Introduction: 

Having spent years navigating the intricacies of the Indian job market, I’ve witnessed a shift in perception regarding careers in the arts field. Contrary to common belief, there’s a plethora of lucrative opportunities available. In this comprehensive report, I delve into the top 8 highest paying jobs in India in the arts field. 

From my firsthand experience, I understand the importance of shedding light on these rewarding career paths. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a fresh graduate exploring your options, understanding the potential in the arts sector is paramount. 

The humanities or arts stream is often looked down by people, facing prejudices of not being able to attain as many lucrative opportunities as science or commerce education sectors. However, the stream can offer several high-paying jobs after BA through diverse arts subjects.

Arts students can opt for the subject of their interest and create a successful career out of courses after 12th arts with high salary. You just have to find the right skill to emphasize and the right course while strengthening your resume with the right certifications and internship opportunities, eventually helping you to bag exciting work opportunities and high-paying jobs after BA.

There are several highest paying jobs in India for arts students where one can be satisfied mentally and financially. However, you should note that a person’s salary depends on many factors such as the company, location, the person’s skills and experience, and others. Let’s dive in:

You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. 

Highest Paying Jobs In India in Arts Field

Let’s talk about the highest paing jobs in India in arts field:

1. Fashion Designer

If you are interested in design and arts, then you might like a career in fashion design. It is among the most competitive sectors, but its rewards are generous too. You need to be a creative and artistic person to pursue a career in this field. 

Fashion Designer Salary in India

Fashion designer is one of the highest paying jobs in India in Arts field as the average salary of fashion designers in India is ₹4.3 Lakhs per annum. However, with experience and knowledge of skills, this number can go up to INR 10 LPA as well and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students.  Apart from salary, this field offers glamour and fame to the ones who succeed in it too due to which it’s quite a popular career choice among art students. Taking the role of a fashion designer is one of the highest paying jobs in India for arts students.

Meanwhile, check out our HRM Advanced certification course.

Salary:

Average Fashion Designer Salary in India is ₹4.3 Lakhs.

Source

Average Fashion Designer Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
Mumbai	₹4.4 Lakh
New Delhi	₹4.6 Lakh
Bangalore	₹4.7 Lakh
Noida	₹4.4 Lakh
Kolkata	₹4.1 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹4.6 Lakh
Chennai	₹4.3 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹4.0 Lakh
Pune	₹4.2 Lakh

Average Fashion Designer Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
1 Year	₹2.6 Lakh
2 Year	₹2.9 Lakh
3 Year	₹3.5 Lakh
4 Year	₹3.6 Lakh
5 Year	₹3.9 Lakh

Average Fashion Designer Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
Retail	₹ 5.1 Lakhs
Manufacturing	₹ 4.0 Lakhs
Internet	₹ 4.6 Lakhs
Financial Services	₹ 4.5 Lakhs
FMCG	₹ 5.6 Lakhs

What does a Fashion Designer do?

Fashion designers create designs for accessories, clothes, and shoes. They create patterns and prototypes for their designs, which enter the market after getting approval from management. 

Also read: Career options in science after graduation

2. Corporate Lawyer

After completing your degree in arts, you can pursue a career in law as well. Corporate lawyers also have one of the highest paying jobs in India in arts and which offers a challenging and unique career. 

Also, check out our DevOps certification course to upskill yourself.

Corporate Lawyer Salary in India

Corporate lawyer is one of the highest paying jobs in India in arts field as they earn an average salary of around INR 9 LPA. The upper limit of their salary in India is INR 20 LPA at the moment and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students., so you can understand just how lucrative this field is. The cities which offer the best pay in this field are Gurugram (Gurgaon), Bengaluru, and New Delhi. It is one of the highest salary jobs for arts field students.

Salary:

Average Corporate Lawyer Salary in India is ₹9.1 Lakhs.

Source

Average Corporate Lawyer Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
New Delhi	₹10.0 Lakh
Mumbai	₹6.6 Lakh
Bangalore	₹23.9 Lakh
Pune	₹8.5 Lakh
Kolkata	₹2.4 Lakh
Noida	₹13.3 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹8.5 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹15.6 Lakh

 

Average Corporate Lawyer Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
1 Year	₹4.5 Lakh
2 Year	₹5.5 Lakh
3 Year	₹5.7 Lakh
4 Year	₹5.9 Lakh
5 Year	₹6.1 Lakh
6 Year	₹7.7 Lakh
7 Year	₹8.9 Lakh
10 Year	₹13.2 Lakh

Average Corporate Lawyer Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
Legal	₹13.3 Lakh
IT Services & Consulting	₹3.3 Lakh
Manufacturing	₹4.0 Lakh
Pharma	₹4.0 Lakh
Fashion & Textile	₹9.5 Lakh
Insurance	₹7.3 Lakh

What does a Corporate Lawyer do?

