what are the highest paying design careers??

Pay really depends on your skill level and whether or not you're independent or working for another person.

The top freelancers can make a lot of money, but you take the risk of not knowing where your next job will come from.

Frankly, I don't think picking out a career based on salary is a wise choice. All engineers and designers do pretty well (except maybe graphic designers/web designers who don't code... because they're a dime a dozen)... so within that, you're best just choosing what you like the most.

i disagree with the above answer. i think it's a smart thing to find out how much you are being paid!

i worked in the advertising industry for 3 years, and so many of my fellow designer friends are not happy about the design industry - the salary vs. work hours, as well as how little "creativity" there is on your job.

i actually lost my health while working on that job. so yes, by all means, ask how much people earn. lifestyle is a big part of the quality of life. and you need to know how much you are willing to sacrifice in order to "make it" -

having said that, i DO agree with the previous answer - there are many designers that can use graphic tools. it's wise to have another competitive edge - whether it's sales/marketing or communication/directing, or like mentioned already some coding experience. having the skills that anyone can have will not get you far, and ESPECIALLY if you're hoping to get "high" salary.

it probably is the same for most places in the world; i have two cousins in the architecture industry; sometimes getting ' up there' might mean having more "political" and "networking" skills, as well as learning how to "align yourself" with the right people who'll give you leverage.

but on a global level, of course, it is about "what value" you give to your customers that matters most.

there is another impressive adage in the design industry: "If you want to be a well-paid designer, please the client. If you want to be an award-winning designer, please yourself. If you want to be a great designer, please the audience." - Unknown. (p.45 of the book "the Complete Graphic Designer" by Ryan Hembree.)

OK. Good luck! I sincerely hope you find the "Right Livelihood" and carer path! Time IS the only currency we have of this life...

oops. i forgot to give you the answer u were looking for - in my country, on average, it is said that Creative Directors working in advertising are better paid than most others.

But the above answer is right I think; if you are recognized as a "top" designer for a certain field, and you're the "star designer" - then, you could probably get something much much higher.

it also depends on the pay and structure of the design firm you work for. the sooner u get to "team leader" position, the better negotiation u can have for your services.

my cousin who worked for a Korean architecture firm - aggressively made his way up in a famous architecture firm, is currently in Dubai, and seems to be doing very well financially. my other cousin on the other hand is working in NYC, but he is not as much of a "social climber" and with the living costs of NYC, finds it less financially prosperous.

so yeah. it's down to what YOU can deliver. and how u leverage your skills.

but design industry - is better approached - if you really enjoy and care about the work - if you care more about the money than you actually enjoy the process of designing - you're in for long hours of misery.

ok. that's probably enough from me for today!