FAIR PAY GUIDELINES

Why Fair Pay Matters

Fair compensation is essential for sustaining Scotland's creative ecosystem and ensuring Black and People of Colour creatives can maintain sustainable careers. When engaging professionals from our directory, we strongly encourage adherence to industry standard rates and best practices for fair payment.

Scottish Artists Union Rates (2024-2025)

Hourly Rates

●      New graduate artist: £28.30 per hour

●      With 3 years + experience: £35.50 per hour

●      With 5 years + experience: £44.00 per hour

Sessional Rates

●      New graduate artist: £226.40 per day (£113.20 per ½ day)

●      With 3 years experience: £283 per day (£141.50 per ½ day)

●      With 5 years+ experience: £350 per day (£175 per ½ day)

Residency Rates

●      New graduate artist: £30,600 per annum (pro rata)

●      With 5 years + experience: £43,232 per annum (pro rata)

Important Notes About These Rates

  1. What These Rates Include

○      These rates apply to freelance and short contract employment

○      Covers consultancy work, project planning and development

○      Includes all aspects of workshop delivery (set up, execution, clear up)

○      Applies to other freelance activity

  1. What These Rates Exclude

○      Artist's expenses for specific projects

○      VAT where relevant

○      Professional overheads (approximately £9,300 per year)

○      Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions

  1. Experience Levels

○      Experience is defined by 'years as a working artist'

○      Should be evidenced by a professional CV

○      Takes into account artist's art world track record

○      Considers unique attributes and qualifications

  1. Important Considerations for Employers

○      Rates are GROSS earnings

○      Self-employed artists need to set aside 25-30% for tax and NI

○      All residencies should be calculated on a pro rata basis where 20+ working days

○      These are minimum recommended rates - artists are free to negotiate higher rates

Additional Costs to Consider

When budgeting for artistic work, remember to include:

●      Materials and equipment

●      Travel expenses

●      Studio costs

●      Insurance

●      Research and development time

●      Administrative costs

●      Professional development

Best Practice Guidelines

  1. Contracts

○      Always provide written agreements

○      Clearly state payment terms

○      Include project scope and deliverables

○      Specify rights and usage terms

  1. Payment Terms

○      Agree payment schedule in advance

○      Consider stage payments for longer projects

○      Include payment timeframes

○      Factor in preparation time

Annual Review

These rates are reviewed annually by the Scottish Artists Union to reflect:

●      Cost of living increases

●      Inflation rates

●      Industry standards

●      Economic conditions

Further Information

For the most up-to-date rates and detailed information, please refer to:

●      Scottish Artists Union: www.artistsunion.scot

Note: These rates are the minimum recommendations from the Scottish Artists Union for 2024-2025. Artists are at all times free to negotiate rates of pay different to those set out above.