Corporate lawyers are lawyers who specialize in corporate law. They help companies in completing their legal obligations while also assisting them in M&A (mergers & acquisitions) and other types of transactions. Corporate lawyers help companies in creating contracts as well. Contract negotiation, legal compliance, and expertise of commercial law are some of the most popular skills in this sector. They also handle litigation and represent their clients in court during trials. 

Completed your BSc and wondering what’s next? Explore career options after BSc to discover the diverse paths your science degree can lead you to.

3. Graphic Designer

Another popular career among art students in graphic design. If you like art and computers, then this is the field you should enter. The demand for graphic designers is growing as more and more businesses open up. 

Graphic Designer Salary in India

Graphic designer is one of the highest paying jobs in India in arts field as they earn an average salary of INR 3.8 LPA, but the number can go up to INR 6.2 LPA with experience and skill and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students. If interested, you can also start a graphic design agency and run your own company. 

Salary:

Average Graphics Designer Salary in India is ₹3.8 Lakhs.

Source

Average Graphic Designer Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
New Delhi	₹3.9 Lakh
Mumbai	₹4.0 Lakh
Bangalore	₹4.2 Lakh
Chennai	₹3.7 Lakh
Pune	₹3.8 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹4.1 Lakh
Noida	₹4.0 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹4.1 Lakh
Kolkata	₹3.6 Lakh

Average Graphic Designer Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
1 Year	₹2.6 Lakh
2 Year	₹3.0 Lakh
3 Year	₹3.6 Lakh
4 Year	₹3.8 Lakh
5 Year	₹4.3 Lakh

Average Graphic Designer Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
IT Services & Consulting	₹4.1 Lakh
Internet	₹4.6 Lakh
Financial Services	₹4.1 Lakh
Marketing & Advertising	₹3.6 Lakh
Software Product	₹4.6 Lakh
Media & Entertainment	₹4.0 Lakh
Manufacturing	₹4.1 Lakh
Retail	₹4.5 Lakh
Pharma	₹4.6 Lakh
Legal	₹4.6 Lakh

What does a Graphic Designer do?

Graphic designers use software to create patterns, designs, and artworks. There are multiple branches in this sector, according to the kind of work one does. For example, logo designers specialise in creating company logos. Similarly, you have web designers who specialise in creating layouts and designs for websites and webpages. You should be familiar with several design software applications too, including Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. 

Finished 12th and pondering over the future? Unveil the multitude of career options after 12th arts to find a path that resonates with your passion and skills.

4. Management Roles

If you’ve always aspired to get a leadership role, you should pursue a career in management. Managers are among the highest-paid professionals in the world and for many reasons. There are multiple domains in management too, and you can choose one according to your interests and knowledge. 

Read: Career Options After MBA – Highest Paying Management Jobs

Manager Salary in India

Management offers some of the highest paying jobs in India for arts. You can expect to earn around INR 35.6 LPA on average in this sector and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students. As your career will progress, you’ll move onto more leadership roles with better pay and benefits. 

Salary:

Average Manager Salary in India is ₹35.6 Lakhs.

Source

Average General Manager Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
Mumbai	₹37.7 Lakh
New Delhi	₹36.3 Lakh
Bangalore	₹38.2 Lakh
Chennai	₹38.0 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹38.8 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹37.5 Lakh
Kolkata	₹35.6 Lakh
Pune	₹38.8 Lakh
Noida	₹37.0 Lakh

Average General Manager Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
9 Years	₹17.4 Lakh
10 Years	₹18.5 Lakh
11 Years	₹19.3 Lakh
12 Years	₹20.7 Lakh
13 Years	₹21.7 Lakh
14 Years	₹23.8 Lakh
15+ Years	₹25.2 Lakh

Average General Manager Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
Manufacturing	₹40.0 Lakh
Engineering & Construction	₹36.3 Lakh
IT Services & Consulting	₹42.8 Lakh
Travel $ Tourism	₹23.4 Lakh
Real Estate	₹30.1 Lakh
Telecom	₹40.9 Lakh
Internet	₹31.9 Lakh
Financial Services	₹38.3 Lakh

What does a Manager do?

