The Los Angeles County Arts Commission released the first report in a series exploring wages and benefits in arts nonprofits in the region. This report – Salaries in Nonprofit Arts Organizations in LA County – complements the annual Otis Report on the Creative Economy in LA County, providing greater detail about salaries in nonprofit arts organizations. To see the full report, visit “Publications” at lacountyarts.org.
The study finds that nonprofit arts organizations in the County paid some $266.6 million in salaries to the equivalent of 4,650 full time employees in 2011. The average salary for a full time employee in a nonprofit arts organization was $57,345, up from $51,046 in 2007. By comparison, annual per capita income in LA County in the same time period was $27,900.
Salaries vary widely by the art form the nonprofit specializes in, type of employee and size of the organization. For example, employees in visual arts earn more than those in dance or theatre organizations.
Data used in this study was collected by the Cultural Data Project (CDP), a web-based data system utilized by arts and culture grantmakers in thirteen states and the District of Columbia. Today, 37 public and private grantmakers in California require some or all of their arts and culture grantees to submit data to the CDP. The LA County Arts Commission has supported the CDP since 2009.
“The arts and culture sector is a major contributor to both the economy and quality of life in LA County,” states Laura Zucker, Executive Director, LA County Arts Commission. “Nonprofit arts organizations don’t just provide opportunities for Angelenos to enjoy music, dance, theatre, literary arts and more; they also create jobs for thousands of residents. This study is a first step toward better understanding employment in the nonprofit arts industry in LA County.”
The Arts Commission makes grants to more than 350 nonprofit arts organizations through its Organizational Grant Program (OGP) to provide arts services. In the 2013-14 fiscal year, the Arts Commission made grants of $4,318,000. Approximately 48% of grantees requested funds to support salaries or job creation.
Future reports will look at health and retirement benefits, as well as earnings for contract workers in the industry.
To see the full report, visit http://lacountyarts.org/pubannounce/list.
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission fosters excellence, diversity, vitality, understanding and accessibility of the arts in Los Angeles County, encompassing 88 municipalities, and provides leadership in cultural services. In addition to its role as an arts funder, the Arts Commission implements the regional initiative dedicated to restoring arts education to 81 school districts, programs and operates the Ford Theatres, funds the largest arts internship program in the country and manages the County’s civic art policy. The Arts Commission also produces free community programs, including the LA County Holiday Celebration for public television. (The Los Angeles County Arts Commission)
