Does making art actually pay the bills? It’s the everlasting question for most artists. And the truth is, for most who need to ask that question in the first place, it doesn’t, at least not reliably. And at least not at first.
In fact, it can take not months but many years to build a market for yourself, but even established artists often supplement their income. And here’s more painful truth: sometimes, despite great talent and hustle, it’s not possible to be a full-time artist. That’s not failure, though; it’s a reality many creatives accept and work around. And the latter is key – even if you have to have a regular job, you can and should continue to make art.
The good news is, today, it’s easier than ever to find flexible, often remote roles that let you keep making art while covering rent and materials. Below are some practical options you can start this year, with realistic entry routes, time-to-skill estimates, and income ranges. Say no to the “starving artist” stereotype!
Realistic Jobs That Still Leave Room For Art
So, first off, know that you don’t need to trade your creative energy for a cubicle. The trick is to find work that pays reliably but doesn’t leave you depleted and unable to dedicate time to art.
So, here are some jobs that artists actually do (not hypothetical ones) that you, too, can consider.
1. Audiobook narration
If you’re good at pacing and can read with emotion, voice work is definitely worth exploring. Many narrators work from home with basic recording gear and edit their own tracks. A few online tutorials and a decent USB mic can get you to a professional baseline faster than you’d think.
Most indie projects pay $10–$100 per finished hour, and once you build a reel, you can join marketplaces like ACX or Findaway Voices. It’s one of those roles that’s oddly meditative. Long hours, yes, but pure storytelling.
2. Museum education / digital archiving
Museums have moved much of their outreach online, and they need people who can interpret collections for digital audiences. That could mean writing short learning blurbs, helping with metadata, or photographing and cataloging works for public databases. It’s steady, often hybrid work that values your creative vocabulary.
The pay runs from roughly $18–$35 an hour, and a few months of learning basic digital archiving tools (like TMS or Omeka) can make you employable.
3. Gallery registrar / art-handler work
If you enjoy the behind-the-scenes rhythm of art spaces — condition reports, packing, inventory control — registrar work can fund your studio life. It’s less glamorous than curating but much steadier. You learn on the job, and a few months of assisting can get you into regular gigs at galleries or fairs.
Pay tends to hover between $15–$30 an hour, but it scales quickly once you handle valuable works or larger institutions trust you with logistics.
4. Medical billing and coding
This one seems left-field, but it’s reliable, remote, and requires the same precision most artists already practice. You translate procedures and diagnoses into standardized codes that make healthcare billing work: detailed, rule-based, and actually satisfying for people who like structure.
The fastest route is a medical billing and coding program, like the one offered through vocational schools like STVT. Training usually takes under a year, and pay often lands in the $45,000–$60,000 range with experience. It’s not creative, but it frees you to be creative off-hours consistently.
5. UX research participation / testing
You can literally get paid to critique design. Platforms like UserTesting or Respondent pay participants to share reactions while navigating sites or apps. Designers crave feedback from visually trained people, so your artistic perspective helps.
It’s casual income — $15 to a couple hundred per study — but it’s flexible enough to fill gaps between bigger projects and occasionally sparks ideas about your own audience or composition.
6. Photography assisting and studio tech
Working as a photo assistant gives you immediate hands-on experience with lighting, gear, and client interaction, all of which can also feed back into your art.
You learn how professional setups run, earn an hourly rate of about $29 (although it varies), and pick up technical fluency you can’t get from YouTube alone. It’s also social work: every job expands your network, often leading to collaborations that matter far more than the pay.
7. Captioning / transcription / content accessibility
If you have a sharp ear for rhythm and pacing, look into captioning or transcription. It’s detail-oriented but flexible, and it fits neatly between creative projects.
You can start on freelancing platforms and move toward specialized captioning for film festivals or nonprofits. Expect $10–$30 an hour, depending on speed and specialization.
8. Community health outreach
If you have great communication skills and you want to put them to good use, consider this role. Nonprofits and public health agencies often hire creatives to design educational materials, manage local events, or run awareness campaigns. You might layout flyers one week and direct a small art-based workshop the next so it’s versatile.
It pays around $20–$45 an hour and offers a refreshing sense of purpose; a way to merge creative messaging with social impact.
The Art of Balance
The toughest part isn’t finding flexible jobs because they exist, but managing the balance once you start. You can easily fill every spare hour with client tasks, leaving no energy for your art. The goal isn’t to “fit art around work,” but to build a system where both feed each other (ideally). Paid work gives you structure, deadlines, and often unexpected inspiration. The trick is to design your schedule and mindset so the job funds your creativity rather than drains it.
Here are some tips to balance this:
- Treat paid roles as modular: pick gigs with predictable hours or blocks of time so you keep studio momentum.
- Build transferable artifacts: cataloging, metadata, voice demos, or UX test notes are portfolio pieces that show skills beyond “I make art.”
- Timebox creative work (even two focused hours per weekday moves projects forward). Yes, it’s small but consistent.
- Keep learning that compounds: courses in metadata, audio editing, or basic coding increase your market options.
Finally, consider joining or even forming a small online group of artists balancing part-time or remote work. Accountability makes it easier to stick to your creative hours, plus you’ll swap practical tips.