Generally, the manager has the task of leading a team. They are responsible for the performance of their organisations, so they motivate them, direct them, and assist them when needed. They develop plans and future strategies for their team. As we mentioned earlier, there are multiple domains in this sector, such as finance, marketing, so your pay would depend on that as well.

Read: Career options in medical

Best Digital Marketing Courses Online

5. Insurance Manager

If you have great people skills and want a career in sales, you should enter the insurance sector. It is growing at a high pace in our country, and the majority of the population doesn’t have insurance. According to reports, the insurance sector can reach $ 280 billion by the year 2020. As an arts graduate, you can enter this industry as an insurance agent or manager. 

Insurance Manager Salary in India

Insurange manager is one of the highest paying jobs in India in arts field. While the average salary of an insurance manager in the country is around INR 3.9 LPA and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students. In many cases, the income of an insurance manager depends on the number of sales he/she generates as it affects their commission. Some insurance professionals earn considerably higher salaries and commission due to their performance.

Salary:

Average Insurance Manager Salary in India is ₹3.9 Lakhs.

Source

Average Insurance Manager Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
New Delhi	₹3.8 Lakh
Mumbai	₹3.5 Lakh
Bangalore	₹3.7 Lakh
Pune	₹3.4 Lakh
Chennai	₹3.6 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹4.9 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹4.4 Lakh
Kolkata	₹3.4 Lakh
Noida	₹3.5 Lakh

Average Insurance Manager Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
1 Year	₹2.8 Lakh
2 Year	₹3.1 Lakh
4 Year	₹3.7 Lakh
6 Year	₹4.0 Lakh
7 Year	₹4.2 Lakh
10 Year	₹5.0 Lakh
15+ Year	₹7.2 Lakh

Average Insurance Manager Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
Financial Services	₹3.8 Lakh
Automobile	₹3.4 Lakh
Manufacturing	₹3.3 Lakh
Insurance	₹3.8 Lakh
Internet	₹4.3 Lakh
Retail	₹5.3 Lakh
Healthcare	₹6.8 Lakh
Banking	₹4.9 Lakh
Power	₹12.2 Lakh
Food Processing	₹7.4 Lakh

What does an Insurance Manager do?

An insurance manager is responsible for generating sales of insurance plans for their company. You should have proficient people skills, sales skills, and knowledge of your company’s products to succeed in this sector. 

Graduated with a BA and considering your next move? Delve into career options after BA to explore diverse pathways that can lead to rewarding careers.

6. Digital Marketing

What’s the best method to find information these days? Through the internet, right? Internet is becoming more and more popular in India and the world. In 2020, India had around 700 million internet users, and this number is continuously growing. Companies recognise this fact too, and so they try to use the internet to promote themselves and their products. To do so, they look for digital marketers. 

Digital Marketing Manager Salary in India

The digital marketing manager is among the highest paying jobs in India in the Arts stream. The average salary of digital marketing managers in India is INR 11.7 LPA and one of the highest salary jobs for arts based students can get. As a fresher, you can expect to earn around INR 4 LPA in this field. 

Salary:

Average Digital Marketing Manager Salary in India is ₹11.7 Lakhs.

Source

Average Digital Marketing Manager Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
New Delhi	₹10.6 Lakh
Bangalore	₹13 Lakh
Mumbai	₹12.8 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹12.1 Lakh
Noida	₹8.9 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹11.1 Lakh
Pune	₹14.1 Lakh
Chennai	₹8.8 Lakh
Kolkata	₹8 Lakh

Average Digital Marketing Manager Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
2 Year	₹5.0 Lakh
3 Year	₹5.8 Lakh
4 Year	₹7.0 Lakh
6 Year	₹8.3 Lakh
8 Year	₹9.7 Lakh
10 Year	₹10.9 Lakh

Average Digital Marketing Manager Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
IT Services & Consulting	₹13.6 Lakh
Internet	₹13.5 Lakh
Financial Services	₹12.4 Lakh
Software Product	₹14.0 Lakh
Manufacturing	₹22.1 Lakh
Real Estate	₹10.8 Lakh
Healthcare	₹11.3 Lakh
Food Processing	₹13.2 Lakh
Retail	₹14.0 Lakh

What does a Digital Marketing Manager do?

A digital marketing manager handles the online presence of a company. They are responsible for planning and organising the online marketing strategy, running online ad campaigns (social media and search engine), and checking the progress of the marketing efforts. 

