The Creative Industry contributes a large amount to the UK's economy, as one of our fastest growing sectors. The data we have collected on creative employment supports our belief that creative education is not only a wonderful alternative academic experience but also a practical step towards a solid career.

Stats & Facts:
• The creative industries is the fastest growing sector in our economy. The number of reported jobs in 2019 stood at around 2.1 million in the UK which is a 3.0% increase since 2018.
• Since 2011 the number of creative jobs in the uk has grown by a massive 34.5%. Which is around three times the normal growth rate of employment in the uk overall.
• According to official data published in 2018 the creative industries added new work posts at twice the rate of the rest of the uk economy.
• There are expected to be 900,000 new jobs in the sector by 2030.
• In 2018 the creative Industries also accounted for over half a million jobs in the digital sectors.
• According to the same data in 2018 creative industries accounted for 284,400 businesses - or just over one in eight of all UK businesses - in 2016, with almost 18 per cent having traded internationally compared to the average figure for international trading of 12.9 per cent across all UK business sectors.

This industry is multi-facetted, many creative roles make up just one sector and new ones are constantly added as the industry develops. The industry bleeds out in to digital and cultural sectors too. The growth in employment our economy has seen comes from a number of things such as advancement in science and technology. Showing huge opportunities for creative graduates.

Our government sorts the creative sectors in to the following range of subsections, each of which you will find in one of our programmes of study here at The Northern School of Art across both further and higher education sites. These include:

• Advertising & Marketing • Architecture • Crafts • Design & Fashion • Digital design • Film & TV, Radio & Photography • IT Software and computer sciences • Publishing • Cultural Institutions (galleries, museums & libraries)

Each one of these areas houses an specific role or area of specialised expertise. For example a single fashion brand relies on many different skills sets to survive, including: Designers, buyers, merchandisers, marketeers, creative directors, journalists, website developers, photographers, film makers, graphics designers, social media officers, garment technologists, teachers, accountants, lawyers, copy-writers, machinist, sales assistants, sample co-ordinators, wholesalers and many many more.

The opportunities to have a meaningful career within the creative industry is massive and at twice the rate of normal job creation those opportunities are growing! In todays creative industry roles have adapted and developed to include and span across many more disciplines and areas that you might not expect such as engineering, data science and tech.

So what does a creative career look like for you?

Below are only some of the potential career paths you could find yourself pursuing:

• Advertiser • Activist • Actor • Animator • App Designer • Architect • Archivist • Art director • Artist • Art interpreter • Business owner • Buyer • Builder • CAD technician • Camera Operator • Cartoonist • Ceramicist • Childrenswear designer • Cinematographer • Comic Book Artist • Computer Games Design • Computer Modeller • Concept Artist • Conservator • Costume Designer • Copy-writer • Curator • Data scientist • Draftsman • Digital Marketing officer • Designer • Digital Designer • Digital Image Editor • Director • Engineer • Editor • Fashion Designer / assistant designer • Fashion marketeer / Promoter • Film & TV photographer • Film Director / Producer • Film Editor • Fine Artist • Footwear Designer • Freelance designer • Furniture Designer • Gallery Manager • Garment Technologist • Giftware artist-maker • Graphic Designer • Illustrator • Interior Designer • Jewellery Designer • Journalist • Leather Worker • Lawyer • Magazine Editor • Medical photographer • Merchandiser • Milliner • Military photographer/film maker • Model Maker • Motion Graphics Designer • Museum Director • Painter • Pattern cutter/grader • Photographer • Photo journalist • Public relations • Print maker • Producer • Production Assistant • Psychologist • Retailer • Sample Co-ordinator • Script Writer • Sculptor • Surface Designer • Seamstress • Set designer • Set Dresser • Sewing Machinist • Social Media Manager • Software Engineer • Sound Tech • Sound Designer • Storyboard Artist • Studio manager • Stylist • Surface Pattern Designer • Tailor • Tattooist • Textile Designer • Theatre Designer • Theatre Director / Producer • Therapist • Theme Park Designer • Transport Designer • Tv Prop/ Set Designer • Toy-maker • Upholsterer • UX Designer • Virtual Reality Tech • Visual Merchandiser • Web Content Manager • Web Designer • Writer • Wholesaler • Youth Arts Officer

According to information collected from leading employment websites and gov.co.uk the average creative salary in the uk across sectors is £33,372 per annum. With a standard starting salary of around £17,000 a year which is competitive for the uk average for graduate jobs.

Please see the average estimate of various jobs roles spanning across the industry today:

• Graphic Designer £22k • Junior Graphic Designer £19k • Marketing Executive £23k • Creative Director £46k • Digital Designer £25k • Web Designer £22k • Design Manager £36k • UX Designer £30k • Marketing Manager £28k • Marketing Assistant £19k • Motion Graphic Designer £26k • Communications Officer £23k • Sign Maker £18k • Social Media Manager £25k • Design Architect £31k • Visual Designer £31k • Art Editor £31k • Design Director, Advertising £48k • Web Designer & Developer £30k • User Interface Designer £24k • Product Designer £25k • Illustrator £21k • Videographer £19k • Photographer £25k • Multimedia Designer £26k • Digital Marketing Coordinator £18k • Film / Video Editor £19k • Art Teacher £32k • Animator £21k • Production Assistant £19k • Landscape Architect £25k • Fashion Designer £24k • Website Manager £25k • Editor £26k • Urban Designer £30k • Textile Designer £20k • Social Media Manager £20k • Interior Designer £26k • Web Administrator £17k • Junior Art Director £28k • Fashion Designer £26k • Project Architect £36k • Architectural Technologist £24k • Lighting Designer £28k • Assistant Fashion Designer £20k • Video Game Designer £30k • Jewellery Designer £24k • Draughtsman £26k • Art Teacher £29k • Curator £29k • Exhibit Designer £26k • Assistant Buyer £27k • Seamstress £18k • Custom Tailor £30k • Model Maker £25k • Set Designer £24k • Editorial Assistant £17k • Content Writer £21k • Social Media Coordinator £18k • Writer £24k • Upholsterer £21k • Pattern Maker £36k • Photographer, Commercial £20k • Videographer £22k • Senior Photographer £26k • Retoucher £19k • Cameraman £31k • Fashion Stylist £24k • Retail Manager £25k • Retail Sales Assistant £17k • Visual Merchandiser £22k