The Adobe Creative Cloud offers a powerful set of tools designed by creatives for creatives. With almost 30 software programs and plenty of non-software benefits packed into the all apps subscription, it’s easy to see why people are excited to learn and willing to pay for this package.
But at $52.99 per month, the Creative Cloud subscription isn’t cheap. In fact, for many, it’s quite expensive for such a large number of assets they may not even use at work or in their day-to-day lives. Let’s face it, no one wants to overpay for something they don’t feel is worth the investment.
If you’re fascinated by the possibilities of these creative programs, many industry-leading and well-loved for their specialized features, there is hope. Although learning the programs may take hard work, time, and money, there are plenty of well-paying jobs you can get when you attain these skills.
6 Well-Paying Jobs that Use Adobe Design Software
These jobs make well-above-average salaries and utilize the Adobe design softwares on a daily basis. Could one of them be a dream job in your future?
User Experience (UX) Designer
User Experience (UX) Designers ensurethat websites are intuitive and easy to navigate. They do quite a bit of research and are experts in how people use websites. Their job is essentially to figure out what users want, what businesses need, and combine the two sets of desires into one cohesive, well-functioning package.
UX Designers are in charge of showcasing the strengths of a brand through the product’s user interfaces and making sure their personality is best represented in their digital presence. More about the inner workings and functionality, UX Designers figure out what’s possible and how to make it happen.
The most common Adobe programs UX Designers use are XD, Illustrator, & Photoshop.
UX Designers make an average base pay of about $116K per year.
UI Designer
User Interface (UI) Designers focus on how a user is interacting with a product and how aesthetically pleasing it is. It’s their job to take the design vision and make it happen. They work closely with UX Designers, and most of their work is behind-the-scenes rather than customer-facing.
While the UX Designers figure out what’s possible and pitch the product to the clients and businesses, UI Designers do the technical work to make that reality possible. Their primary focus is the visuals and whether or not the project works as intended, which means the UI Designers are essentially responsible for the final outcome.
The most common Adobe programs UI Designers use are XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
UI Designers make an average base pay of about $93K per year.
Product Designer
Product design occurs when a new product, digital or physical, is created. Although it’s oftentimes associated primarily with digital products, there are product design processes for physical goods, too. These can also be known as industrial design.
A Product Designer facilitates this design process both with new products and by making existing goods better. They often do research and see what competitors are offering, and ensure that their products are offering the best solutions possible to customer or client problems. They’re basically in charge of keeping a business competitive and innovative through designing and improving the products.
The most common Adobe programs UI Designers use are Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Product Designers make around $105K per year on average.
Video Game Designers
Video games have many forms and have evolved significantly over the past couple of decades. These days video games can be played on your phone, on the computer, on traditional consoles, or even in virtual reality.
Video Game Designers are the storytellers who bring these games to life. They create the characters, rules, and essentials for the game world, including envisioning how the game world will look to players. They don’t necessarily do the coding and building elements, but focus more on how the game is played and its aesthetics.
The most common Adobe programs Video Game Designers use are XD, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
Video Game Designers make, on average, $71K per year.
Marketer
Marketing gets a bad reputation due to the sales-y nature of advertising, but in truth, they’re different specialties. Marketing is the industry, and advertising is a practice that falls within it. Good marketing is about strategy—developing products people actually need and making sure they’re satisfied with it—not pushy sales.
Marketers develop campaigns and execute them with the goal of driving sales. They’re often responsible for managing a team of Marketers, as well as analyzing campaign results. They work to develop and maintain brand identity for the businesses and partners they work with.
The most common Adobe programs Marketers use are Photoshop & Illustrator.
Marketers make about $138K per year on average in the United States.
Creative Director
Creative Directors are big picture people. These talented professionals lead teams of creatives through the brainstorming and early stages of a project. They help to build a first look at the client’s vision and then work with their team to determine what steps need to be taken to make that dream a reality.
Creative Directors are also leaders and decision-makers. They guide the team and provide a creative vision for everyone to work from, even when the product hasn’t been completed yet.
The most common Adobe programs Creative Directors use are Illustrator, Photoshop, and Bridge.
Creative Directors in the U.S. make about $126K per year.
Where to Learn Graphic Design Skills
If you’d like to work in the graphic design industry, you’ll need some technical skills to get started.
Noble Desktop has free seminars that cover topics such as getting started in web design, introductions to apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud, and getting started in graphic design. These provide are a great way to get to know a little about the industries and softwares before you decide what to learn more about.
If you already know you want to learn foundational skills of one of these industry-leading technologies, Noble has in-depth courses for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, & Premiere Pro. Offered in-person in New York City and live online, there are all levels of learning available from one-day courses to bootcamps to advanced topics.
You can use the Classes Near Me tool to compare courses from different training schools for each of the technology skills you’re interested in learning. Noble developed the tool to be a convenient and reliable way to compare your training options at reputable tech schools.
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive approach to learning, taking a certificate might be a good option. Noble has many certificate programs to choose from in the design field. You can read about them on the website (including timeframes and curriculum) or check out this in-depth guide to see what makes each program unique.