Your Dream of Being a Low-Paid Artist Can Come True
We all know that college degrees are one big crap shoot, and some are pure wastes of time and money. Like a degree in "art," right? You're setting yourself up to be a starving artist, right? Wrong, maybe, somewhat!
Inside Higher Ed reports that a new survey of arts grads found something gobsmacking: employment! At least for some:
A large majority of respondents (92 percent) who want to work say they are currently working. More than half (57 percent) either are working as professional artists (41 percent) or have done so in the past (16 percent) — with the survey specifying that jobs as art teachers and arts administrators would be excluded from this tally.
So take heart: there is a slightly better than average chance that that degree in art will get you work* as a professional** artist.
*Six in ten respondents said they were self-employed. So you may just have to declare yourself an artist.
**"For artists in general, the median salary was $34,800."