Are you a creative person? Do you want to have a job where you can use your creativity in unique ways? If so, a job in the creative economy could be a great fit for you! The creative economy includes jobs that value creativity across a variety of industries. These jobs rely on creative skills to provide a service or product to help customers with everyday tasks and rigorous assignments. Here are a few jobs in the creative economy to consider!

Note: Some of these jobs will have different education and degree requirements. While many may require an associate or bachelor’s degree, others may only require technical certifications or training. Be sure to learn more about the education requirements of careers you’re interested in to understand what will be expected of you in order to land a job.

Software Developer

A software developer creates applications that allow people to do a variety of tasks on computers and other devices, like smartphone apps, computer games, social media sites, and more! They also develop systems that run on devices and allow them to function properly. Software developers use their creativity to analyze the needs of users and design, then test and develop software. Their role is to design each piece of an application or system and create a plan to lay out how the pieces will work together. After designing the program, they usually work closely with computer programmers to write the code and test it.

Software developers usually have a bachelor’s degree in computer science. To be successful, a software developer should be detail-oriented, creative, flexible, have an understanding of programming languages, and have analytical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. The average salary for software developers in 2022 was $124,200 per year, or $59.71 per hour.

Photographer

Photographers can work in many different industries and specialties, such as journalism, event photography, fine arts, commercial photography, and more. A photographer is not required to have completed higher education, although some may take classes and earn a bachelor’s degree to improve their skills. Having strong artistic, creative, technological, interpersonal, and customer service skills is important for a photographer. The average salary for photographers in 2022 was $40,170 per year, or $19.31 per hour.

Graphic Designer

A graphic designer creates visual work to present an idea or story. They develop the layout and production design for things such as advertisements, product labels, magazines, and book covers. They usually use computer software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop to create designs to communicate a message, and work with text and images to decide how they should be combined. Graphic designers can work with a variety of clients, from corporate brands to local mom-and-pop shops. A good graphic designer can tell a story to evoke emotion, or present data through visual graphics and diagrams to make information easier to understand.

Graphic designers usually need a bachelor’s degree. They need to be creative and have artistic, analytical, computer, and project management skills. If you’re interested in a career in graphic design, you can start by taking classes in art history, drawing, and web design. The average salary for graphic designers in 2022 was $57,990 per year, or $27.88 per hour.

Writer/Author

A writer creates written content for a variety of media such as online publications, magazines, books, scripts, and advertisements. They choose subjects that will interest readers, then conduct research to gather facts, write drafts, and present their drafts to editors and clients. They work with editors and clients to revise their work and prepare it for publishing.

A bachelor’s degree is usually needed for a full-time job, and employers may prefer people with a degree in English, journalism, or communications. A writer needs to have strong writing and critical-thinking skills, creativity, persuasion, social perceptiveness, and persistence. If you’re interested in becoming a writer, you can gain experience by working for your high school or college newspaper, or find an internship with a local newspaper, magazine, radio station, or blog. The average salary for writers in 2022 was $73,150 per year, or $35.17 per hour.

Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Manager

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to create interest in products or services. Advertising managers collaborate with sales staff and other team members to create ideas for an advertising campaign, oversee the development of advertising, and work with the finance department to prepare a budget and cost estimates. Promotions managers oversee programs and campaigns like special events, in-store displays, coupons, and sweepstakes that combine advertising with purchasing incentives. Marketing managers predict demand for products and services, identify markets, and develop pricing strategies.

A bachelor’s degree is required for most positions, and additional certifications may be preferred. Most advertising and promotions managers begin in entry-level positions and work their way up to management roles. People in these roles must have creative, analytical, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills. The average salary for advertising, promotions or marketing managers in 2022 was $138,730 per year, or $66.70 per hour.

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