7. Journalist

Journalism has always been a popular career choice in India. You get to use your creative skills as well as your analytical skills in this field as you work on stories. This field is highly competitive but is undoubtedly rewarding. 

Journalist Salary in India

The average salary of journalists in India is INR 4.1 LPA and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students. At this time, the upper limit for a journalist’s pay is INR 10 LPA. 

Salary:

Average Journalist Salary in India is ₹4.1 Lakhs.

Source

Average Journalist Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
New Delhi	₹4.8 Lakh
Kolkata	₹5.1 Lakh
Mumbai	₹4.9 Lakh
Bangalore	₹6.0 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹2.5 Lakh
Noida	₹2.9 Lakh
Chennai	₹2.8 Lakh
Pune	₹4.1 Lakh

Average Journalist Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
1 Year	₹2.5 Lakh
3 Year	₹3.4 Lakh
4 Year	₹3.8 Lakh
6 Year	₹4.3 Lakh
10 Year	₹5.8 Lakh

Average Journalist Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
Media & Entertainment	₹5.0 Lakh
Printing & Publishing	₹3.5 Lakh
Broadcasting	₹3.3 Lakh
Internet	₹4.4 Lakh
Financial Services	₹3.4 Lakh
IT Services & Consulting	₹7.1 Lakh

What does a Journalist do?

Journalists research and write articles for newspapers and magazines. In other cases, journalists research stories for news channels, radios, and lifestyle channels, or sports channels. They are responsible for their stories and have to deliver them in a captivating manner, so the audience enjoys the same. 

8. Product Manager

These days, companies have to release new products at a rapid pace to stay relevant. Those who don’t keep up with the market get left behind and lose out on valuable consumers. That’s why companies have started looking for product managers. As an art major, you can pursue a career in this role too. Product manager is one of the highest paying jobs in India.  

Product Manager Salary in India

Product managers enjoy handsome salaries in India. At the time of writing this article, the average salary of product managers in India is INR 21.2 LPA and one of the highest paying job in India for arts based students. As you can see, the product manager is among the highest paid jobs in the arts stream and with just a few years of experience, your pay can increase substantially in this field. 

Salary:

Average Product Manager Salary in India is ₹21.2 Lakhs.

Source

Average Product Manager Salary in India based on Locations:

City	Salary
Bangalore	₹23 Lakh
Mumbai	₹19.8 Lakh
Gurgaon	₹23.6 Lakh
New Delhi	₹20.4 Lakh
Hyderabad	₹22.4 Lakh
Pune	₹20.4 Lakh
Noida	₹23.0 Lakh
Chennai	₹22.4 Lakh
Kolkata	₹18.6 Lakh

Average Product Manager Salary in India based on Experience:

Source

Experience	Salary
2 Year	₹15.1 Lakh
3 Year	₹17.2 Lakh
4 Year	₹18.4 Lakh
5 Year	₹19.3 Lakh
7 Year	₹20.3 Lakh
10 Year	₹23.0 Lakh
12 Year	₹24.2 Lakh

Average Product Manager Salary in India based on Industry:

Industry	Salary
Internet	₹24.5 Lakh
Financial Services	₹17.8 Lakh
IT Services & Consulting	₹24.4 Lakh
Software Product	₹26.2 Lakh
Banking	₹16.5 Lakh
Manufacturing	₹19.5 Lakh
Retail	₹27.1 Lakh
Pharma	₹12.4 Lakh
Insurance	₹14.8 Lakh
Telecom	₹23.6 Lakh

What does a Product Manager do?

Product managers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of a product. The lifecycle of a product includes its conception, creation, design, development, and release. They do market research, competitive analysis, help in designing the product, and oversee its publication in the market. 

Job-Oriented Courses

It is clear that you need to go through a few courses if you wish to excel in the arts field and get one of the highest paying jobs in India for arts students.

To pursue some of the careers we discussed above, you’d need additional certifications. So, we’ve shared some of the courses you can take for the same:

PG Certification in Digital Marketing and Communication

Learn from leading industry experts and become a digital marketer by enrolling in our digital marketing program. This course covers all the skills needed to become a digital marketer, including:

• Search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Social media marketing
• Content marketing
• Marketing analytics
• Branding

This course will also teach you about multiple tools a digital marketer uses such as Google Ads, MailChimp, WordPress, and Google Analytics. You should have a bachelor’s (or equivalent) degree to be eligible for this course. Once you’re done, you can apply for various digital marketing roles in different organisations or work as a consultant and help companies to grow online. 

