8 Jobs That Require Imagination

Get paid to use your creativity and imagination with these great-paying jobs!

Imagine this: getting paid to let your imagination run wild. If you're a creative person with a great imagination, we've got some ideas to help you turn your passion into a profit with one of these eight great-paying careers.

1. Graphic Designer

Here's a profession that really rewards creativity. By becoming a graphic designer, you can use your active imagination to dazzle clients by imagining and executing visual solutions to their communication problems.

Training: Interactive media is a game changer for graphic designers, who often earn a bachelor's in computer aided design, animation, or graphic design and multimedia. Shorter certificate programs can also help you keep pace with the competition.

Pay: Graphic designers earned an annual average salary of $42,400 in 2008. Those specializing in computer systems design earned an average of $47,860.

2. Marketing Professional

Creative brainstorming sessions are the norm for marketers, who are constantly coming up with fresh ways to communicate with consumers.

Training: It's not enough to come up with a brilliant plan. You need to know how to execute it. Marketing/communications programs can help you launch your career. An MBA can help you land a more senior position.

Pay: Marketing managers earned an average of $108,580 per year in 2008.

3. Detective/Forensics

If you enjoy detective stories, why not live the life yourself? Before detectives and forensics specialists can get the bad guy, they have to imagine how he did it.

Training: An active imagination can help law enforcement personnel envision crime-scene scenarios and motivations for different suspects. A lot of legwork is required, but imagination can be the key to cracking a case. A degree in forensics/crime scene, police & law enforcement, or criminal justice can help make that your job description.

Pay: The median annual wage for detectives and criminal investigators in 2008 was $60,910.

4. Business Entrepreneur

Walt Disney once famously said, "If you can dream it, you can do it." Creating a successful company requires bold, unconventional thinking. Some people call visionary businesspeople "crazy" - until their idea becomes huge. There are no guarantees in the business world, but every great business starts with that new idea. Do you have what it takes to make an idea come to life?

Training: Get started with an associate's or bachelor's degree in business administration or e-business/e-commerce, and finish with an MBA.

Pay: SimplyHired.com says the average entrepreneur earns $111,000.

5. Video Game Designer

Sharing their own mind-blowing ideas can quickly turn profitable for video game designers since imagining new worlds is what they do for a living.

Training: But imagining that brave new world is just the first step. Getting a degree in video game design or animation can help you share that vision with the rest of us.

Pay: Video game designers new to the job make about $46,000, according to AnimationArena.com.

6. Forensic Accountant

Money laundering is a dirty business that requires smart, creative accountants to visualize how the white collar criminals do what they do.

Training: Math courses are the obvious choice here and you'll get plenty of those while getting a bachelor's degree in accounting or business administration. An associate's degree in accounting can help you land a more entry-level job.

Pay: Accountants and auditors earn $59,430, with the top ten percent clearing over $100,000, according to the Department of Labor.

7. Teacher

An active imagination and a flair for creativity helps teachers connect with students. And the more they inspire the students, the more the students return the favor.

Training: Teachers need an active imagination - and credentials. Thankfully, getting your education degree or teaching certificate has never been easier, thanks to a proliferation of online teaching programs.

Pay: Forbes magazine says new teachers made $49,000 in 2005-06, the most recent year for which data is available.

8. Chef

Among other things, inventiveness is a key to being a great chef. Great dishes won't make as big a splash if the artistic presentation isn't up to par.

Training: Prior experience in the industry may help you get your foot in the door. If you want to get formal training, look into getting a degree in culinary arts.

Pay: Chefs, and head cooks earn an average of $38,770 per year. That average goes up ($44,660 per year) for those in traveler accommodation.