Being a creative person does not mean you have to sacrifice your creativity for a career. Well-paying creative jobs do exist! The first thing that helps is gaining that work experience, it will help open a lot of doors for you.
Each of these jobs is great and can be done full-time, but keep in mind that some of them are great to do self-employed or freelance, which gives it a great perk.
All median pay salaries are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website.
1. Art Director
The Oxford Langauge defines art directors as, “the person responsible for overseeing all aspects of a film, publication, or other production”
This role is great for someone with previous experience working with graphic design, being a copywriter, and doing photography. Although, it is seeing a slight decline in demand recently.
2019 Median Pay: $94,220
2. Creative Director
A creative director is similar to an art director. They work more with multimedia projects like digital, print, and film. They also work on the financial side of the project with budgeting and working to improve and maintain client relations.
They work with other creatives like animators, designers, and writers.
2019 Median Pay: $124,962
3. Marketing Director
A marketing director creates interests in services and products. They usually are employed in advertising agencies and have a background in promotion, sales, or advertising.
2019 Median Pay: $135,900.
4. Public Relations Specialist
PR Specialists work on the public image of organizations. They do so by creating press releases, managing social media images, and communicating with their target audience.
They have a great job outlook over the next 8 years. Most PR creative professionals have an entry-level background or college degree in journalism, communications, or English.
2019 Median Pay: $61,150
5. Advertising Account Director
Advertising account directors manage and coordinate programs. They do this by hosting content and giveaways. Themselves and a creative team will make advertising materials with the intention to draw attention to a product or service.
Average Base Salary (from PayScale): $93,497
6. User Experience (UX) Designer
A UX Designer is a relatively new creative role that requires a high level of computer science knowledge and communication skills. While they are a more science-heavy role, they are considered to be in the creative field because of their design eye.
They work on making a product best for its users by designing their experience. They focus on branding, design, usability, and function.
To get started in the world of UX, work as a UX Intern.
2019 Median Pay: $82,320
7. Technical Writer
Technical writers do writing for instructions, how-tos, and articles for journals. Their goal is to communicate with an emphasis on being accessible.
2019 Median Pay: $61,370
8. Editor
Editors make suggestions on, analyze, and revise writing to be published. They have experience in writing, journalism, or related fields.
2019 Median Pay: $61,370
9. Photographer
Photographers are on the lower end of the salary, although they usually have a high school degree so there are no high college degree costs. Even if it is not a full-time degree, many photographers do it part-time locally.
2019 Median Pay: $36,280
10. Interior Designer
Interior designers are a field that doesn’t initially require a lot of experience but does require a bachelor’s degree with good examples through project work. Interior designers work with many other people like industrial designers.
They have a high level of skill in engineering and architecture.
2019 Median Pay: $56,040
11. Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are a great career for those who enjoy visually designing with computers and freehand. They use their art skills to communicate ideas to excite, inform, persuade, and entertain.
Graphic designers have a high level of skill in Adobe programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop.
2019 Median Pay: $52,110.
For more information on majoring in art-related things, and how to get internships to match your skills, read the Scholars blog and tune into The Internship Show to hear directly from companies.
