‹ Back to Teddynews
Sophie’s path · CHS Villach → FH Hagenberg → career
Art as a career: 8 paths to a living, and what AI changes
Art remains a career, and your skill is what employers ask for first. In 5 current adverts for creative roles, 25 of 30 requirements concern design, storytelling and experience, 5 concern AI1,2,3,4,5. At the same time, many illustrators feel commissions slipping away6. Here are 8 careers with pay, employers and the way in.
239 linked sources
Paths in 5 countries
As of 4 Oct 2026
Free, no sign-up, every figure linked to its source.
01 · Figures
Art careers in 2026 in 6 figures
Requirements that concern skill25 of 30
In 5 current adverts for creative roles, most requirements are about design, storytelling, experience and teamwork. All 5 ask for a portfolio. Our own count1,2,3,4,5.
Illustrators who feel the effects63%
That many of 856 respondents in a survey by the German association Illustratoren Organisation feel the effects of image generators, up from 23% in 20236.
Design adverts in Austria that mention AI22%
In the first half of 2026 on karriere.at, for the first time more than in IT at 18%7.
Income from image commissions on Upwork−9.4%
That is how much less freelancers with image commissions earned on the platform after DALL-E 2 and Midjourney appeared in 20228,9.
Jobs in the UK’s creative industries2.46m
In 2025 there were 2,464,000 jobs, 17.3% more than in 201910. Employers still look for creativity, often together with AI skills11.
Anime revenue from abroad56%
Japan’s anime market reached a record 3.84 trillion yen in 2024, more than half of it from abroad12.
02 · The answer
Will art remain a career? Yes, but the work is shifting
In short
Many worries are justified: clients use image generators for some commissions, and freelancers with image commissions earn less there. Careers built on ideas, app design and leadership keep growing. Courts only protect what a person has created. Your skill remains in demand, and whether and how you use AI tools is up to you.
Animation, effects, games
Design, leadership, new roles
03 · Outlook
Which art careers are growing, and where commissions are shrinking
The classification is ours. It sums up the linked statistics, studies and adverts and is not a forecast for you personally. Even where commissions are shrinking, jobs remain: in graphic design, around 16,000 openings arise in the USA every year18.
Growing3 careers
UI, UX and product design
8th among the fastest-growing jobs worldwide14, +6% in the USA until 203519.
Tip: Add a project to your portfolio in which you design an app interface and test it with people.
New roles at tool makers
“AI Creative Producer” and “Forward Deployed Creative” did not exist in 2023. In 2026, Luma AI in Munich and ElevenLabs advertise them5,2.
Tip: Show a short story in which your part in image, editing and sound is clear.
Art direction
+4% in the USA until 2035. Usually 5 years of experience are needed first20.
Tip: Lead a group project while you are still studying.
Changing5 careers
3D animation and visual effects
USA: as many jobs until 2035. Some steps can be done faster with AI, which may dampen demand17.
Tip: Say in your showreel what you made yourself.
Motion design (moving graphics)
Companies that build image and video tools in particular look for motion designers for their films4,21.
Tip: Practise typography and timing; the adverts from Krea and Luma AI ask for both4,21.
Technical artist (art meets technology)
In demand at large studios such as Epic Games22, rarely advertised in Austria at the moment23.
Tip: Build a real-time project in a game engine.
Graphic design
US statistics expect slightly fewer jobs18. Employers look for people who design and use new tools confidently, for example in Hagenberg1.
Tip: Show your part: sketch, selection, finishing.
Media art and fine art
In the USA, 58% are self-employed and the number of jobs stays almost the same (−1% until 2035)24.
Tip: Enter competitions, for example the Prix Ars Electronica in Linz.
Fewer commissions3 areas
Commissioned illustration
In a survey by the German illustrators’ association, 84% see a threat and only 7% use AI themselves for images6.
Tip: Show narrative projects such as a picture book, a comic or an exhibition.
Image commissions via platforms
Fewer commissions and less income since 2022, as two studies show8,25.
Tip: Approach companies and agencies directly instead of competing on price on platforms.
Graphics from fixed templates
In graphic design, US statistics expect 2% fewer jobs until 2035, partly because tools speed up the work18.
Tip: Show your own concepts. Employers look for people who develop ideas and storyboards4.
US forecast until 2035: from −2% to +6% jobs
Official forecast of the US labour statistics for 2025 to 2035. There is no comparable forecast by occupation for Austria.
