Career field
Arts, Design & Media careers
Creative occupations in design, media, performance, sports, and communication. CampusPin lists 36 arts, design & media occupations, with median pay ranging from $36,120 to $111,040 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
36
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$36,120–$111,040
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$64,945
median of these medians
Most common entry education
Bachelor's degree
across 36 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Public relations specialists315,900
- Coaches and scouts306,500
- Graphic designers265,900
- Merchandise displayers and window trimmers193,000
- Producers and directors167,000
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- Bachelor's degree: 21
- High school diploma or equivalent: 7
- Postsecondary nondegree award: 4
- No formal educational credential: 3
- Associate's degree: 1
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coaches and scouts | $45,920 | 41,800 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Public relations specialists | $69,780 | 27,600 | +4.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | $37,350 | 20,800 | +3.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Graphic designers | $61,300 | 20,000 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Writers and authors | $72,270 | 13,400 | +3.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Producers and directors | $83,480 | 12,800 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Photographers | $42,520 | 12,700 | +1.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Art directors | $111,040 | 12,300 | +4.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Editors | $75,260 | 9,800 | +0.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Interior designers | $63,490 | 7,800 | +3.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Audio and video technicians | $54,830 | 7,300 | +3.3% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Interpreters and translators | $59,440 | 6,900 | +1.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Floral designers | $36,120 | 5,100 | -5.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Special effects artists and animators | $99,800 | 5,000 | +1.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Umpires, referees, and other sports officials | $38,820 | 4,600 | +5.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Technical writers | $91,670 | 4,500 | +0.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Music directors and composers | $63,670 | 4,300 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | $60,280 | 4,100 | -3.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Film and video editors | $70,980 | 3,600 | +4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Media and communication workers, all other | $71,770 | 3,000 | +2.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Camera operators, television, video, and film | $68,810 | 2,900 | +1.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Commercial and industrial designers | $79,450 | 2,500 | +3.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Set and exhibit designers | $66,280 | 2,500 | +2.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys | $45,680 | 2,300 | -5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fashion designers | $80,690 | 2,300 | +2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Designers, all other | $66,220 | 2,200 | +2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators | $60,560 | 2,200 | -1.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Athletes and sports competitors | $62,360 | 2,100 | +5.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Broadcast technicians | $53,920 | 1,800 | -2.8% | Associate's degree |
| Court reporters and simultaneous captioners | $67,310 | 1,700 | -0.3% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Artists and related workers, all other | $72,760 | 1,200 | +0.8% | No formal educational credential |
| Sound engineering technicians | $66,430 | 1,200 | -1.7% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Media and communication equipment workers, all other | $67,190 | 1,100 | +0.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Craft artists | $38,480 | 1,000 | +2.1% | No formal educational credential |
| Lighting technicians | $60,560 | 800 | -4.6% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Choreographers | $55,600 | 700 | +6.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
- Communications
- Journalism
- Graphic Design
- Interior Design
- Fashion Design
- Film Production
- Photography
- Public Relations
- Animation
- Digital Media
- Game Design
- Sports Management
- Creative Writing
- Linguistics
- Theater Arts
- Industrial Design
- Web Development
- Studio Art
- Dance
- Physical Education
- Technical Communication
- Modern Languages
- Court Reporting
- Translation and Interpreting
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the arts, design & media field?
CampusPin lists 36 arts, design & media occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Art directors, Special effects artists and animators, Technical writers, Producers and directors. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do arts, design & media careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $36,120 to $111,040 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $64,945. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do arts, design & media careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is bachelor's degree. 21 occupations list bachelor's degree; 7 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 4 occupations list postsecondary nondegree award; 3 occupations list no formal educational credential; 1 occupation list associate's degree.
Which arts, design & media careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Coaches and scouts (+6.4%), Choreographers (+6.1%), Umpires, referees, and other sports officials (+5.7%), Athletes and sports competitors (+5.5%), Producers and directors (+4.9%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across arts, design & media occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.