| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Sing as a soloist or as a member of a vocal group. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Memorize musical selections and routines, or sing following printed text, musical notation, or customer instructions. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment. |
| Importance: 98 (%) | Description: Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Play from memory or by following scores. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Practice singing exercises and study with vocal coaches to develop voice and skills and to rehearse for upcoming roles. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: Observe choral leaders or prompters for cues or directions in vocal presentation. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Make or participate in recordings. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Seek out and learn new music suitable for live performance or recording. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Make or participate in recordings in music studios. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Promote their own or their group's music by participating in media interviews and other activities. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Audition for orchestras, bands, or other musical groups. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Teach music for specific instruments. |
Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For visually creative people who want commercial design work, illustration, or both. Use the tools below to see which graphic design and illustration roles fit your background and goals.
This field rewards a strong portfolio over formal credentials, and splits between commercial design work and illustration/art-focused work. Use the tools below to explore Graphic Design and Illustration-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Junior Graphic Designer, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Art Director or Creative Director. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Adobe Certified Professional, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs, (2) Find Graphic Design and Illustration job listings, (3) Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration careers, and (4) Provide Graphic Design and Illustration career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Graphic Design and Illustration Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Graphic Design and Illustration careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Graphic Design and Illustration, so relevant Graphic Design and Illustration jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Graphic Design and Illustration Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Graphic Design and Illustration Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Graphic Design and Illustration careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 149 Graphic Design and Illustration Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
39 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
46 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
46 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 149 specific Graphic Design and Illustration job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Musicians and Singers.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Musicians and Singers
Description: Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for sound or video recording.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Musicians and Singers":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
157,300U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
174,800
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
17,500 (11.1%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
20,800
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Research particular roles to find out more about a character, or the time and place in which a piece is set. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Learn acting, dancing, and other skills required for dramatic singing roles. |
| Importance: 55 (%) | Description: Improvise music during performances. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Arrange and edit music to fit style and purpose. |
| Importance: 48 (%) | Description: Collaborate with a manager or agent who handles administrative details, finds work, and negotiates contracts. |
| Importance: 35 (%) | Description: Compose songs or create vocal arrangements. |
| Importance: 34 (%) | Description: Direct bands or orchestras. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Audition for roles. | |
| Conduct research to inform art, designs, or other work. | |
| Coordinate logistics for productions or events. | |
| Coordinate musical rehearsals or performances. | |
| Create musical compositions, arrangements or scores. | |
| Perform for recordings. | |
| Perform music for the public. | |
| Practice athletic or artistic skills. | |
| Promote products, activities, or organizations. | |
| Study details of musical compositions. | |
| Train others on performance techniques. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Coordinate artistic or entertainment activities. |
| Activity: Create artistic designs or performances. |
| Activity: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures. |
| Activity: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise. |
| Activity: Perform athletic activities for fitness, competition, or artistic purposes. |
| Activity: Present arts or entertainment performances. |
| Activity: Promote products, services, or programs. |
| Activity: Study details of artistic productions. |
| Activity: Train others on operational or work procedures. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
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| Emerging Tech Skills | |||||||
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software: | |||||||
| SAP software | |||||||
| Office suite software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Office software | |||||||
| Spreadsheet software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Excel | |||||||
| Web page creation and editing software: | |||||||
| Word processing software: | |||||||
| Microsoft Word | |||||||
| General Software Tools | |||||||
| Accounting software: | |||||||
| Financial tracking software | |||||||
| Calendar and scheduling software: | |||||||
| Appointment scheduling software | |||||||
| Computer based training software: | |||||||
| Cantovation Sing & See | |||||||
| Data base user interface and query software: | |||||||
| TUBA software | |||||||
| Electronic mail software: | |||||||
| Email software | |||||||
| Instant messaging software: | |||||||
| Snapchat | |||||||
| Internet browser software: | |||||||
| Web browser software | |||||||
| Music or sound editing software (scroll table below): | |||||||
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| Video creation and editing software: | |||||||
| YouTube | |||||||
| Web page creation and editing software: | |||||||
| Blogging software |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed |
| A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. |
| Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. |
| Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. |
| Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 29.1 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 19.2 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 17.2 (%) | Level of Education: Master's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.1 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.3 (%) | Level of Education: Doctoral Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.6 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.3 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Doctoral Training |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.9 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.3 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 14.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 13.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
| Frequency of Attainment: 10.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 10 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 8 years, up to and including 10 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 7.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 years, up to and including 8 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Professional Associations
| Professional Associations These associations connect people who work in this occupation or related fields. How can you start using these associations to learn more, build your network, or find mentoring opportunities? |
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American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)
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National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)
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The Recording Academy
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Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Musicians and Singers". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Musicians and Singers
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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