List of Creative Careers That Pay Well

Creativity is often included in the list of qualities required or desired for certain positions. In some careers, though, creativity is the core trait around which your work centers. The demand for such careers relative to the number of people capable of performing them impacts which creative jobs pay the best.

Fashion Designer

A fashion designer puts her own distinct style and touch in the design and development of fashion products and accessories. The average annual salary for this career was $72,620 as of May 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, 10 percent of fashion designers earned at or above $126,290 per year. You can often get into this career with little formal education, though an associate's or bachelor's in fashion design helps.

Architect

Architects combine technical engineering and construction knowledge with creativity to develop the blueprints for buildings, homes and other structures. It normally takes a minimum of a bachelor's degree to get into an architecture career. The average annual salary for architects was $78,690 as of May 2012, according to the BLS. At the high end, 10 percent of architects earned at or above $118,230 per year.

Art Director

An art director heads the creative department for an ad agency or a brand. In this role, he coordinates the design and development of the visual elements in a print ad or TV commercial. A graphic arts degree is common in this field. The average salary for this job as of May 2012 was $94,260. However, top-end pay was significantly higher, with 10 percent of art directors making at or above $162,800 per year.

Public Relations Specialist

A public relations specialist works for a PR firm or in the PR department of an organization. A specialist works with clients or company leaders and helps develop plans to garner media coverage through such tools as press releases, news conferences and feature stories. The average pay as of May 2012 was $61,980, with the top 10 percent of specialists earning just over $101,000 per year, according to the BLS.