Digital design (UI)
+6%
Art direction
+4%
Animation and effects
0%
Fine art
−1%
Graphic design
−2%
As a table with pay and openings
| Occupation | Median pay | Forecast | Openings per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web and digital designers | $104,000 | +6% | 13,600* |
| Art directors | $114,850 | +4% | 12,200 |
| Animation and effects | $102,030 | 0% | 4,200 |
| Fine artists and craft artists | $55,290 | −1% | 4,300 |
| Graphic design | $62,960 | −2% | 16,000 |
* together with web developers. Median pay: half earn more, half earn less. Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics19,20,17,24,18.
04 · Timeline
Art and AI since 2022: tools, protests and rulings
Choose what interests you: new tools, courts and laws, or what artists and the market are doing. You will see how fast the field turns. A tool of today can be gone tomorrow; the craft stays.
- 2022
- 22 Aug 2022Tools
The image generator Stable Diffusion is released openly online. From now on anyone can create images by typing text26.
- August 2022Market
An image made with Midjourney wins the art competition at the Colorado State Fair. The entrant had needed at least 624 text prompts27.
- December 2022Artists
Thousands put the image “No to AI generated images” in their profiles on the portfolio platform ArtStation. By 16 December the platform introduces a “NoAI” tag, which artists have to set work by work28.
- 2023
- 13 Feb 2023Tools
The University of Chicago presents Glaze, a free tool meant to protect images against imitation of one’s own style29.
- 21 Mar 2023Tools
Adobe presents Firefly, trained on licensed images, plus a tag against training on one’s own works30.
- 5 Sep 2023Law
The US Copyright Office refuses protection for the winning image from Colorado because the AI-generated share is too large27.
- 2024
- January 2024Market
Study commissioned by the Animation Guild: 300 executives expect that by 2026 around 21% of jobs in film, television and animation in the USA, about 118,500, could be eliminated or consolidated through the use of AI31.
- June 2024Artists
Study of 3,072 artists in Germany: 56% fear lost income, 91% demand payment when works are used for training32.
- October 2024Artists
26 well-known voice actors in Japan launch a campaign against the unauthorised use of their voices33.
- 2 Dec 2024Market
Study by the authors’ societies: by 2028, 21% of revenue in film and television is at risk34.
- 2025
- March 2025Market
Christie’s holds its first auction of works made only with AI, raising around 729,000 dollars35. Thousands of artists, researchers and others sign an open letter demanding its cancellation36.
- 20 May 2025Tools
Google shows Veo 3: generated videos with matching sound, speech and noises37.
- July 2025Law
End of the strike by US voice actors in games: digital replicas of their voice now require written consent38.
- 17 Jul 2025Market
For the series “El Eternauta”, Netflix has a scene generated with AI for the first time, according to Netflix around 10 times faster than with conventional effects15.
- 26 Aug 2025Tools
Google releases the image tool “Nano Banana”, which edits photos through conversation39.
- 10 Oct 2025Law
Italy protects works created with the help of AI by law, but only if they are the result of human work40.
- 4 Nov 2025Law
London: Getty Images loses almost entirely against the image generator provider Stability AI41.
- 11 Nov 2025Law
Munich: GEMA wins against OpenAI. Song lyrics stored in the model count as copies. The ruling is not yet final42.
- 10 Dec 2025Law
Hamburg: the dataset provider LAION was allowed to collect photos for training data, also relying on the research exception. A ban written in plain language did not count as machine-readable in 2021. The case goes to the Federal Court of Justice43.
- 11 Dec 2025Market
Disney invests 1 billion dollars in OpenAI and allows over 200 characters in the video tool Sora, without likenesses and voices of actors44.
- 2026
- January 2026Market
Games industry: 52% see AI as harmful, up from 18% in 2024. Most critical are art and technical art at 64%16.
- 13 Feb 2026Law
Munich District Court: logos generated with AI are not protected, not even after many text prompts45.
- 2 Mar 2026Law
The US Supreme Court lets the ruling stand: only people can be authors46.
- 10 Mar 2026Law
The European Parliament calls for transparency and fair pay when AI is trained on works47.
- 2 Apr 2026Law
Higher Regional Court Düsseldorf: anyone who only sets ideas and styles is not the author of an image generated with AI48.
- 26 Apr 2026Tools
OpenAI shuts down the video app Sora, less than 2 years after its launch. The interface for other programs follows on 24 September 202649.
- 2 Aug 2026Law
The EU AI Act requires notices on generated content. For works of art, a notice that does not disturb the work is enough50.
- 21 Sep 2026Market
Austria: 22% of design adverts mention AI, more than in IT7.
