Artist jobs with the best benefits

[Ralere]

As an art student with a neurological condition that is not covered by Social Security Disability or Medicaid, one of my biggest concerns after graduation is finding a job that will give me benefits, such as medical insurance, to protect me. I know that I'm not the only on out there who worries about this - even healthy artists worry about having insurance for themselves and their loved ones.

I'm making this thread with hopes that together we can generate a list of employers who give their employees benefits. So far, the only option I've learned of other than working at Starbucks my whole life is becoming an art teacher, and spending my spare time on my personal work.

Art teachers receive Teacher Security, which pays better and is a lot more reliable than Social Security, which is going down the toilet until it dissolves completely. Teachers get all holidays and all summer off, leaving lots of time to work on personal artwork. Yeah, teachers don't get paid much, but its better than Starbucks, and hey! - they have great benefits. Medical, dental, you name it. While fine arts isn't doing too well in the public school system, lots of after-school art programs by private organizations are on the rise, and they require their teacher's to have the same credentials public school teachers are required to have. Teachers' salary raises every year they teach at the same school, and have excellent retirement benefits. Teachers at public schools also receive three months of paid vacation, have all weekends and holidays off, and there are loan-forgiveness programs that pay for some or all of your students loans if you teach at low-income schools.

Anyone else have some employers to mention?

[mickeymao]

Most game companies give full-time employees very good benefits. There are also full-time positions with decent benefits to be found in graphic design, animation, art direction, textile design, toy design, and so on, whether it be with an independent studio or a large publisher, manufacturer or ad agency. The key theme here is "full-time" -- by law employers are required to provide health coverage to full-time employees, though the quality of the plan (and the amount the employee has to kick in pre-tax from each paycheck to help pay for it) can vary significantly.

Of course, you can also move to Canada or another country that has free healthcare.

[Ralere]

Free healthcare isn't as great as everyone thinks. If I need to see a doctor right away, it won't usually happen. Normally you have to wait 2 weeks to a month, even if its something that needs to be taken care of right away, but isn't severe enough to warrant an emergency room visit.

[Ralere]

Most game companies give full-time employees very good benefits. There are also full-time positions with decent benefits to be found in graphic design, animation, art direction, textile design, toy design, and so on, whether it be with an independent studio or a large publisher, manufacturer or ad agency. The key theme here is "full-time" -- by law employers are required to provide health coverage to full-time employees, though the quality of the plan (and the amount the employee has to kick in pre-tax from each paycheck to help pay for it) can vary significantly.

Of course, you can also move to Canada or another country that has free healthcare.

Also, thanks for mentioning the full-time fact! I never knew that.