Creative personalities prefer careers that are flexible, highly engaging, and inspire collaboration. Their minds operate at a different “wavelength” and doing a boring job can easily kill their morale.
Luckily, there are many high-paying careers for creative personalities where one can earn as high as $110,000 a year. For creative personalities, whether learned or not, these jobs allow you to utilize your talents and strengths to earn a decent living.
Here we outline the 13 best jobs for creative people that you can pick based on your abilities.
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Careers for creative personalities that pay well
Though you can find a well-paying creative job without a degree or high school diploma, most high-demand careers require a bachelor’s degree. Here are some jobs that can earn you at least $75,000 per year.
1. Tattoo artist
Can you think of any career where you can earn as high as $300,000 a year without the need of pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree? Not many come to mind, but you can sure earn that amount if you become a tattoo artist.
With the rise in the demand for tattoos worldwide, tattoo artists are increasingly getting job opportunities in various states. This position entails drawing and inking both permanent and temporary images onto the skin.
Most states require tattoo artists to be licensed since most tattoos are difficult to remove and involve needles and blood.
This is arguably one of the highest-paying careers for creative personalities. The mean annual salary of a tattoo artist in the United States is $99,956 while the highest earners enjoy crazy wages as high as $309,000 a year.
2. Graphic designers
Graphic designers design and create graphics that meet the specific promotional and commercial needs of clients. They are the brains behind brochures, newsletters, magazines, reports, infographics, advertisements, and more.
Graphic designers use specific tools and software to achieve the artistic and decorative effects as requested by a client based on the nature of the task and the desired outcome.
The average annual salary of graphic designers is $58,370 and the highest earners get more than $93,440 annually in wages. It is one of the high-paying work-from-home jobs you can do without a degree.
3. Interior designer
Interior designers create a plan for industrial spaces, businesses, and homes. In doing their work, they use computer programs to come up with projects based on the functionality of space, customer’s taste, aesthetics, and, most importantly, budget.
For interior designers to fulfill their work well, they work closely with other construction, engineering, and architectural fields. One can choose their area of specialization in a building or project.
For instance, one can opt to design bathrooms, kitchens, or sitting rooms and deal with sustainable or commercial structures.
The average annual salary of interior designers is $61,400 while the highest-paid designers can earn as high as $97,920 a year.
4. Makeup artists
The demand for makeup artists is projected to increase by 12% by 2029. Makeup artists apply makeup on their clients for prom and weddings, among others.
They can also work to transform the bodies and faces of performers to resemble characters in any situation, setting, or period.
Though most makeup artists make a lot of money by working with celebrities, some make a big kill by specializing in theater or stage makeup.
If you’re looking for low-stress jobs that pay well without a degree then this could be the perfect fit for you. The average annual salary of general makeup artists is $47,917 with the top earners getting more than $99,000 a year.
When it comes to theatrical and performance makeup artists, they earn a mean annual salary of $99,990 and the highest earners get more than $157,680 a year.
5. Fashion designers
Fashion designers come up with unique designs for new footwear, clothing, and other wear. They transform their ideas by sketching designs, choosing patterns and fabrics used in the manufacturing process, and deciding on production techniques. They then create an appealing collection for both retailers and consumers.
While having a bachelor’s degree in fashion design is important, a good portfolio of designed work gives those without a degree a better chance in the fashion industry.
The average annual salary of fashion designers in the United States is $87,210 and the highest earners get more than $146,300 a year in wages.
6. Architects
This job entails master designs of office buildings, residential houses, factories, and other buildings. They take charge of both indoor and outdoor designs for both private and public projects.
Clients present their needs and desires to the architects, who then transform them into reality by giving design drawings, estimated construction time, and projected cost.
Architects can also supervise the construction to ensure it follows the architectural plans to the latter. For this, they may demand an additional commission on top of the normal salary, thus adding to their income.
The average annual salary of architects in the United States is $89,470 and the highest earners get more than $136,300. if you choose to become a landscape architect, you can expect a mean annual salary of $75,440 and can earn as high as $115,660 a year.