05 · Daily work
How studios work today: people make the important decisions
A person decidesA tool helps, AI if you wish
Film and series
Netflix: one scene with AI help
For “El Eternauta”, Netflix had a collapsing row of buildings generated with AI. According to its co-CEO, these were “real people doing real work with better tools”15.
Games, Hagenberg
Graphics, animation, a new workflow
A games company in Hagenberg is looking for someone for motion graphics and animations who also builds a workflow with AI tools1.
Games industry
Mostly for research
Those in the industry who use AI use it 81% of the time for research and gathering ideas, less often for finished art16.
Law in the EU
A notice on generated content
Since 2 August 2026: for art, a notice that does not disturb the work is enough. Deceptively real images, called deepfakes, must be labelled50.
06 · What only people bring
What only people bring: rights, ideas, a personal style and trust
No study proves that a tool can “never” do something. What is proven is what applies today: in laws, rulings, studies and job adverts.
Rights
Only people are authors
Courts in the USA and Germany and the law in Italy only protect human creation46,48,40. Anyone who needs rights to an image needs your part in it.
Value
“Made by a person” counts more
The same image is liked more and seen as more valuable when it is labelled as human-made51. 76% of US adults want to be able to tell works by people from generated images52.
Ideas and selection
Whoever selects shapes the result
Image generators lead to more images. Artists with better ideas and stricter selection were more successful53.
Personal style
Your own voice stands out more
Stories written with AI help became more similar to one another54. A distinctive style therefore stands out more.
Trust
Clients need people
Even the new roles at tool makers ask for experience, personal advice to brands and a strong portfolio5.
Space and experience
Art you can walk into
teamLab in Tokyo recruits all year round, among others 3D animators, effects artists and UI designers for walk-in digital art55.
07 · Protect your work
Protect your work: 4 steps against unwanted training
The biggest worry of many artists: that their works are used for training without consent. In Germany, 87% demand consent and 91% demand payment32. The alliance of creative associations Human Artistry Campaign calls for consent, licensing and fair pay56. Until laws settle this clearly, these 4 steps help.
Law in Austria
Explicitly forbid training
Copyright law allows automated analysis of works (text and data mining) unless you explicitly forbid it, online for example “by machine-readable means”. Your ban does not apply to research institutions57. The association says openly that this only works to a limited extent58.
Technology
Treat images with Glaze
The free tool from the University of Chicago changes images in a barely visible way so that your style is harder to imitate29,59.
Contract
A clause against training
Exclude the use of your works for AI training in your contract. If you do allow training, you should charge a separate, high fee for it58.
Openness
Disclose how you work
Tell clients whether and what you use AI for. The Illustratoren Organisation advises this58, and 85% of artists in Germany want labelling32.
08 · Your path
From Hagenberg to art direction: 8 stages of your path
Scroll down the ladder: the brush shows where you are. Pay figures are minimums from the collective agreement or figures from adverts and salary studies, each with a source.
- Completed
CHS Villach, art and design
College for higher vocational education with matriculation and diploma exam and focuses from painting to computer animation60.
- Now
FH Hagenberg, Digital Arts, 5th semester
Focuses on animation, audiovisual design, and game art and design. There is also an elective “Artificial Intelligence Art”61,62.
- Summer 2027
Work placement in the 6th semester
In Austria or abroad61. Apply now, in autumn and winter 2026: here is how.
- Graduation
Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Design
180 ECTS, 36 places a year61.
- Possible
Master’s in Digital Arts, 4 semesters
With subjects such as real-time production (game engines for film production) and mixed reality63.
- Entry
Junior at an agency or studio
At least €2,844.20 gross a month as a graphic designer in advertising in Vienna64, from €3,104 under the IT collective agreement65.
- After a few years
Senior with your own focus
For example from €45,738 a year in Hagenberg1 or a median of $91,000 as a motion designer in the USA66.
- From about 5 years
Art direction and creative direction
Median pay in the USA: $114,850 for art directors20, $135,000 for creative directors67.
From entry to leadership: what Vienna agencies pay at least
Collective agreement for advertising and market communication in Vienna, gross per month, valid from 1 May 2026. Holiday and Christmas bonuses come on top64.
Graphics
€2,844.20
Graphics 10 yrs
€3,869.00
Independent
€3,521.80
Leadership
€5,026.60
Leadership 10 yrs
€7,531.30
What the levels mean
| Level | Example from the agreement | Minimum pay |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics | Graphic designer in advertising, 1st and 2nd year | €2,844.20 |
| Graphics 10 yrs | the same level after 10 years | €3,869.00 |
| Independent | responsible, independent work | €3,521.80 |
| Leadership | leading or “responsible and creative work” | €5,026.60 |
| Leadership 10 yrs | the same level after 10 years | €7,531.30 |
Minimums for Vienna only; actual salaries may be higher. Job adverts in Austria must state the minimum pay68.
