$45k is what I made at my first full-time, in-house design job in 2005.

Here is what I did: went to the art institute for an associates degree. i started with a major in "multimedia + web design" and quickly realized it was too myopic, focusing on software and math, when I was interested in the principles of design and visual communication so I switched majors after about a year to Graphic Design.

I was a pretty terrible student. Passionate but confused and conflicted. Anyway, it took me a few years after graduating to find my first design job, but ever since then its been my only work experience.

Just bought a house this year. I've been working for a non-profit medical organization for the last 3 years as their lead graphic designer. I am very passionate about design, I'm constantly working on side projects and challenges. There is a wide spectrum of potential, you get what you put into this line of work. But theres not really anything I'd rather do, even if I had to go back to my entry level salary and that first job.

Everything needs a designer. Everything with a logo, a call-to-action, a UI, a package, a hang tag. Because of the universality of my career, I've been able to move across the country several times (to major cities) and find work pretty rapidly.

It's really important to understand the principles of good visual communication and design. It helps to have an interest and understanding of psychology, marketing, computers (UI, UX, front end coding so you can do rapid prototyping), and it absolutely makes you more valuable if you can draw, paint, craft, etc... to actually be an artist. But its not required. There are plenty of Art and Creative Director jobs. I very rarely break out my sketch book and draw, but Photoshop and Illustrator are basically extensions of my hands (as is html/css).

It's also really important to be good with people, communication is 90%, the other 10% is execution. Being comfortable giving presentations, showing your work and accepting mixed feedback even when you know your "client" is being short sighted.

It's a lot of fun being a creative. It's a lot of hard work, we don't make nearly as much money or respect as STEM related industries, but we're right there next to them, showing the world how cool their inventions and services are by connecting them to their market.