Working in the metaverse is one of the latest career options for artists. If you can build with creativity, the metaverse is the right industry to utilize your talent and skills.
If you wish to become a metaverse artist, knowing how much money you can make from this new type of job is right. This article will provide information regarding how much artists are actually making in the metaverse.
Avenues to make money as a metaverse artist
Before discussing how much artists are raking in from their job in the metaverse, consider the avenues available to make money.
Contests
Metaverse platforms regularly hold builder contests. In fact, only a few events are held in Decentraland or The Sandbox events that do not feature a contest.
For example, there was a special Emotes contest during the Decentraland Metaverse Music Festival of 2022. In this contest, ten artists that came up with the best Emotes earned a share of 6200 MANA or ($4,000). Similarly, The Sandbox held an NFT Art competition in 2021, where participants won a share of 45,000 SAND tokens.
A 3D artist should always look out for upcoming events in virtual worlds. If those events include a contest, follow the related instructions and ensure you submit before the deadline.
Building games
This method of earning is more straightforward. Yet, it could be expensive and time-consuming. Open virtual worlds allow game developers or artists to build games using in-house game engines or third-party software.
After building a game, you can monetize in two ways. Firstly, by charging those who would like to play your game. Secondly, introduce unique assets like cosmetics, weapons, and wearables, which players need to improve their performance during gameplay.
Meanwhile, another exciting catch to building metaverse games is that you can add it to your portfolio when applying for jobs with brands. By doing that, you can assure an employer of your experience as a metaverse artist.
Creating metaverse assets
Metaverse assets include wearables, cosmetics, furniture, fictional creatures, etc. People need such items in virtual worlds because they can use them to complement their avatars or add them to an experience.
Accordingly, metaverse artists and builders can earn extra income by building and selling assets on marketplaces. Decentraland has another form of asset known as Emotes. Emotes are facial expressions, poses, and characteristics you can add to an avatar. Artists can also design unique Emotes and sell them on the Decentraland marketplace.
Notably, the earning opportunities mentioned above might not be consistent sources of income. Therefore, metaverse artists need stable jobs. You may work with one brand as a full-time artist or a freelance artist with multiple clients.
Consider how much artists are currently making from full-time and freelance metaverse jobs:
How much can you make as a full-time metaverse artist?
Working as a full-time metaverse artist has proven highly rewarding, especially when working for a leading tech company. You can start with a company as a 3D artist and gain knowledge in building augmented and virtual reality experiences.
For instance, Meta recently added new job openings for metaverse artists. Most of the roles are related to building 3D characters and technical artworks. Two are openings for Avatar Concept Artists and 3D Character Artists.
The Avatar Concept Artist Artist was to produce character concepts, storyboards, and metaverse assets using tools like Unity and Unreal Engine. The annual salary attached to this role was $127,000 to $178,000, along with other benefits.
Similarly, the 3D Character artist would make at least $127,000 a year to sculpt high-resolution character models and create game models with tools like Blender, Maya, Unity, etc. Interestingly, none of the roles require a university degree. Artists only need experience in game creation, 3D modeling, and proficiency with relevant software.
Like Meta, other metaverse companies regularly employ artists that can help them actualize the goal of building immersive virtual worlds while offering a salary range close to that of Meta.
How much independent metaverse artists are making today
Freelance or independent artists have the liberty to work for multiple brands at the same time. This gives them the ability to earn as much as they want. However, working as a freelance artist does not guarantee that you will make more money than you would if you were to work full-time with one brand. Remember, you only get paid according to the job you deliver as a freelancer.
Regardless of the strings attached, freelance metaverse artists earn reasonable income today and can make much more. Recent research by Sandstorm revealed that most independent builders prefer to charge brands based on the volume of work they will do and not by the hour. So, you don’t have to constantly work on the hour, as long as you meet a client’s deadline. This research also revealed that metaverse artists charge $20 to $200 for a minimally designed avatar and $50 – $500 to design a wearable asset.
How much do artists earn on Sandstorm?
Proposals to build animated assets and characters can range from $100 upwards. When the proposal is a collection (e.g., ten assets in one proposal), artists can earn up to $1,000 if all their assets are accepted.
When creating complete experiences, artists earn between $1,000 to $3000 per build. For instance, the TCG World Build Proposal #13 on Sandstorm is a proposal to build a virtual education center on TCG World, priced at $3,000. Meanwhile, TCG Proposal #12, a proposal to build animated baby dragons, is priced at $2,000.
Since there is no regulated pricing system for building in the metaverse, metaverse artists mostly charge clients based on the complexity of jobs. At Sandstorm, we strive to compensate our verified builders with the best pay rates. This is why some of our verified earned over $20,000 in 2022.
Sandstorm plans to onboard more virtual worlds as this year progresses, where our verified builders can get jobs. Also, we look forward to paying our builders up to $1 million before 2023 runs out. We invite you to register as a builder with Sandstorm. Here, you get to work on several well-paying metaverse projects.
