When it comes to being part of the “daily grind,” it’s ideal to be doing a job you’re excited about. Unfortunately, not everyone wins the employment lottery, meaning a lot of people wind up working a kind of “meh” job to pay the bills. That doesn’t have to be the case, though.
The good news is, if you’re in a job you aren’t thrilled with, there’s potential to tap into your extracurricular activities and find ways to put your hidden talents to work in a way that will pay off big time. Open your eyes and check out these top-paying creative jobs that can blossom from a part-time hobby to a full-time paycheck.
Copywriter (Median Annual Salary: $52,000 – $62,000)
Snappy advertising campaigns, brochures, flyers and product descriptions don’t materialize out of thin air, they come from a creative vision and some white-boarding. If you have the gift of gab and know how to sell someone on anything, copywriting can fatten your bank account thanks to your skills. The huge plus is that there’s often lots of room for advancement, meaning that, if your starting salary isn’t as big as you had hoped, it won’t be long before you’re surpassing those salary goals.
Make-Up Artists (Median Annual Salary: $60,970)
If you love color, transformation and making people feel good, you should consider looking into work as a make-up artist. This doesn’t mean you’re signing up to work in department stores the rest of your career, so it does serve as a creative job that allows you to experiment a bit. Being on sets for commercials, TV, movies and photoshoots all offer livable wages and expose you to a ton of different people and places.
Film/Video Editor (Median Annual Salary: $62,760)
When it comes to editing any kind of film project, having someone who knows how to guide the narrative, and decide which takes will make the final cut, is the difference between good and great. If you’re great at telling stories, and have a reputation for being an every-kind-of-film-and-video buff, your love for film could lead you to a lucrative creative job.
Landscape Architect (Median Annual Salary: $62,760)
If you’ve got a green thumb in your off-hours, chances are you can turn your fandom of foliage into a lucrative career that primarily keeps you off the desk and in the field. Taking the reigns to, literally, get your hands dirty while designing parks, other recreational areas and private gardens is great way to show off your creative chops that pays well enough to help grow your savings.
Fashion Designer (Median Annual Salary: $65,170)
Clothes are essential to daily life and a leader when it comes to self-expression. If you’ve got a passion for fashion and often find yourself cutting, pinning, sewing and styling your wardrobe, a top creative job in the fashion design may be calling. When your designs help make others make a statement, you won’t only feel a sense of pride, but fatter pockets, thanks to a livable wage for your work.
Multi-Media Artists And Animators (Median Annual Salary: $65,300)
Remember how much fun doodling was in high school? Maybe you never stopped, and love seeing every animated feature that hits the silver screen. If you geek out over special effects, animation and visual images using electronic tools and media, pursuing a creative job as a multi-media artist and animator is a real option for you. Not only will you see your ideas come to life, but you’ll also make a hefty paycheck.
Commercial And Industrial Designers (Median Annual Salary: $67,970)
This job title might not sound fun, but when you understand that the job description includes toy, car and home appliance design, your creative vision for all things that make life a little more comfortable and entertaining is your true calling for financial prosperity.
Art Director (Median Annual Salary: $89,820)
If you like the idea of directing visual communications in print, broadcasting and advertising, being an art director is a prime creative job choice. Coming up with cool concepts and seeing them come to fruition isn’t only an in-demand career, but it elevates you to a different kind of 9-to-6, where creativity comes first.
Lead image via Getty