Design
4AnimatorYour reel gets you hired, not your diploma. A median of $102,030 a year, and the work comes in waves.$102kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandFashion DesignerDesign clothes, shoes and accessories that get made and sold. A portfolio opens the door, not a diploma.$81kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandGraphic DesignerLogos, packaging, websites, posters. The portfolio decides whether you get hired, not the diploma.$63kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandIllustratorDraw for a living: books, games, magazines, packaging, anything that needs a picture doing a job.$55kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Art and craft
2Ceramic ArtistMake pots, sculpture and tableware out of clay and sell them. Almost nobody does it on one income stream alone.$46kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandVisual ArtistMake the work, then find the people who will pay for it. Almost nobody does this without a second income at the start.$55kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Writing and media
7AuthorWrite books people buy. No license, no required degree, and almost no guaranteed money.$77kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandBroadcasterTalk to an audience on radio, television or a podcast feed, and hold their attention without seeing them.$47kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandCopywriterWrite the words that sell something. Judged on whether they work, not on whether they are pretty.$77kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandEditorTake somebody else's draft and make it clear, correct and worth reading, then put your name nowhere near it.$78kTypical pay4 to 7 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandJournalistFind out what happened, check it, and tell everyone. A shrinking industry that still decides what the country argues about.$62kTypical pay3 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandTechnical WriterExplain complicated products clearly enough that somebody can actually use them. Writing, but paid like tech.$90kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandTranslator and InterpreterMove meaning between two languages in writing or out loud, in courtrooms, hospitals and books.$60kTypical pay2 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
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.$60kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandCamera OperatorRun the camera on film sets, live events and news. Hired on your reel, not your diploma.$75kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandComposerWrite the music other people perform, stream or put behind a scene. Most of it is paid per job, not per hour.$74kTypical pay2 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandFilm DirectorDecide what every shot, performance and cut is meant to do. Nobody hires you for it until you have already done it.$90kTypical pay3 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandFilm ProducerFind the story, find the money, hire everyone and make sure the thing gets finished. The job nobody teaches in a single class.$90kTypical pay2 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMusicianPlay or sing for a living. The hourly rate looks good, the number of paid hours is the problem.$99kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPhotographerGet paid for pictures. No license, no gatekeeper, and no salary either unless you build the business.$45kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandSound EngineerYou record, mix and run sound for music, film, television and live shows. Nobody checks your diploma, they listen to what you have mixed.$73kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandVideo EditorTurn hours of raw footage into something people want to watch. The job where the story is actually decided.$75kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
Performing
3ActorPaid by the hour, hired by the job. No license, no degree required, and no guarantee of work.$60kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandChoreographerMake the dances and teach them to the people performing them. Almost everyone does it after years of dancing first.$55kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandDancerGet paid to perform. A short career, uneven money, and training that starts long before high school ends.$52kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Museums and heritage
2ArchivistDecide what a country, a company or a family keeps forever, then make sure people can find it.$65kTypical pay6 to 7 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMuseum CuratorDecide what a museum collects, keeps and shows. A graduate degree, years of low pay, then a job very few people get.$63kTypical pay6 to 10 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand