📖 How much does a manga artist make?
U.S. survey: comics income averaged ~$5,000 including non-earners; workers averaged ~$27,000 (published-work median $12,000). No full-time-only or top-star figure. Japan: full-time estimate ¥3.2–5.9M; a school guide says famous authors can earn hundreds of millions of yen.
Pay varies with page fees and sales; a hit book can also bring royalties and licensing money, making a few creators’ earnings much higher.
US Most people, typical, the top
| Who | Yearly earnings | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Low or occasional comics income (survey average includes non-earners) | $0–$5,000 | 2024 Cartoonist Cooperative survey of 2023 comic income, including zero earners. |
| Working comics creators (published-work median to survey average) | $12,000–$27,000 | Co-op survey: $12,000 median for traditionally published work; ~$27,000 worker average. |
Per month and per day
| Who | Per month | Per day (÷365) |
|---|---|---|
| Low or occasional comics income (survey average includes non-earners) | $0–$417 | $0–$14 |
| Working comics creators (published-work median to survey average) | $1,000–$2,250 | $33–$74 |
Where does the money come from?
- Page fees: Publishers may pay for each page of script or artwork. Source
- Advances and royalties: A publisher may pay an advance, with royalties sometimes added when books sell. Source
- Self-publishing sales: Artists may earn money by making and selling comics themselves, but sales can vary. Source
- Rights and licensing fees: Creators may also receive fees when others use their work or related rights. Source
How do you become a manga artist?
In the United States, practice drawing and storytelling, then build a portfolio of short comics. Try getting work into a school or local paper and show your best samples to editors or publishers. College art classes can help, but formal training is not required.
- Practice drawing and writing at school or in classes.
- Draw short comics and build a portfolio of your work.
- Submit work to a school paper or a local publication.
- Show your samples to editors or publishers.
Qualifications and exams
No formal training is required, and no cartoonist license or certification is listed as necessary in the United States. Art practice and a portfolio can help.
A day as a manga artist
A comic artist may start by collecting ideas from news or everyday talk, then plan the words and panels. They sketch and refine the art, add color, and send pages to an editor. Artists working for themselves also handle emails, bills, and other business tasks.
Common questions
How much might a comics creator make per month in the U.S.?
A 2024 U.S. survey put 2023 comics income at about $5,000 a year, including people who earned nothing—about $417 a month if divided evenly. The average for comics workers was about $27,000 a year; the typical pay for traditionally published work was $12,000. Freelance income may not arrive evenly. Source
How much does a comic artist get paid per page?
In the 2024 U.S. survey, respondents who were paid for penciling reported an average of $87.46 per page. Pay differs by task and project. Source
Do comic creators get royalties when books sell?
Sometimes, but not always. In the survey, 45% of respondents were not offered royalties; the average book royalty reported was 8% of the book’s retail price. Source
How much can comic artists make at conventions?
Among creators who sold at festivals or conventions, 27% reported making $100–$500 per day after costs. Others reported lower or higher amounts, breaking even, or losing money. Source
Do U.S. comic artists often have another job?
Yes, that is common. In the survey, 48% had another job alongside making comics, and 19% reported other full-time employment. Source
This section summarizes public sources. We only show numbers that have a source.
Close jobs in official statistics
In Japan
Japan Most people, typical, the top
| Who | Yearly earnings | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Artists with no manga income that year | $0 | Human Academy industry explainer: some earn little or nothing. |
| Full-time working manga artist (rough estimate) | $21,333–$39,333 | MHLW-based hourly pay estimate, using assumed work hours. |
| Famous hit-series authors (industry explainer, not a statistic) | $666,667 | A school's explainer says famous authors earn hundreds of millions of yen; no official statistic exists. Figure is the lower bound of that range |
Famous people
| Who | Amount |
|---|---|
| ✏️ Akira Toriyama Manga artist (Dragon Ball creator) | $66.67M (2024 · net worth) When Akira Toriyama died in 2024, his estimated assets, including copyrights, were about ¥10 billion. |
| ✏️ Eiichiro Oda Manga artist (One Piece) | $20.67M (2025) Eiichiro Oda is estimated to earn about ¥3.1 billion a year from manga fees, licensing, and merchandise. |
Related questions
Jobs in the same group
Data table and sources
- cartoonist.coop/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/coop_US_work_survey_2024_R7.pdf
- www.dat.ac.jp/course/comic-illust/comic-illust-school/cartoonist-income
- www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm
- www.e-stat.go.jp/dbview?sid=0003426315
- www.bls.gov/OOH/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2008/fall/yawhat.pdf
- cartoonist.coop/journal/the-2024-comics-worker-survey
- vault.com/professions/cartoonists/requirements
This job is not covered directly by government wage statistics, so the figures come from leagues, associations, surveys and the press.
- Not yearly pay: a new manga artist's rate per page in Weekly Shonen Jump. No official yearly income data exists. (Weekly Shonen Jump rookie rate guide)