While the words in this title may not spark a great picture of creative enthusiasm and motivating imagery of a financially successful artists studio or a world-renowned sculptor, there are indeed a seemingly endless array of jobs and career paths for creative types. Creative encompasses such a wide variety of tendencies. Many think of creative types as being expressive artists, such as painters, sculptors, music makers, metalworkers, thespians, jewelry makers and similar. These are all true, but creative also includes those that can connect dots that others may not see connections between.
These dots can be ideas, theories, people, numbers and patterns, colors or really anything in life. Creating can be as simple as drawing on paper with charcoal, or as complex as designing a world-class skyscraper with Earth-friendly materials. Product design is another avenue many can pursue, as this field dictates how everyday products we use, from computers to cars, pens to eating utensils are designed for improved functionality and aesthetically pleasing experience. Let’s explore some creative career options with their general requirements and salary ranges to consider.
- Automotive design. Generally required is a degree in product design and a deep love and passion for automobiles can lead you to a respectably salaried career in automotive design. There are more specifics that vary by employer, but this is a good direction in which to explore for a career path if you have an interest in this area. A bachelor of design ranges in cost depending upon the university you choose, and it can be a vehicle that carries you far in your professional life. The published salary range for an automotive designer is $56k-$120k, so it varies widely with a tremendous amount of satisfaction in a stable career path to provide a creative design outlet for your passions.
- Product design. Packaging, cutlery, writing utensils, appliances, furniture, tools, household items like lamps and electronics all require a design as a vital part of their usability for the masses. A great idea comes to life with engineering for function and design for experience. Making items that are easy, pleasant and safe to use serves the masses in a properly contributing way to the betterment of society. Salary ranges from $44k-140k a year for product designers, so it’s also a great field to get into if your passions, education and experience direct you in such a way.
- Architecture. If you’re the type that dreams of improving the landscape of square, boring buildings and infrastructure to more creative building designs, whether residential or commercial, architecture design may be exactly the career field for you. Usually, it’s more advantageous to obtain a master’s degree straight away to get into the field, and the salary ranges from $41k-82k, but really the sky’s the limit if you work your way into your own firm or a larger firm that takes on massive projects. Putting thoughtful design into residential and commercial spaces in the US today is certainly a need, as quick builds have taken a mass amount of creativity from the landscape of new builds.
Whatever your creative pursuits, there are extremely viable and stable career paths that can use your expertise, skills, and passions for improvement of the world at large. Apple is widely known as a design house that makes computers and personal electronic devices, and it was Steve Jobs as a major influence in the sleek and pragmatic designs for so long. Creating life-changing items that are majorly aesthetically pleasingly designed, as well as packaged in very impressively thoughtfully designed packaging materials is always an astonishing experience from the start. How can you change the world?
I write like I think—fast, curious, and a little feral. I chase the weird, the witty, and the why-is-this-happening-now. From AI meltdowns to fashion glow-ups, if it makes you raise an eyebrow or rethink your algorithm, I’m probably writing about it. Expect sharp takes, occasional sarcasm, and zero tolerance for boring content.
