Updated October 15, 2026
Arts, Media & Design Salary Guide: Pay for 42 Careers
Median annual pay, hourly wage, pay range and job growth for 42 arts, media and design careers, from official Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Click a column to sort.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The typical median wage across these 42 careers is $62,855 a year. The highest-paying is public relations manager at $146,910.
| Career | Median/yr | Median/hr | 10th pct | 90th pct | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Manager | $146,910 | $70.63 | $82,410 | $284,990 | +5.7% |
| Art Director | $114,850 | $55.22 | $64,900 | $213,050 | +4.2% |
| Animator | $102,030 | $49.06 | $58,600 | $177,110 | -0.3% |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 | $43.46 | $57,440 | $145,270 | +0.8% |
| Producer and Director | $90,360 | $43.44 | $45,780 | $198,540 | +4.0% |
| Industrial Designer | $83,910 | $40.34 | $53,460 | $139,770 | +2.4% |
| Talent Agent | $82,890 | $39.85 | $48,010 | $284,570 | +9.7% |
| Fashion Designer | $80,960 | $38.92 | $39,490 | $146,870 | +0.1% |
| Editor | $77,920 | $37.46 | $41,250 | $153,700 | -1.1% |
| Writer | $76,910 | $36.98 | $44,310 | $139,870 | -0.3% |
| Video Editor | $75,420 | $36.26 | $40,280 | $148,550 | +3.7% |
| Set Designer | $75,240 | $36.17 | $41,750 | $135,410 | +1.4% |
| Camera Operator | $74,990 | $36.05 | $38,520 | $135,180 | +1.3% |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 | $35.94 | $44,110 | $135,150 | +1.8% |
| Music Director | $73,710 | $35.44 | $39,880 | $165,760 | +1.2% |
| Sound Engineer | $73,130 | $35.16 | $37,570 | $137,370 | -3.1% |
| Court Reporter | $72,420 | $34.82 | $42,130 | $130,560 | -0.1% |
| Lighting Technician | $68,060 | $32.72 | $42,310 | $130,760 | -4.8% |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 | $32.31 | $41,420 | $114,140 | +2.7% |
| Curator | $63,420 | $30.49 | $40,470 | $107,140 | +4.9% |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 | $30.27 | $39,520 | $104,910 | -1.7% |
| Apparel Patternmaker | $62,750 | $30.17 | $33,790 | $123,540 | -15.0% |
| Journalist | $62,200 | $29.91 | $36,240 | $144,140 | -5.9% |
| Interpreter | $60,170 | $28.93 | $37,070 | $103,660 | +2.0% |
| Broadcast Technician | $59,570 | $28.64 | $31,390 | $123,670 | -3.1% |
| Audio and Video Technician | $58,100 | $27.93 | $37,990 | $100,650 | +3.9% |
| Fine Artist | $55,490 | $26.68 | $31,630 | $144,210 | -2.9% |
| Choreographer | $55,310 | $26.59 | $34,090 | $138,630 | +3.1% |
| Desktop Publisher | $55,290 | $26.58 | $35,680 | $96,170 | -14.5% |
| Jeweler | $52,540 | $25.26 | $35,580 | $87,540 | -3.2% |
| Museum Technician | $51,440 | $24.73 | $33,780 | $87,530 | +3.6% |
| Proofreader | $51,120 | $24.58 | $34,510 | $79,290 | -0.9% |
| Costume Attendant | $50,400 | $24.23 | $32,150 | $109,520 | +5.9% |
| Model | $48,470 | $23.30 | $34,190 | $131,470 | -2.1% |
| Broadcast Announcer | $47,340 | $22.76 | $28,190 | $138,440 | -7.6% |
| Musical Instrument Repairer | $46,420 | $22.32 | $31,220 | $71,600 | +1.9% |
| Craft Artist | $46,080 | $22.15 | $25,960 | $71,990 | +2.0% |
| Photographer | $44,660 | $21.47 | $30,820 | $91,810 | -0.7% |
| Engraver | $43,310 | $20.82 | $32,210 | $63,360 | -0.7% |
| Photo Lab Technician | $40,610 | $19.52 | $30,090 | $68,800 | -5.6% |
| Movie Projectionist | $38,270 | $18.40 | $23,390 | $88,310 | -6.2% |
| Florist | $37,360 | $17.96 | $28,600 | $51,000 | -5.6% |
All arts, media and design careers · Salaries in other fields