Design courses are such a great way to build any existing skill set. Plus, it’s loads of fun as well! There is nothing quite like learning new ways to apply your innate creativity to boost your confidence and open up the scope of possibility when it comes to the direction of your studies or career.
However, creative courses aren’t only fun and inspiring; they can actually make a big difference in your earning potential! That’s right – there are amazing careers for creative people when you look and think in the right direction. The types of design jobs that are in demand are closely tied to developments in the tech space, which means new fields open up all the time.
Plus, careers for creative problem solvers are often tied to plausible salary specs. To get you excited about the possibility of leaning into a fresh new set of skills, have a look at some of the highest-paying design jobs around the globe:
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What are the highest-paying design jobs?
It’s important to realize that salaries for any type of job will differ quite a bit depending on a number of variables, including your level of experience, how niche the industry is, whether there are many other applicants with the same skill set, full-time employment VS freelance rates, etc.
That being said, here are 7 design jobs that are frequently tied to enticing salaries in the creative space:
Video Game Design
Projections show that the revenue of the video game industry is expected to reach a market volume of $100.56 billion by 2024. It’s a BIG business. As such, there is a high demand for skilled graphic designers who can apply their digital know-how in the gaming space. These designers are responsible for creating visual and interactive effects within a game.
3D Design
Individuals who specialize in 3D design create 3D renderings of images for many different reasons and applications. In certain instances, it could be used to develop a prototype of products like cars. In other cases, it can be used to sell the idea of a new building to potential investors at a convention. There is also a call for 3D rendering in animation movies and video games.
Industrial Design
Industrial design is a very specialized field that requires a combination of knowledge about art, business, engineering, and graphic design. When these skill sets intersect, it allows an individual to step in and enhance the design process of a product from both a macro and micro perspective. As employees, they help to make products like cars and appliances user-friendly and efficient to produce.
Design Technology
Design technologists straddle the divide between the design team and development team when it comes to websites, apps, and other digital products. They understand both graphic design and coding, which means they help to marry functional aspects of a given platform with design elements in order to improve user experience.
Visual Design
Visual design is a pretty broad term, but it generally refers to designers who work closely with businesses and/or individuals to create corporate identities or artwork for particular campaigns.
The best-paid visual designers tend to specialize in a particular industry and gain quite a bit of experience in this given field. It gives them a very detailed understanding of what works, and what doesn’t and makes them an invaluable part of a branding and/or marketing team.
Creative Management
Creative managers operate in the very important space between clients and a creative team who have to execute a particular vision. They work with the client to develop a plan of action, and then direct the creative team to stay on course and create the required deliverables to spec and within budget.
Art Direction
Art directors are in demand in various industries, including film, TV, print media, and online publications. Their job is to take control of the look and feel of a given production and ensure that it is cohesively applied to all the aspects of the finished product – whether that be a magazine, a movie, or a news website.
TOP TIP: If you want to find out what type of salary you can expect in a given industry, it helps to look it up on websites like Payscale. However, independent bodies also do salary roundups in their sectors.
For instance, in South Africa, the company AdTalent puts out a report once a year that gives the median salaries of creative roles throughout the country. Here’s a link to the report for 2021.
Takeaway
There you have it – seven of the most lucrative careers for creative people! Looking to upskill yourself or pivot your career in design? Find out more about design and creative short courses, there are an amazing variety of skills you can acquire in a part-time capacity.
It’s important to note that while taking a short course can help you to pivot your career, it may not guarantee that you bag the job of your dreams overnight, or earn the highest salary from the get-go, but with a little hard work and determination, you never know where your new-found knowledge might lead.
Photo by Brooke Cagle