Highest paying creative careers in the US
Ranked by the typical pay shown on each career's own page, so the order here cannot disagree with the pages it links to. Typical means the middle: half earn more, half earn less. Starting pay is lower, and each career page shows the full range and what it takes to get there.
27 careers in the United States
Ranked by typical pay
271AnimatorYour 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 yrsDemandLimited2MusicianPlay or sing for a living. The hourly rate looks good, the number of paid hours is the problem.Typical pay$99kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited3Technical WriterExplain complicated products clearly enough that somebody can actually use them. Writing, but paid like tech.Typical pay$90kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited4Film 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 yrsDemandGood5Film 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 yrsDemandGood6Fashion DesignerDesign clothes, shoes and accessories that get made and sold. A portfolio opens the door, not a diploma.Typical pay$81kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited7EditorTake 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 yrsDemandLimited8AuthorWrite books people buy. No license, no required degree, and almost no guaranteed money.Typical pay$77kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerate9CopywriterWrite the words that sell something. Judged on whether they work, not on whether they are pretty.Typical pay$77kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerate10Video 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 yrsDemandModerate11Camera OperatorRun the camera on film sets, live events and news. Hired on your reel, not your diploma.Typical pay$75kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited12Visual 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 yrsDemandLimited13ComposerWrite 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 yrsDemandLimited14Sound 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 yrsDemandLimited15ArchivistDecide what a country, a company or a family keeps forever, then make sure people can find it.Typical pay$65kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandModerate16Museum 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 yrsDemandGood17Graphic DesignerLogos, packaging, websites, posters. The portfolio decides whether you get hired, not the diploma.Typical pay$63kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited18JournalistFind 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 yrsDemandLimited19Translator and InterpreterMove meaning between two languages in writing or out loud, in courtrooms, hospitals and books.Typical pay$60kTo qualify2 to 6 yrsDemandLimited20ActorPaid by the hour, hired by the job. No license, no degree required, and no guarantee of work.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited21Broadcast 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 yrsDemandLimited22IllustratorDraw for a living: books, games, magazines, packaging, anything that needs a picture doing a job.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited23ChoreographerMake 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 yrsDemandGood24DancerGet paid to perform. A short career, uneven money, and training that starts long before high school ends.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandGood25BroadcasterTalk to an audience on radio, television or a podcast feed, and hold their attention without seeing them.Typical pay$47kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited26Ceramic 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 yrsDemandLimited27PhotographerGet paid for pictures. No license, no gatekeeper, and no salary either unless you build the business.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerate