Creative
Design, art, writing, film, music and the stage.
27 careers
Design
4AnimatorYour reel gets you hired, not your diploma. Great pay in a small number of cities, and the work comes in waves.Typical pay$102kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedFashion DesignerDesign clothes, shoes and accessories that get made and sold. A portfolio opens the door, not a diploma.Typical pay$81kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedGraphic DesignerLogos, packaging, websites, posters. The portfolio decides whether you get hired, not the diploma.Typical pay$63kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedIllustratorDraw for a living: books, games, magazines, packaging, anything that needs a picture doing a job.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited
Art and craft
2Ceramic ArtistMake pots, sculpture and tableware out of clay and sell them. Almost nobody does it on one income stream alone.Typical pay$46kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimitedVisual ArtistMake the work, then find the people who will pay for it. Almost nobody does this without a second income at the start.Typical pay$75kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited
Writing and media
7AuthorWrite books people buy. No license, no required degree, and almost no guaranteed money.Typical pay$77kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerateBroadcasterTalk to an audience on radio, television or a podcast feed, and hold their attention without seeing them.Typical pay$47kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedCopywriterWrite the words that sell something. Judged on whether they work, not on whether they are pretty.Typical pay$77kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerateEditorTake somebody else's draft and make it clear, correct and worth reading, then put your name nowhere near it.Typical pay$78kTo qualify4 to 7 yrsDemandLimitedJournalistFind out what happened, check it, and tell everyone. A shrinking industry that still decides what the country argues about.Typical pay$62kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedTechnical WriterExplain complicated products clearly enough that somebody can actually use them. Writing, but paid like tech.Typical pay$90kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedTranslator and InterpreterMove meaning between two languages in writing or out loud, in courtrooms, hospitals and books.Typical pay$60kTo qualify2 to 6 yrsDemandLimited
Film, TV and music
9Broadcast TechnicianRun and repair the gear that gets a radio or television signal out of the building and into people's homes.Typical pay$60kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedCamera OperatorRun the camera on film sets, live events and news. Hired on your reel, not your diploma.Typical pay$75kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimitedComposerWrite the music other people perform, stream or put behind a scene. Most of it is paid per job, not per hour.Typical pay$74kTo qualify2 to 6 yrsDemandLimitedFilm DirectorDecide what every shot, performance and cut is meant to do. Nobody hires you for it until you have already done it.Typical pay$90kTo qualify3 to 8 yrsDemandGoodFilm ProducerFind the story, find the money, hire everyone and make sure the thing gets finished. The job nobody teaches in a single class.Typical pay$90kTo qualify2 to 8 yrsDemandGoodMusicianPlay or sing for a living. The hourly rate looks good, the number of paid hours is the problem.Typical pay$99kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimitedPhotographerGet paid for pictures. No license, no gatekeeper, and no salary either unless you build the business.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerateSound EngineerYou record, mix and run sound for music, film, television and live shows. Nobody checks your diploma, they listen to what you have mixed.Typical pay$73kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedVideo EditorTurn hours of raw footage into something people want to watch. The job where the story is actually decided.Typical pay$75kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerate
Performing
3ActorPaid by the hour, hired by the job. No license, no degree required, and no guarantee of work.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimitedChoreographerMake the dances and teach them to the people performing them. Almost everyone does it after years of dancing first.Typical pay$55kTo qualify4 to 10 yrsDemandGoodDancerGet paid to perform. A short career, uneven money, and training that starts long before high school ends.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandGood
Museums and heritage
2ArchivistDecide what a country, a company or a family keeps forever, then make sure people can find it.Typical pay$65kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandModerateMuseum CuratorDecide what a museum collects, keeps and shows. A graduate degree, years of low pay, then a job very few people get.Typical pay$63kTo qualify6 to 10 yrsDemandGood