PG Program in Management

This course allows you to learn management from one of the top business schools in India, IMT Ghaziabad. You’ll get to study the following subjects:

• Accounting and Finance
• Business Economics
• Marketing Management
• Sales and Distribution Management
• Behavioral Science, Business Law, and more

This program offers more than 320 hours of learning with more than 20 live sessions with experts to make sure you understand every concept easily. It would be best if you had a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks to be eligible for this program. After you complete this course, you can apply for management roles in various organisations. 

PG Program in Life Insurance

This an upGrad program we offer in partnership with PNM MetLife. It gives you extensive training in different aspects of this profession, such as sales skills, basics of financial services and its subjects, life insurance laws, rules, regulations, and other related concepts. The eligibility criteria of this course are you should be a graduate (in any discipline) and have some working experience. 

At the end of this program, you also have the chance to get a job of ARM (Associate Relationship Manager)In the sales team of PNB MetLife, allowing you to kickstart your career right away. 

Executive Program in Blockchain Technology Management

You can become a blockchain expert through this course. It covers multiple fundamental and advanced concepts of blockchain technology, including blockchain development, building prototypes, smart contracts, distributed apps, distributed ledger, cryptography, and more. 

You should have at least two years of professional work experience, however, before you can enrol in this course. Once you’ve completed it, you can apply for blockchain-related roles in various companies such as blockchain application architect, blockchain consultant, or blockchain manager.

Product Management Certification Program

To pursue a career in product management, you should start with this course. It teaches you how to create a product roadmap by performing user research and analysis. You get to learn from the faculty of Duke CE and multiple industry experts in this course through videos, projects, and assignments. 

You get to learn market research, user design, product development, engagement & growth, and many other vital skills necessary for these roles. Some of the tools you learn about here are Google Analytics, Balsamiq, Mixpanel, and others.

Popular Digital Marketing Blogs

Art Stream Government Job List

Besides these corporate high salary courses after 12th humanities, arts stream government jobs list with salary are one of the biggest education segments experiencing participation from arts graduates. Public service jobs are considered among the most prestigious professions providing countless professional and personal benefits to the employee.

This is probably why it is the most sought-after high salary courses after 12th humanities and job profile as well. Let’s look at some of the art stream government job lists.  

• SSC: SSC or Staff Selection Commission examinations are conducted to recruit candidates for various posts, ministries, and departments under the Indian government. IT extends employment opportunities for job profiles like Tax Inspector, Audit Officer, Statistical Officer, Accountant, and Enforcement Officer under diverse ministries. 
• NDA: NDA or National Defense Academy extends is also available for humanities students to become part of Indian defense services. Successful students obtain prestigious positions such as Lieutenant, Flying Officer, etc. 
• UPSC: One of the most important government exams in India, UPSC, or Union Public Service Commission, conducts the nation’s premier examination to select candidates for various significant posts under government departments and ministries. Some of the job profiles include IPS, IFS, and IAS making it one of the most opted-for courses after 12th arts with high salary.
• RRB NTPC: RRB NTPC or Railway Recruitment Boards Non-Technical Popular Categories conduct one of the leading exams in the nation, which seeks qualified candidates to work and manage the Indian railway’s widespread operations. Some of the jobs included in the examination are Commercial Assistant, Station Master, Goods Guard, and Senior Time Keeper. 

A few of these exams offer opportunities for both 12th and graduate students including high salary courses after 12th arts and job openings. Candidates with humanities as their major can apply for these exams, but they must know that most of these demand significant foundational mathematics knowledge. In contrast, the government exam preparation can be highly demanding and would likely cause them to study subjects outside their graduation subjects. However, with a strong foundation and high salary courses after 12th arts, candidates are likely to perform well.

Final Thoughts

These were some of the highest paying jobs in India for arts students. There are other diverse jobs that many arts students can take up. With the right experience and skills, these jobs can also be turned into the highest paying jobs in India for arts students.

We hope you enjoyed this article. Remember while choosing a career, you shouldn’t solely focus on its pay, you should also consider your interests in the field. When you choose a career according to your interests, your chances of succeeding there increase extensively. 

However, since most of these jobs require high amounts of skill and immense ability to take on responsibilities, it is essential that a student brings relevant experience in the job. That’s why to get one of the highest paying jobs in India for arts students, it would be necessary to go through the right channels and go through the right courses.