How much does a Children’s Book Illustrator make per Year? Average Annual Salary Range

Children’s book illustration is an excellent career for any up and coming artist. The average pay for one in this profession is $36,200, with the range lying between $16,300 and $75,600. Best-selling illustrators often earn much more than these figures. If not paid a flat fee, illustrators will earn their salary based on royalties, which are generally split with the author of the text portion of the book. The standard royalty is 7% for paperback books and 11% for hardcover. The difference in how the royalty is split depends upon contribution. Providing a few illustrations for a novel will earn about 10%, while a heavily illustrated book can earn up to 75% of the royalty amounts, or more.