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
- Art directors$111,040
- Special effects artists and animators$99,800
- Technical writers$91,670
- Producers and directors$83,480
- Fashion designers$80,690
- Commercial and industrial designers$79,450
- Editors$75,260
- Artists and related workers, all other$72,760
- Writers and authors$72,270
- Media and communication workers, all other$71,770
- Film and video editors$70,980
- Public relations specialists$69,780
- Camera operators, television, video, and film$68,810
- Court reporters and simultaneous captioners$67,310
- Media and communication equipment workers, all other$67,190
- Sound engineering technicians$66,430
- Set and exhibit designers$66,280
- Designers, all other$66,220
- Music directors and composers$63,670
- Interior designers$63,490
- Athletes and sports competitors$62,360
- Graphic designers$61,300
- Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators$60,560
- Lighting technicians$60,560
- News analysts, reporters, and journalists$60,280
- Interpreters and translators$59,440
- Choreographers$55,600
- Audio and video technicians$54,830
- Broadcast technicians$53,920
- Coaches and scouts$45,920
- Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys$45,680
- Photographers$42,520
- Umpires, referees, and other sports officials$38,820
- Craft artists$38,480
- Merchandise displayers and window trimmers$37,350
- Floral designers$36,120
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.