Who knew that you could make money to live on employed in one of several literature careers?
Not all of them involve teaching, and the path your literature training could take might surprise you from now until at least 2029.
1. Journalist
Why Become a Journalist?
Journalism demands have dropped by more than 10 percent below (slower than) average as of 2022.
However, that depends on what type of journalist you want to become.
Some positions may earn you about $62,400 per year or more, but others pay you an annual salary of less than $20,000-$30,000.
You might earn more if working as a freelance journalist who also takes on copywriting jobs until you have enough experience to, for example, go on location to cover an international war zone.
You could become either a print or broadcast – or podcast and online video – journalist.
| Journalist Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $63,230 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $30.40 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | -10.1% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Journalist
2. English Teacher
Why Become an English Teacher?
There’s still a need for English teachers all around the world, being that it’s one of the most popular languages.
You could earn anywhere from about $30,000-$80,000 per year depending on your education level or experience.
Some positions may require that you have a degree, but you might also become a private tutor or a teaching assistant before you finish college.
| English Teacher Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $82,680 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 6% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become an English Teacher
3. Freelance Writer
Why Become a Freelance Writer?
Freelance writers sometimes make more than $100,000 per year without having finished more than two years of college.
In some cases, companies may require a bachelor’s degree in a specific field, such as nursing or nutritional science.
Your specialty area in college could help you make money writing educational content for clients.
However, you also can take anywhere from about $40,000-$70,000 per year or more producing business copy for websites, brochures, and marketing materials.
You can begin this career even before you finish four years of school, and the need still continues to grow by about 3 percent faster than average after 2022.
Editors will earn more than people assisting as writers, just so you know.
| Freelance Writer Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $81,120 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $39.00 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 3% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Freelance Writer
4. Interpreter
Why Become an Interpreter?
First off, the demand for interpreters may rise by an astounding 42 percent over the next 10 years after 2020.
That’s because of the increased awareness of making content during live presentations and in online recordings accessible to everyone.
You could interpret for hearing impaired individuals, or you can become fluent in French, Spanish, or another language and interpret that.
This career could generate about $57,000 per year for you, and it’s possible to find positions before you finish four years of college.
The number one qualification is fluency in either sign language or written and spoken language.
| Interpreter Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $58,400 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $28.08 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 42% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become an Interpreter
5. Paralegal
Why Become a Paralegal?
Becoming a paralegal doesn’t require more than two years of schooling.
Still, you’ll make at least $40,000-$60,000 per year, and it places you in a legal environment.
Use this career as a stepping stone to become a lawyer or make a decent living even if you stay working in this occupation assisting a law firm.
What’s more, there’s a 12 percent demand increase predicted after 2022.
| Paralegal Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $58,330 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $28.04 |
| Education | 2-4 Years |
| Outlook | 12% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Paralegal
6. Lawyer
Why Become a Lawyer?
You could more than double what a paralegal makes per year as a lawyer, which totals up to $145,000 per year or more.
There’s an increased predicted need of about 8 percent up until 2029, but it does require at least four years of school.
Keep in mind, however, that some lawyers don’t make much more than a paralegal does if taking on cases for lower-income people.
If you know for sure becoming a lawyer would be worth it to you, it could also help you become a judge someday.
| Lawyer Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $148,030 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $71.17 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 8.2% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Lawyer
7. Technical Writer
Why Become a Technical Writer?
If you work as a freelance writer, you’ll find that technology niches require more content than most freelance categories.
As a technical writer, you’d write content related to software or computer, engineering, science, or electronics.
In addition, you might cover emerging medical or health equipment innovations.
| Technical Writer Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $81,470 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $39.17 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 10.9% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Technical Writer
8. Publisher
Why Become a Publisher?
You have the authority to decide what media target audiences will see.
This includes the promotion of online works, such as e-books or TV and movie scripts once you accept them from authors.
It also may involve running blog networks or social media channels.
You have quite a bit of versatility in this literature field that also includes other forms of expertise, such as journalism or writing.
It may also lead you into becoming an author agent, for which you could earn commissions selling works to production companies.
A publisher may only earn about $30,000-$45,000 per year for a base salary, but you could make much more with bestselling works.
| Publisher Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $50,930 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $24.49 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 7.3% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Publisher
9. Librarian
Why Become a Librarian?
As a librarian, you could put your historical research and college training to practical use.
It helps if you study the history of the location where you plan to work, and you can find a job even if you haven’t finished college yet.
After about four years of school, you could earn about $61,000 per year or more depending on experience.
| Librarian Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $64,180 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $30.86 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 9% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Librarian
10. Public Relations Manager
Why Become a Public Relations Manager?
Also known as a reputation management specialist, you could become instrumental in helping companies establish a positive reputation within their community.
This may include highlighting charity and social functions they would host.
You also may have to publish the company’s press releases on social media or assign reporters to cover their live events.
As a PR manager, you’d also assign your staff to create both text and visual media kits for use in attracting journalists interested in telling their brand stories.
You can earn more as a public relations manager than as a journalist, by the way.
The annual salary could end up being $132,630 after only about four years of school.
If on a PR team assisting a writer, you might earn about $40,000-$50,000 before you achieve a bachelor’s degree required for some PR management positions.
| Public Relations Manager Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $132,800 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $63.85 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 13% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Public Relations Manager
11. Archivist
Why Become an Archivist?
You can earn about $57,500 per year just by arranging books, videos, audio, magazines, newspapers, or other media into meaningful collections.
It does require some keen organizational skills and a logical sense of order, but it’s less physically demanding than landscaping or production work.
This position may call for a college degree, but you might also earn while you still attend classes.
Apparently, this literature career has one of the highest predicted need increase rates of about 14.7 percent above average until 2029.
| Archivist Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $61,880 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $29.75 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 14.7% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become an Archivist
12. Marketing Manager
Why Become a Marketing Manager?
Marketing managers remain in moderate demand at about 10 percent job growth faster than average after 2022.
It requires similar written and communication skills as a teacher or journalist would, but you could make $149,000 a year or more.
You’d have quite a few duties, such as running project teams or helping a company establish a corporate identity.
Ad sales may come as part of your job responsibilities, or you would delegate this task to a team member.
It might require at least four years of college.
However, you might find yourself in an entry-level position as a marketing manager assistant earning about $30,0000-$40,000 before you earn your degree.
| Marketing Manager Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $153,440 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $73.77 |
| Education | 3-4 Years |
| Outlook | 10.1% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Marketing Manager
