The Price of the Futureby Shelby Thibodeau When the biggest worry for twenty-somethings in the arts is what to do after graduation, it's hard to think about anything that doesn't involve getting into graduate school or getting a job. However, it is important to remember the smaller details, especially for those who are planning on moving to a city. Statistics from the Houston Chronicle state that the most successful artist's (visual arts) wage is above $90,000 with the average being $53,000 and the lowest yearly income being $19,000. Interestingly enough, Maine was the state with the highest paid artists at $95,830. Washington came in second with $64,090 and California with $63,880. Of course, any job in the arts will be hard to obtain and will probably not start out with such a high wage. One major city in Maine is Portland, and comparisons between a $35,000 salary and what that will buy in Portland to that in other popular cities in the country are often quite surprising.

 

Chicago: $36,863

Groceries: 3% less

Housing: 13% more

Utilities: 12% more

Transportation: 18% more

Health Care: 19% less

 

San Francisco: $51,754

Groceries: 12% more

Housing: 145% more

Utilities: 8% more

Transportation: 6% more

Health Care: 3% less

 

Los Angeles: $41,375

Groceries: 3% less

Housing: 63% more

Utilities: 20% more

Transportation: 3% more

Health Care: 9% less

 

Boston: $44,605

Groceries: 21% more

Housing: 46% more

Utilities: 64% more

Transportation: 3% less

Health Care: 4% more

 

New York (Manhattan): $70,818

Groceries: 32% more

Housing: 271% more

Utilities: 49% more

Transportation: 16% more

Health Care: 6% less

 

Philadelphia: $38,547

Groceries: 9% more

Housing: 17% more

Utilities: 45% more

Transportation: 2% less

Health Care: 18% less

 

Miami: $34,009

Groceries: 4% less

Housing: 3% less

Utilities: 9% more

Transportation: 2% more

Health Care: 12% less

 

      Facts like these can appear scary at this time in our lives, but it is better to leap into a new world with a map than to go in blind.

 

"Cost of Living Calculator: Compare the Cost of Living in Two Cities." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.

 

Locsin, Aurelio. "How Much Money Do Visual Artists Make in a Year?" Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.