High paying creative and media jobs in California

Every creative and media occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in California. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single creative and media job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in California run 10.7% above the national average (2024), so a California salary is worth about 0.90× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in California.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find creative jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Art Directors$137,780
Bachelor's degree
$81,500 – $249,21012,430
2Special Effects Artists and Animators$130,540
Bachelor's degree
$71,710 – $206,1607,410
3Producers and Directors$129,790
Bachelor's degree
$63,570 – $306,85034,110
4Media and Communication Workers, All Other$102,630
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,140 – $170,4109,940
5Editors$98,030
Bachelor's degree
$52,510 – $173,59014,830
6Film and Video Editors$88,490
Bachelor's degree
$42,020 – $169,8108,110
7Writers and Authors$86,480
Bachelor's degree
$56,730 – $193,0808,390
8Public Relations Specialists$85,030
Bachelor's degree
$49,550 – $160,52032,710
9Interior Designers$80,230
Bachelor's degree
$50,940 – $131,7708,500
10Graphic Designers$75,130
Bachelor's degree
$46,190 – $129,56027,390
11Audio and Video Technicians$64,620
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,950 – $120,6909,280
12Photographers$47,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,470 – $125,4907,980
13Coaches and Scouts$47,660
Bachelor's degree
$35,920 – $92,15031,150
14Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$47,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,080 – $61,87017,840

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianCalifornia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Art DirectorsBachelor's degree	$137,780	$81,500 – $249,210	12,430
2	Special Effects Artists and AnimatorsBachelor's degree	$130,540	$71,710 – $206,160	7,410
3	Producers and DirectorsBachelor's degree	$129,790	$63,570 – $306,850	34,110
4	Media and Communication Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$102,630	$44,140 – $170,410	9,940
5	EditorsBachelor's degree	$98,030	$52,510 – $173,590	14,830
6	Film and Video EditorsBachelor's degree	$88,490	$42,020 – $169,810	8,110
7	Writers and AuthorsBachelor's degree	$86,480	$56,730 – $193,080	8,390
8	Public Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$85,030	$49,550 – $160,520	32,710
9	Interior DesignersBachelor's degree	$80,230	$50,940 – $131,770	8,500
10	Graphic DesignersBachelor's degree	$75,130	$46,190 – $129,560	27,390
11	Audio and Video TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,620	$39,950 – $120,690	9,280
12	PhotographersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,840	$36,470 – $125,490	7,980
13	Coaches and ScoutsBachelor's degree	$47,660	$35,920 – $92,150	31,150
14	Merchandise Displayers and Window TrimmersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,010	$38,080 – $61,870	17,840

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in California. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for California

Metro areas in California

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in California

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in California to rank honestly.

High paying creative and media jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying creative and media jobs in each state