Can You Get a Job With an MFA? Real Paths Beyond the Classroom

People ask if you can get a job with an MFA like it’s a dead-end degree. The truth? It’s not about whether you MFA can get you a job-it’s about what kind of job you want, and how you use the degree. An MFA isn’t a license to teach at a university overnight. But it’s also not useless. It’s a tool. And like any tool, its value depends on how you wield it.

What an MFA Actually Gives You

An MFA-Master of Fine Arts-isn’t just a fancy title. It’s two to three years of deep focus. You’re writing every day. Or painting. Or making films. Or choreographing. You’re in workshops where your work is torn apart and rebuilt. You learn how to take feedback without collapsing. You learn how to defend your vision. You learn discipline. You learn how to finish things when no one’s watching.

That’s not something you get from a business course. That’s not something you learn in a 9-to-5 job. It’s the kind of grit that translates, even if the path isn’t obvious.

Teaching: The Most Common Path

Yes, the biggest job market for MFA grads is teaching. But it’s not as simple as "get a degree, then land a professor job." Full-time, tenure-track positions at universities are rare. In 2024, fewer than 12% of MFA graduates landed those roles in the U.S. and Canada. Competition is fierce. Schools want someone with published work, teaching experience, and sometimes a national reputation.

But here’s what most people miss: there are hundreds of part-time, adjunct, and community college teaching gigs. You can teach creative writing at a community college for $3,000 per course. Do three courses a semester, and you’re making $18,000-enough to live on in smaller cities or if you have a side gig.

And don’t forget high schools. Many MFA grads teach creative writing in public schools. You need a teaching certificate, but that’s a one-year program. In New Zealand, for example, the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) is designed exactly for this. You bring real-world experience to students who’ve never met a published writer before.

Writing and Publishing: The Long Game

If you write fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, an MFA gives you credibility. Publishers notice it. Literary magazines prioritize MFA applicants. It’s not a guarantee-you still need to write something amazing-but it opens doors that stay shut for others.

Look at the stats: over 60% of authors published by major presses like Penguin or Farrar, Straus and Giroux hold MFAs. That doesn’t mean you need one to get published. But it means you’re more likely to get read. And read = opportunity.

Many MFA grads also become editors, literary agents, or book reviewers. These roles don’t always require a degree, but they’re easier to land if you’ve spent years reading submissions, giving feedback, and understanding the publishing machine from the inside.

Corporate and Nonprofit Writing Jobs

Here’s the surprise: companies hire MFA grads for content roles. Not because they want poets to write ads-but because they need people who can tell stories.

Big tech firms like Google, Adobe, and Shopify hire writers with MFAs for user experience writing, brand storytelling, and internal communications. Why? Because they’re tired of generic corporate jargon. They want someone who can make a product manual feel human. Someone who knows how to build emotional connection through language.

Nonprofits and NGOs do the same. Think of a climate organization that needs to turn data into compelling narratives for donors. Or a mental health nonprofit that needs to write grant proposals that move people to action. These aren’t "creative" jobs on paper-but they demand creativity. And that’s exactly what an MFA trains you for.

Design, Media, and Creative Industries

If your MFA is in visual arts, film, or performance, the job paths are even wider.

Graduates from film MFA programs work as directors, editors, and cinematographers on indie films, documentaries, and streaming content. Many start as production assistants and climb up. Some launch their own studios. Others work in corporate video departments-training videos, product demos, internal culture reels. You’d be surprised how many Fortune 500 companies have in-house video teams now.

Graphic designers with MFAs often land roles in branding agencies. Museum curators? Many hold MFAs in art history or studio art. Game designers? Increasingly, studios hire writers and artists with MFAs to build narrative depth in games.

And don’t forget arts administration. Galleries, theaters, and festivals need people who understand art and can manage budgets, grants, and public outreach. MFA grads often fill these roles because they speak both the language of art and the language of logistics.

What Doesn’t Work

Let’s be clear: an MFA won’t get you a job as a software engineer. Or a nurse. Or a financial analyst. If you’re looking for a direct career switch into a technical or regulated field, this degree won’t help. It’s not a vocational certificate.

And if you expect a six-figure salary right out of school-forget it. Most MFA grads start with incomes under $40,000. That’s not failure. That’s reality. But it’s not the end. Many build careers over 10, 15, 20 years. They teach part-time. They freelance. They write books. They get grants. They take on side projects. They don’t wait for permission to be artists-they just do the work.

How to Make It Work for You

Here’s how successful MFA grads structure their lives:

1. Build a portfolio that shows range: writing samples, films, exhibitions, teaching evaluations.
2. Network intentionally: go to readings, apply for residencies, connect with alumni.
3. Learn a second skill: basic web design, social media marketing, grant writing.
4. Start applying for jobs before you graduate-don’t wait for the diploma.
5. Treat your art like a business: track submissions, set deadlines, budget for postage and fees.

One grad I know in Wellington teaches two nights a week at a polytechnic, runs a small zine press, and writes freelance for environmental NGOs. She makes $55,000 a year. She doesn’t have tenure. But she has control. And she’s published two books.

Is It Worth It?

The cost of an MFA? In New Zealand, it’s about $12,000-$18,000 for domestic students. In the U.S., it can be $30,000-$60,000. Some programs offer full funding-tuition waiver + stipend. Those are the ones to chase.

Ask yourself: Do you love creating so much that you’ll do it even if no one pays you? If yes, then an MFA might be the best investment you ever make-not because it guarantees a job, but because it gives you the time, space, and community to become the kind of artist or writer who can create opportunities.

It’s not about getting hired. It’s about becoming someone who doesn’t need to be hired.