Graduation season is here in the U.S., with students nationwide celebrating the end of their studies, and many will be entering the world of work for the first time. For those looking to enter the creative world, a new study by JobLeads has ranked the highest-paid entry-level creative jobs for U.S. graduates in 2025 by analysing salary data — and the results may or may not surprise you.
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Highlights from the research:
- For graduates looking to enter the field of AI, an AI Prompt Engineer is the highest-paid role, with an average entry-level salary of $70,000 per year.
- While Tech roles are the highest paid entry-level roles, Marketing/Advertising roles occupy half of the top 10 highest-paid roles, with TikTok Consultants being the highest paid ($55,000).
- For Grads needing experience, UX Design Intern roles have the highest pay per hour ($30).
Top 10 Best-Paid Entry-Level Creative Roles
| # | Job Title | Industry / Sector | Intern Pay Per Hour ($) | Entry-Level Salary ($) |
| 1 | AI Prompt Engineer | Technology | $20 | $70,000 |
| 2 | UX Designer | Technology | $30 | $65,000 |
| 3 | TikTok Consultant | Marketing / Creative | N/A | $55,000 |
| 4 | Copywriter | Advertising / Marketing | $17 | $52,690 |
| 5 | Video Game Writer | Entertainment | $25 | $50,000 |
| 6 | Digital Marketer | Marketing / Creative | $22 | $45,000 |
| 7 | Graphic Designer | Design | $25 | $45,000 |
| 8 | Video Editor | Media | $21 | $45,000 |
| 9 | Social Media Content Creator | Advertising / Marketing | $18 | $45,000 |
| 10 | Journalist | Media | $20 | $35,000 |
Please see here for the full dataset with complete job levels.
Tech/AI roles are the highest-paid Creative Roles for graduates
Job Leads can reveal that the highest-paid creative job for grads in 2025 is an AI Prompt Engineer, with an average salary of $70,000. This emerging role is in high demand across the tech and media sectors, requiring creativity to craft questions and to teach the AI how to respond to them. Even interns in this space can expect to earn around $20 an hour, providing a solid first step for those eager to combine their creativity with the latest AI tools.
Next on the list are UX Designers, who can look forward to a starting salary of $65,000, or $30 an hour for interns. As companies compete to deliver smoother, smarter digital experiences across web and mobile platforms, these skills are in higher demand than ever in the tech world.
In third place, TikTok Consultants can start off with $55,000 a year. While intern pay figures aren’t widely reported for this role, the strong starting salary speaks volumes about how valuable social media know-how has become, especially for brands trying to connect with younger audiences.
More traditional creative routes still offer strong opportunities, too. Copywriters typically start at $52,690, with interns earning around $17 an hour. And if storytelling in the world of gaming is more your thing, Video Game Writers are starting on $50,000, with interns taking home about $25 an hour.
Finally, for grads with a passion for media storytelling, Journalism is a solid option, though with a more modest starting salary of $35,000, or around $20 an hour for internships. While it’s one of the lower-paid creative paths, the role of the journalist is as vital as ever for those driven by curiosity and a desire to make a difference.
Martin Schmidt, co-founder and managing director at JobLeads, comments on why creative roles are well paid and what employable skills are required to land a Creative role: “These figures reflect how digital transformation is changing the game in the creative jobs market. Employers are paying a premium for graduates who combine a creative skill set with tech savvy, particularly in areas such as AI, UX, and digital content creation. As industries adapt to new technologies and consumer behaviours, there’s a growing demand for new talent who bring fresh, innovative ideas to challenges being faced in the digital space. Graduates who can bridge creativity with technical skills are not only more employable, they’re in a better position to secure well-paid roles. Graduates don’t necessarily need to have studied a creative degree, but if they have experience in the field that shows they are both creative and tech-savvy, this will showcase to employers that they’re a good fit.”
