One of 14 paths
Serious training in art, music, theater, dance, or sport.
You get serious training and a real run at the craft you care about.
It fits if you have real talent and drive in a specific art form or sport.
Watch for: spots are limited, it's competitive, and few make a full living at the top, so keep a fallback.
Each scale shows its level and the reason, and "our read" marks a judgment call.
It depends on the program.
Level: Five years or more, 5 of 5
Getting good enough to make a living usually takes many years of practice.
Level: Lower to Higher, 1 to 5 of 5
A few reach the top, while many earn little from the craft alone.
This varies a lot with the specific job, the place, and experience.
Middle means the middle pay across all jobs.
Level: Audition, tryout, or very competitive, 5 of 5
Entry is by audition, portfolio, or tryout, and spots are limited.
Level: Hard for a while, 4 of 5
Your years of training in one craft are hard to move elsewhere, so keep a fallback.
Level: A fair amount new, 3 of 5
Training means serious peers, possibly at a school or league away from home.
You train seriously in an art form or a sport, at a school, a conservatory, or a league. Athletes train most days under a coach, and dancers put in years of intense practice. Actors may audition for many roles before getting a job, and they have to keep going after rejections.
You get in by audition, portfolio, or tryout rather than by application, and the program sets how many spots there are. Music performance degree programs typically ask for recordings or an in-person audition, and sometimes both. It usually takes years of practice to get good enough to work at it. If you hope to play a college sport, ask your school counselor early which high school courses count. Ask each school, conservatory, or league what it costs before you sign up.
Few people make a full-time living as professional athletes, and those who do often have short careers. Many actors struggle to find steady work, and few become stars. Many artists, actors, and musicians hold another job to make a living. Turning professional is often the biggest step an athlete takes. Some people teach, which typically takes a bachelor's degree and a teaching license or certificate.
Keep a second skill or a fallback in view while you train. Years of practice in one craft don't always carry over to a different path, so plan your fallback early. Until they're established, many artists keep a full-time job and make art on the side.
Pick one to try this month. Trying a thing isn't choosing it.
Put these to a program, or to someone a few years ahead of you.
Bryan Cranston went to Los Angeles Valley College to study police science. He took an acting class as an elective, and at 22 he decided to become an actor. His first acting job was in a deodorant soap commercial.
A story like this can't tell you what's likely for you.
Costs and entry rules vary by program, so check them at the source.
These three paths are close to this one, and their pages use the same scales.
It fits if you like hands-on, physical work and want a clear path in.
It fits if you can handle years of coursework, whether you know your field or not.
It fits if you're okay with risk and would rather make things than follow a set role.