Best High Paying Creative Jobs

The invention of the Internet had profound effects on how we live and work. For those of us with creative skills and interests, there’s never been a better time to try to make a living. The Internet, computers, and the gig economy extend the possibility to work remotely doing creative projects to more people than ever. These days, the future of work looks bright for creative people, and there’s no shortage of opportunities in this evolving economy. However, the adage of the ‘starving artist’ remains valid to some extent—but it doesn’t have to be you.

It’s possible to make a surprising amount of money doing creative work, even without a formal education. If you hustle and choose wisely, you can land a creative job without a degree, with a degree in a different field, or by attending a coding bootcamp instead of college. In this article, we’ll answer the question, what are creative jobs that pay well?

What Are Creative Jobs that Pay Well?

1. Graphic Designer

Graphic design is one of the top high-paying creative jobs out there. In fact, this field is a go-to for art students looking for remote work opportunities. This position is flexible—graphic design is a skill set, and not really a job. You can choose a salaried position at an established company or decide to work as a freelancer. Graphic designers have a wide range of skills and responsibilities, from logo-making to email design. Graphic designer salaries start out around $36,000 in the United States, but pay varies. Some freelance designers make much more, as do those designers in senior positions within companies. 

2. Game Developer

This high-paying creative career is a no-brainer. And yes—it’s possible to become a game developer. Just like graphic design, you have a couple of ways to approach this career. The easiest is to learn to code and develop your own apps or games. If you’d rather work with a mainstream game development company, you can attend college or coding bootcamp and apply afterward. This rewarding career pays in both satisfaction and salary. Entry-level positions usually start around $52,000 annually, while the highest-paid senior developers make $150,000 or more! What’s more, many game developers do not interact with customers.

3. UX/UI Designer

Have you ever visited a poorly designed website? You probably thought to yourself, “wow, I could have designed it better than this.” Chances are, you could have designed it better, and you can as a UX/UI designer. The abbreviations stand for user experience and user interface. And these creative professionals are responsible for making websites look great and function how they should. If you’re creative and organized, you’ll likely be a great fit for this position. UX/UI designers hold high-paying creative jobs, as UX Designer salaries can range between $80,000 and $115,000 annually.

Honorable Mention: Writer

Writing was a bit broad of a field to mention on our primary list, but it’s a popular and high-paying creative job. Journalists, content writers, bloggers, and business copywriters enjoy high salaries in many cases. But the job requires lots of experience before earning the big bucks. We would give you an average wage for writers, but that wouldn’t give a very accurate picture of the job. Let us explain why—writer salaries vary so widely that an ‘average pay’ number wouldn’t be helpful. However, thousands of writers across all fields make a living primarily from their work, so it’s a path worth exploring.