09 · Careers
8 careers for digital artists: what you create and what you live on
Each profile shows the tasks from real job adverts, who is hiring, what you apply with, pay today and where it leads.
Graphic design and animation
Motion graphics and animations for games, plus new workflows
Hagenberg from €45,738changing
AI Creative Producer
Telling stories with tools for image, video and sound
related role $126,000–147,000growing
Forward Deployed Creative
Advising brands and agencies as an experienced creative
USA $145,000–205,000growing
Motion design
Moving graphics for advertising, apps and films
USA median $91,000changing
Technical artist
Connecting art and technology in game engines
Austria from €3,104changing
UI, UX and product design
Designing apps and programs that people enjoy using
UK median £45,000growing
3D animation and visual effects
Characters, worlds and effects for film and games
USA median $102,030changing
Media art and fine art
Your own works with technology, exhibitions, prizes
Golden Nica €10,000changing
10 · Employers
Who is looking for creatives in 2026: from Hagenberg to London
Tap a dot: on the right you see who is hiring there and at what pay. Each entry is based on a job advert or offer we checked on 4 October 2026. Expired adverts are marked as such.
Schematic maps without borders: dots by longitude and latitude. Dots in the same city are slightly offset. Japan and the USA are in the list below.
Austria: 12 addresses
- Start · Villach
CHS Villach, art and design
This is where Sophie’s path began: painting, graphics, video, computer animation and media design60.
- Study · Hagenberg
FH Upper Austria, Hagenberg campus
Bachelor’s and master’s in Digital Arts, work placement in the 6th semester61,63.
- Employer · Hagenberg
APEX Gaming Technology
“Senior graphic designer with an AI focus”: motion graphics and animations for game interfaces, plus a new workflow with AI tools. At least €45,738 gross a year1.
- Art · Linz
Ars Electronica
Center, festival and Prix Ars Electronica with the category “New Animation Art”, Golden Nica with €10,00070.
Ars Electronica Center at nightImage: Walter Isack (Isiwal) · CC BY-SA 3.0 - Advice · Linz
Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria
Free funding advice, coaching and portfolio reviews for young creatives71.
- Employer · Linz
Gruppe am Park
“Brand designer”, from €3,000 a month72.
- Employer · Ried im Innkreis
Wintersteiger
“Graphic and media design with an AI focus”, pay not stated in the list72.
- Employer · Salzburg
Red Bull
“Digital Media Specialist”, from €2,362 a month73.
- Employer · Hallein
EMCO
“Marketing & Creative Specialist – AI-first”72.
- Employer · Vienna
Austrian Academy of Sciences
“Junior Project Officer – Graphic Design & Community Operations” for the AI Factory, from €43,576.12 a year72.
- Employer · Vienna · advert expired
Rabcat Computer Graphics
Was looking for a “2D Artist” from €45,000 a year and a “Technical Artist”74,23.
- Employer · Graz · advert expired
Fronius
Was looking for a “Visual & Technical Artist – Unity” at €3,024 to €3,819 a month23.
Europe: 7 addresses
- Employer · London
ElevenLabs and Synthesia
“AI Creative Producer”, remote anywhere in Europe2. “Product Designer, Generative Media”, remote in Europe or in London69.
- Employer · Warsaw
ElevenLabs
Second office for the “AI Creative Producer” besides London2.
- Employer · Freiburg
Black Forest Labs
Develops image generators. On 4 October 2026, 14 open positions, 9 of them in research and engineering, none in design75.
- Employer · Munich
Luma AI
“Forward Deployed Creative [Germany]”: advises brands and agencies, a portfolio is required5.
- Meeting point · Stuttgart
FMX
Conference for animation, effects and games, next edition 27 to 30 April 202776.
- Meeting point · Annecy
Annecy animation film festival
Festival for animated film, next edition 13 to 19 June 202777.
- Employer · Milan
LePub
Agency of the Year at the Cannes Lions advertising festival 202678.
Japan and USA: 4 examples
- Art · Tokyo
teamLab
Recruits all year round for art, computer graphics and technology, regardless of when you graduate55.
- Employer · San Francisco
Krea
“Creative” and “Motion Designer” in its in-house studio, advertised on 29 September 20263,4.
- Employer · Los Angeles
Luma AI, Dream Lab
“Editor + Motion Graphics” at $126,000 to $147,000 a year21.