More: 15 Best Unknown Careers That Pay Well in 2022
7. Industrial designer
An industrial designer combines engineering, art, and business to create products for daily use, e.g., appliances, furniture, and cars. Creative personalities continuously develop innovative and new methodologies to offer effective and efficient solutions through their products.
They have a mandate to consider production cost, functions, usability, and aesthetics before developing concepts and designs of new products.
Besides your degree, an electronic portfolio containing your design projects gives you an upper hand in the job market.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary of industrial designers is $76,290. The highest earners get more than $118,440 in wages.
8. Art director
The art directors come up with visual styles and images of a product and are in charge of other artists in an organization. They work mostly in the media industry like video games, film, theater, advertising, and publications.
Visual representation of concepts and messages is important, and as such, the art directors are the ones to determine art, photographs, and other design elements to use on different items.
Most creative personalities do not start at the director level; rather, they begin at entry-level art-related jobs and work their way up.
The average annual salary of art directors in the United States is $114,490 while the highest-paid art directors earn more than $199,250 a year.
A good alternative is to become an animation art director, which is also a high-paying animation job with the potential of earning as high as $145,000 a year.
9. Web developers
Web developers are the brains behind websites. They write the codes, test applications, and help clients determine the important information for their sites. Web developers also work to improve website performance and traffic by optimizing it using various applications.
Besides the degree requirement, those with an associate’s degree in web design can perform the job. Those with skills in a programming language with the needed qualification have the upper hand in the job market.
According to PayScale, the average annual salary of web developers in the United States is $60,307 with the top-paid professionals earning as high as $89,000 a year.
These are creative people who develop written content for readers in various media types. The information can be presented through different platforms such as novels, blogs, television scripts, movies, plays, magazines, manuals, guides, books, and advertisements.
Besides the degree requirement by most employers, some creative people can write plays, books, and other materials without advanced education. Most people climb the job ladder through publishing content on blogs or social media and internships.
Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the highest-paid writers & authors earn more than $133,000 a year, specific writing jobs such as screenwriting and speechwriting pay as high as $200,000. Here is a comprehensive look at some of the highest-paying jobs for writers.
11. Copywriter
Copywriters work directly for businesses or marketing and advertising agencies. They develop compelling marketing copies based on marketing principles to attract clients to the company’s products and/or services. The copies accompany videos and ads and aim at attracting customers.
You can become a copywriter without a bachelor’s degree. Most copywriters learn while on the job. Besides, most clients prefer a proven track record above academic qualifications.
The highest-paid copywriters earn more than $10,000 per month as they can charge as high as $1,500 for a sales copy and more than twice that for large projects. Here is a keener look at how much copywriters make.
Copywriting is one of the few jobs for moms with no degree but can create an amazing written piece that will help clients generate more leads and revenue.
12. Journalists
In this career, creative people cover news for digital, print, and television. One should be good in creative writing to win a post in print, online, or on-air journalism position. The journalist answers the why, where, when, what, and who for every headline they cover.
You need a bachelor’s degree in communications or journalism (internship in a television station, newspaper, or college radio is a plus).
The average annual salary of a journalist is $66,000 while the highest earners get more than $127,370 a year in wages.
13. Public relations manager
These professionals build the brand for an organization by engaging positively with customers through social media platforms. They work with influencers and craft captivating stories for the company’s goods and services.
They also regulate what gets to the media outlets and is the communication channel for the company to the people.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations managers earn a mean annual salary of $135,580. The top-paid professionals enjoy more than $165,340 a year in wages.
To wrap it up…
As a creative person, there are a lot of well-paying careers worth pursuing. Based on your degree qualification or your passion, you can choose a job that can be done in-office or at the comfort of your home. The demand for these jobs is growing day by day, with many people realizing they are as good as other occupations. In fact, the average salaries for careers for creative personalities are significantly higher compared to others. So, follow your heart and enjoy a job that never gets boring!