form, which included more than 40 million 

people in 2000.

The smaller ACS sample will have a noticeable impact 

on the analysis of the smaller artist occupations in future 

years. This report, like previous NEA reports, includes 

detailed artist occupation data at the state level for 

decennial census years. For the ACS data, only multi-state 

regions are included because some margins of error were 

too high at the state level. For example, even with the 

full 2000 census long-form sample, a few states had no 

actors in their sample populations. In the 2005 ACS data, 

however, nearly half of the states had no actors in the 

sample. For states with large populations, it is possible to 

produce reliable estimates of some artist occupations from 

this sample. The reliability will increase in the next few 

years with the availability of more data years that can be 

combined. 

Another approach would be to combine some of the 

smaller occupation groups. Dancers, actors, entertainers, 

and announcers are the smallest groups. If combined into 

“performing artists” (possibly adding musicians to the 

group), state-level estimates of characteristics might be 

possible, even for smaller states. 

The “group quarters” population was not included in 

the ACS until 2006. Group quarters include persons in 

institutionalized settings, such as correctional institutions 

and nursing homes, and noninstitutionalized group 

quarters, such as college dormitories, military quarters, 

and group homes. Because this report uses the 2003-2005 

ACS data, no “group quarters” residents are included. 

Appendix C. The American Community Survey
Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005 139

Among the artist population, the 2000 census included 

about 20,000 group-quarters residents, most of them in 

college dormitories.

ACS topics

The topics covered by the ACS focus on demographic, 

social, economic, and housing characteristics. These topics 

are virtually the same as those covered by the census 2000 

long-form sample data.

Demographic Characteristics

Sex, age, relationship, households by type, race, and 

Hispanic origin

Social Characteristics

School enrollment, educational attainment, marital status, 

fertility, grandparents caring for children, veteran status, 

disability status, residence one year ago, place of birth, U.S. 

citizenship status, year of entry, world region of birth of 

foreign-born, language spoken at home, and ancestry

Economic Characteristics

Employment status, commuting to work, occupation, 

industry, class of worker, income and benefits, and poverty 

status

Housing Characteristics

Housing occupancy, units in structure, year structure built, 

number of rooms, number of bedrooms, housing tenure, 

year householder moved into unit, vehicles available, house 

heating fuel, utility costs, occupants per room, housing 

value, mortgage status and costs

More information

Because the ACS is new, there is a wealth of information 

on the web, and new information becomes available on a 

regular basis. Each year, the ACS data release represents 

a new stage in a new process. Consequently, many 

documents are required to explain the survey and how to 

use it. The best place to start is the Census Bureau’s ACS 

main page: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ 

The 2006 Data Users Handbook provides a good overview: 

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/

Handbook2006.pdf

Other information is available for each year of the ACS, for 

definitions of the data contents, for geographic definitions, 

and many other topics. Many research reports discuss the 

sample design and methodology. Particularly helpful are 

the guidelines for comparing ACS data to data from other 

sources: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/

compACS.htm

Labor force and income data pose unique problems. The 

ACS reference period is constantly shifting, unlike the 

fixed calendar year referenced by the decennial census. In 

addition, the ACS is providing an alternative data source 

for information traditionally measured by the Current 

Population Survey. The Census Bureau has a web page that 

discusses differences among the various sources of data 

on income and poverty: http://www.census.gov/hhes/

www/poverty/newguidance.html

An excellent overview of the ACS, complete with several 

chapters of useful information for data users, is Using the 

American Community Survey: Benefits and Challenges, 

edited by Constance F. Citro and Graham Kalton (The 

National Academies Press, 2007). The book is available for 

purchase and is also available to read online at no charge. 

http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11901

Other advice for users can be found on the web. One 

concise summary of key issues is the Missouri State Data 

Center’s “Ten Things to Know about the American 

Community Survey (2005 Edition)” at: http://mcdc2.

missouri.edu/pub/data/acs2005/Ten_things_to_

know.shtml
140 National Endowment for the Arts

Cover: Ballet Memphis company dancers perform Karl Condon’s South of Everywhere. Photo 

courtesy of Ballet Memphis

Page iii: NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. Photo by Vance Jacobs

Page 23: Actors Cherise Booth and Russell Hornsby in Signature Theater’s production of August 

Wilson’s King Hedley II. Photo by Carol Rosegg

Page 24: Radio announcer/host Nick Spitzer (left) interviews zydeco musician Buckwheat Zydeco 

as part of the radio series, American Routes. Photo by the University of New Orleans

Page 25: Architect Tom Wollan gives third-grade students a tour of Des Moines’ architecture. 

Photo by Jessica Reinert

Page 26: Master artist John Scott pulling a print of “Spirit House,” a public art project. Photo 

courtesy of Art Council of New Orleans

Page 27: Ballet Memphis dancers Marianna Ramsour and Garrett Ammon perform in Trey 

McIntyre’s Grace. Photo courtesy of Ballet Memphis

Page 28: Designer Robert M. Greenberg. Photo by Alen MacWeeney/CORBIS

Page 29: NEA Heritage Fellow Yuqin Wang demonstrates the art of Chinese rod puppetry. Photo by 

Jim Saah

Page 30: Cellist Fred Sherry in a performance at one of the OK MOZART Festival’s daily miniconcerts. Photo by Becky Burch

Page 31: Alma Levenson, Self-Portrait (Hands), 1932. Photo courtesy of Collection Center for Creative 

Photography, University of Arizona

Page 32: (From left) Playwright Edward Albee, director Pam MacKinnon, and actors Frank Wood 

and Johanna Day in rehearsal for Albee’s play Homelife. Photo by Carol Rosegg

Page 33: Poet Suji Kwock Kim at the 2004 National Book Festival. Photo by Jim Saah

photo credits

A Great Nation Deserves Great Art.

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20506-0001

(202) 682-5400

www.arts.gov

Not for sale–Available for free at www.arts.gov