Poets (Lyricists and Creative Writers) build judgment and decision making, complex problem solving and social perceptiveness skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Music Directors and Composers (84%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music Directors and Composers | 84% | $73,710 | — | None |
| 2 | Producers and Directors | 80% | $90,360 | — | None |
| 3 | Graphic Designers | 78% | $62,960 | — | None |
| 4 | Art Directors | 78% | $114,850 | — | None |
| 5 | Film and Video Editors | 78% | $75,420 | — | None |
| 6 | Talent Directors | 77% | $90,360Pay for the broader BLS group “Producers and Directors” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Special Effects Artists and Animators | 73% | $102,030 | — | None |
| 8 | Proofreaders and Copy Markers | 71% | $51,120 | — | None |
| 9 | Video Game Designers | 68% | $104,000Pay for the broader BLS group “Web and Digital Interface Designers” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Public Relations Managers | 66% | $146,910 | — | None |
Compared with Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers, median —. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as poets (lyricists and creative writers) (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
84% skill match · $73,710
Management of Personnel Resources · Systems Evaluation · Systems Analysis
80% skill match · $90,360
Management of Personnel Resources · Systems Analysis · Management of Financial Resources
78% skill match · $62,960
Systems Analysis · Operations Analysis · Operations Monitoring
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Music Directors and Composers (84% skill match, median $73,710), Producers and Directors (80% skill match, median $90,360) and Graphic Designers (78% skill match, median $62,960), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
None of the 25 closest matches pays more than poets (lyricists and creative writers) at the national median (BLS May 2025). Higher-paying moves usually need more training.
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 3 usually need a graduate degree: English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, Historians and Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.