A new study released by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission finds that while half of the 79 creative occupations in LA County re­quire a bachelor’s degree or more, nearly half of them, require less.

The report – Creative Work: How Arts Education Promotes Career Opportunities Beyond the Arts – takes a closer look at data from the US Department of Labor about these creative occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree, to find out what kind of jobs they are and how they compare to jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree.

The full report can be found [here].

The report looks at creative employ­ment through the lens of creative occupa­tions, those that require some kind of creativity on the job but may be found in a variety of industries, from aerospace to construction to education to arts and entertainment. The 2014 Otis Report on the Creative Economy found 198,110 people working in 79 creative occupa­tions in LA County. Nearly one-third of these creative occupations only require a high school diploma.

Additionally, the report found that the top two work activities of those occu­pations that both do and do not require a bachelor’s degree are the same: Getting Information and Thinking Creatively. For 20 creative occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree, more than one-third of all California employment in those jobs is in LA County; and on-the-job training opportunities are far more prevalent among those occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree compared to those that do. The study found that half of the occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree have median annual earnings higher than median earnings across all occupations in LA County.

“Of course we know the benefits of going to college are significant,” states Laura Zucker, Executive Director, LA County Arts Commission. “Those creative occupations that require a bachelor’s degree do pay more than those that do not. However, the reality is that not all high school graduates will continue on to college immediately.  With this study, we know there are creative occupations offering viable job opportunities that pay living wages, even for those students who do not continue directly to college after high school.”

With these creative occupations so highly concentrated in LA County, the report recommends efforts to prepare young people to enter those occupations should begin in the K-12 system.

“If we are to prepare all students equally for the many creative occupations available in LA County then we must ensure that every stu­dent from kindergarten to 12th grade has access to high quality arts education,” says Denise Grande, Director of Arts Education, LA County Arts Commission. “The knowledge and skills they gain will prepare them for jobs not only in the creative industries, but for creative occupations that are found in many different industries.”

The report concludes that by helping people succeed in creative occupations, we can strengthen those workers, the companies they work for, and the economy of California as a whole.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission fosters excellence, diversity, vitality, understanding and accessibility of the arts in Los Angeles County, encompassing 88 municipalities, and provides leadership in cultural services. In addition to its role implementing Arts for All, the regional initiative dedicated to restoring arts education to 81 school districts, the Arts Commission funds 380 nonprofit arts organizations through a $4.5 million grant program, funds the largest arts internship program in the country, programs and operates the Ford Theatres, and manages the County’s civic art policy. The Arts Commission also produces free community programs, including the Emmy® Award-winning LA County Holiday Celebration for public television. lacountyarts.org. @lacountyarts.