- Employer · San Francisco and New York
Figma
“Early Career, Product Designer (2027)” for graduates starting out, $140,000 a year79.
11 · International
Art careers abroad: 5 regions from Japan to the USA
Anime market in 2024, 56% from abroad12. Working holiday for Austrians up to 12 months, 200 places a year80.
Japan in detailMedian pay in graphic design in Germany81. In Germany you work without a visa; in Switzerland you need a permit from 3 months a year82.
Germany, Austria, SwitzerlandJobs in the creative industries in 202510. There is the Global Talent visa for artists83.
UK in detailHome of LePub, Agency of the Year 202678. First EU country with its own AI law that explicitly protects human works40.
Italy in detailMedian pay in motion design66. For artists with extraordinary achievements there is the O-1B visa84.
USA in detail12 · Other paths
Besides employment: 4 other paths with your art
Self-employed
Your own studio
76% of firms in Austria’s creative industries are one-person businesses85. For art you do not need a trade licence86.
Starting out in AustriaFurther study
Master’s in Hagenberg
Digital Arts with a master’s project over 3 semesters63 or Interactive Media in English87.
Fits technical artArt with funding
Grants and prizes
Federal start grant: €9,000 for 6 months88. Prix Ars Electronica: €10,000 for the Golden Nica70.
All 18 programmesAbroad for a while
Japan or London
Working holiday in Japan, free of charge, with a work permit80. In the UK, the Global Talent visa for up to 5 years83.
All regionsWould you rather work with stone, wood or metal? Craft skills are in demand in Austria, Germany and the UK89,90,91. Everything on this on the page Crafts as a career.
13 · Outlook
What is coming until 2035: 8 dates and forecasts
- Autumn/winter 2026For you
Applications for the work placement in the 6th semester, which according to the curriculum falls in summer 202761.
- 2 Dec 2026Law
Providers of older tools must also label generated images and videos in a machine-readable way50.
- Spring 2027Competition
Submissions to the Prix Ars Electronica; in 2026 they ran from 7 January to 9 March, extended92.
- 27–30 Apr 2027Meeting point
FMX in Stuttgart: talks and contacts with studios for animation, effects and games76.
- 13–19 Jun 2027Meeting point
Animation film festival in Annecy, with screenings and industry meetings77.
- openLaw
Germany’s Federal Court of Justice decides on training data from photos43. The European Parliament calls for rules on paying artists47.
- until 2030Forecast
Worldwide, employers expect 170 million new and 92 million disappearing jobs. In Austria, 42% of work tasks are expected to be complemented by technology14.
- until 2035Forecast
14 · Questions
9 questions art students ask about careers and AI
Will AI replace artists?
According to the data, not as a profession. But clients use image generators for some commissions: freelancers with image commissions on Upwork earned around 9.4% less after 20229. Skill remains in demand: in 5 current adverts, 25 of 30 requirements concern design, storytelling and experience1,2,3,4,5.
Which art careers are safe?
No career is safe, but the direction is clear. In the USA, digital design (+6%) and art direction (+4%) grow until 2035, while graphic design shrinks slightly (−2%)19,20,18. Roles built on ideas, leadership and closeness to clients have good prospects.
What do you earn after Digital Arts in Austria?
As a graphic designer in advertising in Vienna, at least €2,844.20 gross a month64, from €3,104 under the IT collective agreement65. A senior role for graphics and animation in Hagenberg pays from €45,738 a year1.
Do I have to work with AI?
No, but many jobs ask about it: 22% of design adverts in Austria mention AI7. What is usually asked for is confident use of current tools, not a specific program1. Whether and what you use AI for is your decision. Tools also disappear again, like the video app Sora in 202649.
May I put work with an AI share in my portfolio?
Yes, if you disclose what the tool did and what you did. Makers of such tools explicitly ask for examples with an AI share2. Classic studios mainly look at fundamentals such as colour, form and composition93.
Are images generated with AI protected by copyright?
Mostly not. Many text prompts alone are not enough, the Munich District Court ruled in 202645. What is protected is what shows your own creation; since 2025 this is also written in Italian law40.
How do I protect my images from AI training?
Explicitly forbid the use on your website, ideally in a machine-readable way. That is what Austrian copyright law provides for, but your ban does not apply to research institutions57. A German court did not consider a ban written in plain language machine-readable in 202143. In addition there is the free tool Glaze29 and a clause in your contract, as the Illustratoren Organisation advises58.
239 sources behind every figure
Every small number leads to the source with publisher, date and link. Statements by companies, chambers and associations about themselves are marked. As of 4 October 2026.
AI-ASSISTED Texts created with AI support – please check important details at the source.