The opportunities available in the creative industry are vast and varied.
Last year the government said that the “creative economy is growing three times faster than any other sector.” Creative sectors such as design, advertising, film, gaming and fashion are reportedly growing faster than the rest of the UK economy, employing passionate creative talent from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise.
This guide gives an outline of the sorts of jobs you can do in the creative industry with your college qualification. If you don’t have a creative qualification yet, prepare to be inspired.
What kinds of jobs are available in the creative sector?
When we say creative industries, we include:
- Advertising and marketing
- Architecture
- Crafts
- Design (including exhibitions, games, graphic, industrial, interior, landscape, product, textiles)
- Theatre
- Fashion
- Film
- TV
- Radio
- Photography
- IT, software and gaming
- Publishing
- Museums, galleries and libraries
- Music
- Performing arts
- Visual arts
You may think that creative job roles mean being an artist, designer, or writer – but if you don’t feel you have enough of a creative flair, there are many other opportunities in the creative sector. You could aim for an administrative, managerial or curatorial role, such as a museum curator, marketing account manager, a talent agent, or a commissioning editor.
To explore the huge variety of creative jobs available in the UK, visit creativeskillset.org.
The highest paid jobs in the creative industry
A report by thisismoney.co.uk shows the creative jobs in the UK with the highest average salaries (see our list below).
- Marketing directors (£82,211)
- Advertising and PR directors (£63,68)
- Architect (£43,332)
- Programmers and software development professionals (£41,770)
- Arts officers, producers and directors (£36,216)
- Journalists, newspaper and periodical editors (£35,027)
- Advertising account managers (£34,784)
- Advertising Creative directors (£34,784)
- Web design and development (£31,061)
- TV, video ad audio engineers (£30,422)
- Authors, writers and translators (£28,220)
- Artists (£27,784)
- Graphic designers (£25,059)
Of course there are many other non-financial benefits of working in the creative industries, from doing something that you love, using your creative talents on a regular basis, working with like-minded creative people, varied working environments, project-based work and being at the forefront of industry developments.
That being said, the financial rewards of working in the creative industries can also be great, if you’re prepared to put the time and hard work in.
There are so many other jobs in the creative sector you may not have considered, which pay well depending on your expertise, experience and passion. They can be as diverse as: animator, fine artist, furniture designer, make-up artist, medical illustrator, music therapist, web designer, dancer, fashion designer, theatre director, gallery curator, press photographer, and musician.
Find your passion and explore our creative courses