13 High Paying Careers for Creative Personalities [2023]
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 characters, whether learned or not, these jobs allow you to utilize your talents and strengths to make 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 average salary for a tattoo artist in the United States is $59,069, while the highest earners enjoy wages as high as $115,855 per 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 salary for graphic designers is $56,599, and the highest earners get $94,600 per year. It is also 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, customers’ 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 salary for interior designers in the United States of America is $66,097, while the highest-paid designers can earn as high as $108,450 per 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 earn an average salary of $59,069, and the highest earners get $160,690 per 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 salary for fashion designers is $60,997, and the highest earners get $126,095 per year. It is one of the high-paying careers for creative personalities in the United States of America.
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 costs.
Architects can also supervise the construction to ensure it follows the architectural plans of the latter. For this, they may demand an additional commission on top of the normal salary, thus adding to their income.
Architect is one of the high-paying careers for creative personalities in the United States of America.
The average salary for architects is $99,733, and the highest earners get $163,992 per year. if you choose to become a landscape architect, you can expect an average salary of $98,300 per year.
More: 15 Best Unknown Careers That Pay Well
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 for new products.
Besides your degree, an electronic portfolio containing your design projects gives you an upper hand in the job market.
The average salary for industrial designers in the United States of America is $75,873. The highest earners get $130,072 per year, making it one of the high-paying careers for creative personalities.
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; instead, they begin at entry-level art-related jobs and work their way up.
The average salary for art directors in the United States is $80,600, while the highest-paid art directors earn $134,728 per year. This makes it one of the high-paying careers for creative personalities.
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 per year.
9. Web Developers
Web development is one of the high-paying careers for creative personalities. 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.
The average salary for web developers in the United States of America is $82,424, with the top-paid professionals earning as high as $134,133 per year.
10. Writers and Authors
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.
The average salary for a writer in the United States of America is $63,103, while that of an author is $47,208 per year. 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 average salary for a copywriter in the United States of America is $59,812 per year. 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 (an internship in a television station, newspaper, or college radio is a plus).
The average salary for a journalist in the United States of America is $48,933, while the highest earners get $84,106 per year.
13. Public Relations Manager
These professionals build the brand of 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.
The average salary for public relations managers in the United States of America is $67,039. The top-paid professionals earn $112,517 per year. This makes it one of the high-paying careers for creative personalities.
To wrap it up…
As a creative person, there are a lot of high-paying careers for creative personalities worth pursuing. Based on your degree qualification or your passion, you can choose a job that can be done in-office or in 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. 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!
