Novice Sculptor. Salary: $10,000 or less 

Slamming the door to your room behind you, you grab a pillow in both hands and try to calm yourself. You're still trying to get over the guy only offering you twenty-five dollars for your horse statue. After all, you spent two whole weeks in art class on it; he should have ponied up at least 100 bucks.

Working Artist. Salary: $30,000 

Looking around the room, you thank each and every person for coming out to the premiere of your latest installation at a gallery downtown. The theme this year is "Changing Perspectives," and you gain a sense of satisfaction watching people try to figure out how and why you stuck everything to the wall. (Answer: super glue, and because art.)

Freelance Event Sculptor. Salary: $45,000 

Your spouse shows up with the heavier wool cap; you thank him and quickly throw it on your head. The smiles on the faces of everyone watching you live-sculpt a miniature ice Godzilla are worth it, but you could just as easily make it out of sand. On a beach. In the summer.

Film Studio Sculptor. Salary: $60,000 

As you get to your office, you find a sticky note plastered to your work bench. Apparently, the director thinks the robot's giant rocket-powered battle axe is too 25th century, and he needs you to bump it up to 2715 or so. Ah, Hollywood.

Head of Sculpture Dept. Salary $80,000 

Thumbing through the portfolio in your hands, you notice that the recent college graduate is sweating. It probably has nothing to do with nerves though; you turned off the air conditioning, because it helps you weed out the weaklings from the real creators.