A common misconception among most people today is that you can’t find a “real job” with a degree in arts. And the truth can’t be further from this. Every company big or small needs a creative team, and there are hundreds of creative jobs that stand on their own. Most of these professions are highly profitable, as the positions require a specific set of some of the most lucrative skills.
Additionally, a lot of artists can make it on their own. Thanks to the evolution of social media, personal marketing has skyrocketed. Therefore, a job in the arts (whether it’s crafting something on commission, or creating a brand) has become one of the most sought-after real remote jobs people search for during the pandemic lockdowns.
The most relevant and profitable careers however are the ones that don’t require a personal brand or a self-made business.
Creative Director
Without a doubt, this job is the most profitable when considering a career in the arts. The salary average is usually above $95,000. This is a position within a well-established company, and it’s closely related to marketing.
As a creative director, you’ll be in charge of making high-level creative decisions, and guided by those decisions, you’ll oversee the creation of creative assets. These assets can be advertisements, products, events, logos, and more.
This position can be found in numerous industries, such as graphic design, film, music, video game, fashion, advertising, entertainment, and more. Today, it’s a crucial part of web development and software development as well.
Architect
Architecture is still one of the most profitable careers related to the arts. Architecture and art go hand-in-hand, as one cannot exist without the other. The intricate technique and design of buildings are what bring these objects to life.
To pursue a career in architecture one must have an architecture degree, but it does include a deep knowledge of the arts. A few architecture firms allow designers who don’t have a degree to join the company and take on smaller creative positions within the organization, which is a great alternative for those who want to remain close to the profession.
Landscape Architect
A lot of people might think that landscape architecture is more manual labor than creative input. But this is a common misconception that couldn’t be more wrong. But just as the intricate lines of a building, landscape architecture also entails a lot of creativity and elegance.
As a landscape architect, you’ll be combining shapes and colors, enhancing an outdoor space, therefore creating an elegant yet practical space for the client. It’s an art that’s hard to master. Some even say that people are born into this talent, and it’s hard to learn if you don’t have an affinity for it.
With the constant evolution of technology and the importance of so-called “smart cities”, this profession will remain highly important, and very profitable in the future. It also has the potential to grow, using the aforementioned innovations, therefore a career in landscape design will be an adventure, to say the least.
Interior Designer
Closely connected to architecture, is interior design. And while this is a profession that utilizes the knowledge honed by architects, it is a separate field that works with a different area of the art. Therefore, interior designers don’t usually need an architecture degree, although this depends on their position.
Designers who don’t work with the technical part of buildings, people who don’t move walls and work with electricity don’t necessarily need an architecture degree. Without one, you’ll still be able to create beautiful interior spaces using your imagination, and of course, your clients’ needs.
As an interior designer, you’ll create spaces considering both functionality and aesthetics. You’ll be trained in the use of lighting, color, shapes, furniture, decor, and much more. Interior designers often use well-established artistic principles to create the best result.
Video Editor
Video editors are very in demand today. This makes it hard to find the right position, but once you do, you’ll find that it was all worth it. It is both a highly intricate job and one of the highest-paying art jobs on the market.
To pursue a career in video editing, you must have a deep and reliable understanding of the technical details for recording a video and creating the finished product. You also need to understand artistic concepts like pacing, tone, color, angles, cutting, and more.
A lot of art careers show negative growth or are dying out due to automation. But this is not the case for film and video editors. The variety, technicality, and creativity of the position allow it to
be unmatched, allowing it to evolve further. It’s also a career that most likely won’t be taken over by automation, or if it is, clients will still rather pay more for a “craftsman” than a machine that has no artistic talent.
The salary of this position is one that’s considered to be one of the strongest among art careers, and a 22% growth rate is anticipated in the upcoming years, due to the expanding number of independent film, social media content, new marketing strategies, and other internet-only entertainment platforms.
Graphic Designer
Graphic design also lies on a foundation of scientific knowledge of the arts. As a graphic designer, you’ll need to understand how to use a variety of software platforms and create engaging visual concepts. To create the best possible final product, you’ll also need an understanding and talent in the arts, and you’ll need to understand how it can be used as a communication tool.
While a lot of industries that offered a place for graphic designers have died out, it’s said that new will emerge. New platforms, software, and entertainment branches will give way for new opportunities, therefore graphic designers will most likely always have a place to go.
Gallery Manager
Managing a gallery can seem like a monotonous and boring job, but it’s actually a very interesting and engaging profession for those who have a talent for it. It requires a deep understanding of history, arts, and even interior design, and you’ll need to be able to combine all of them.
Creating the most beautiful space for some of the most important pieces of art is a very demanding task, and it takes a well-educated and talented mind to create the final design. It’s a mixture of science, art, and design, and those who are drawn to the career will not be disappointed.
Fashion Designer
If you have a taste for fashion, the good news is, fashion design is a highly profitable career option for you. Although it may be hard to create a name for yourself in this profession, a lot of local fashion designers make a living with only a few steady clients.
As a fashion designer, you’ll be trained in the understanding and creating of fabrics, art themes, color theory and principles, and even marketing. You can enter the field with only a bachelor’s degree and will have the opportunity to learn on the job from mentors.
Illustrator
As an illustrator, you’ll specialize in enhancing written concepts by creating a visual representation that corresponds to the content at hand. This illustration can be used to further clarify concepts, such as the illustrations found in children’s books.
This is a beautiful profession that requires an affinity for various channels of communication, and the ability to translate pictures into words, and vice versa. Illustrators, just as other designers are a huge part of the artistic world, and are needed in various places. The need for them is ever-growing, although it might be hard to launch yourself in the perfect niche right at the beginning.
Illustrations are most often used in advertisements, architectural rendering, greeting cards, posters, books, novels, storyboards, technical communications, magazines, cartoons, and much more.
Animator / Multimedia Artist
Whenever you watch an animated movie, you’re engaged by the works of multimedia artists and animators. Using two- and three-dimensional images and models, these artists can breathe life into any given object or being.
As a multimedia artist, you’ll have a chance to show your work through movies, video games, television, and other forms of entertainment or education. Thanks to the evolution of various entertainment platforms, young students on the verge of becoming animators can hone their skills, and market themselves easily.
The median salary for an entry-level art job in this profession is above $75,000, making this one of the most lucrative jobs in the arts today. It requires above-average creativity, and the ability to translate that through images and design. Apart from this, you’ll be trained in the technical knowledge that you’ll need in order to create the imagery.
Finding a profession in the arts can be a struggle, but artists know more than anyone that it’s worth the wait. And with entertainment platforms becoming more available and in-demand than ever before, it’s easier to find a place for yourself in any of these professions.
