Australian artists earn less than most professionals, with many having to work second or third jobs to pay the bills, a new study shows. Headed by Professor David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya from Macquarie University, Making Art Work: An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia reveals that the average total annual income for professional artists in Australia is 21 percent lower than the average pay packet.

The average Australian female artist is even worse off, reflecting the gender pay gap that exists in most industries. Though generally better educated and spending an equal amount of time on creative work as male artists, women artists earn a much lower income: $15,400 compared to $22,100 in the 2014-15 financial year. In other words, female artists earn 25 percent less than male artists overall, and 30 percent less for creative work. In fact, the income gap between men and women is more pronounced in the arts than across all industries in Australia, and is particularly evident for women writers, visual artists and musicians.

The disparity for artists with a disability is even greater – those who are differently abled earn 42 percent less overall than able-bodied artists.

The report shows that the income artists receive...