In the period 2021/2023, an average of 194,000 people worked as an artist in the job where they worked the most hours. This means that 1 in 50 workers was an artist. This is evident from the Monitor Artists and Other Workers with a Creative Profession, 2025 edition, which CBS compiled at the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).

Nearly 6 in 10 Artists Work Independently

The majority of artists (56 percent) worked as independent contractors, such as graphic designers, multimedia designers, architects, or authors. A smaller portion (3 percent) was self-employed with personnel. Among all workers, 15 percent were self-employed, and the majority (56 percent) had permanent employment contracts.

More Than a Quarter of Artists Earn Less Than 20,000 Euros

Artists generally have a lower personal income. In 2021/2023, more than a quarter of all artists (27 percent) had a gross annual income of less than 20,000 euros. Among all workers, this was 19 percent. There is also a difference at the higher income levels: 16 percent of artists earned at least 80,000 euros, compared to 23 percent among the total workforce. When the income of a partner or other household members is also considered, the differences are smaller. The standardized household income of artists differs less from that of other workers because they are somewhat more likely to have a working partner than average and less likely to have children living at home. Their wealth also differs relatively little from that of workers in general. Wealth has grown significantly in recent years, especially because owner-occupied homes have increased in value.

More Than 1 in 3 Artists in Business Services

The largest group of artists (35 percent) worked in business services, such as at architecture or advertising agencies. Additionally, a quarter (25 percent) worked in the culture, recreation, and other services sector. ICT was in third place (13 percent). In comparison, 13 percent of the total working population worked in business services, 5 percent in culture, recreation, and other services, and 4 percent in ICT. Artists are more likely than average to have more than one job. Among the total working population, 10 percent had more than one job. Among artists, this was 16 percent.