If you’re interested in dark academia aesthetic and want to pursue a career in something related to it, there’s actually plenty of modern options. These are some of the best dark academia inspired jobs – perfect if you’re thinking about trying something new or planning your future career.
Something really cool about Victorian academia as a wh0le is that a bunch of the jobs still exist to this day. At least in some capacity, anyway.
Now, I wouldn’t advocate doing a job just for the aesthetic. But there’s nothing wrong with taking your passion and turning it into a career!
What are Dark Academia Inspired Jobs?
These are jobs that generally have some kind of academic aspect to them. That means things that involve study, or need a lot of discipline to do. I also went for some options that were a bit more dark because I think they’re extra cool!
I intentionally left our jobs that seemed more light academia. That’s for another post! Of course, there’s a lot of overlap between the two, I just wanted these careers to have a darker feel.
Mortician or Funeral Director
I know someone who owns funeral homes and she said that some people aren’t comfortable even going in the back with the crematorium, let alone performing all the other services associated with funerals and the dead.
This is a career for someone who doesn’t get bothered by dead bodies. You’ll need compassion to work with families, though, so if that’s not something you’re great at, consider the “back end” of things. Embalmers, for example, are often in demand due to the gruesome nature of the job.
How to get in: Depends on the type of job you want. Most of the time courses are required, but it’s definitely an accessible career if you’re interested. Talk to your local funeral homes to find out more info.
Dark academia vibes: There’s nothing that says “dark academia” than working with dead bodies, imo.
Infectious Disease Researcher
This would be a cool job for someone who’s interested in medicine, but doesn’t necessarily want to be a doctor or nurse. In recent years, more and more infections and diseases have been showing up in our society. At the same time, we’re also creating superbugs and other diseases in our ultra-sanitized society.
An infectious disease researcher works with a lot of dark themes. You might find yourself looking at the doom and gloom of past disease, including gruesome imagery. Plus if you’re high enough in your field lives could be on the line with your work.
How to get in: The types of jobs in this field can vary. On a low level, a lab assistant or tech only has a college degree and supports the doctors. To become a specialist, you’ll need a doctorate. If field work is more your thing, check out what “field epidemiologists” do.
Dark academia vibes: Death, mortality, disease, and other gruesome parts of life plus studying history.
Entomologist, or Even Better, Forensic Entomologist
Do you like bugs? Then entomology might be the right career for you. On their own, creepy crawlies have their place in dark academia. Especially if you like to collect and preserve your specimens.
If that’s not creepy enough for you, consider a career in forensic entomology. What do they do, exactly? Study bugs for the purpose of crime scene investigations. Which usually means going into corpses and checking out the critters that are inside to find out information about the person’s death.
Either way, bugs are a pretty cool dark academia career idea.
How to get in: Entomologists usually have higher level degrees including graduates or doctorates, so definitely start with a bachelor of science. To get into the forensic side, you’ll need some specialized training.
Dark academia vibes: Bugs can easily be a part of dark academia aesthetic, especially collection, study, and display.
Museum Curator
This is kind of the dream, really. Anyone who loves to learn would be thrilled to find themselves working inside a museum. Especially in a scholarly or leadership capacity.
Of course, this is something that varies a lot. You’ll want a certain level of speciality in the museum’s facilities, but they usually hire people from a variety of backgrounds. Just as long as you can do the job.
How to get in: Consider education in museum studies or libraries/archiving, since the skills will be relevant. Otherwise anthropology, history, and even business/management skills can apply here too. You’ll probably want a Master’s Degree or higher.
Dark academia vibes: Museums are great places for academics to work, especially history or art museums.
Lawyer
If you’re highly analytical, love to study, great at memorizing, and don’t mind an argument, this is probably your perfect career. It’s a lot of work but highly rewarding, especially since you can really tailor it to your interests.
One of the more fun types of lawyer would be to work in criminal cases. It takes a certain type of person to defend wrongdoers, but they need lawyers too.
If you’re more into doing good, there’s plenty of ways lawyers can help further academia, protect history, and work on causes. Especially if you’re willing to take lower pays for these types of jobs.
How to get in: Law school is pretty much the only option. If you want an entry-level option, consider becoming a legal aid.
Dark academia vibes: Lawyer was the go to career of academics throughout history, and most of the famous thinkers were in this field.
Writer 
This could be absolutely anything related to writing. Becoming an author is a dream for a lot of dark-academia focused people. But, if you want a career in writing, don’t limit yourself to just one thing.
Writing is also a great thing you can start as a hobby or side hustle that can transform into a full time job later.
If writing isn’t your thing, there’s also career options in editing and publishing.
How to get in: Anyone can be a writer, but an English degree or one in journalism can help. Starting as a journalist can give you some experience and money, even if you plan to write a book or poems in your free time.
Dark academia vibes: Most dark academia icons were writers. It’s one of the best ways to share your knowledge.
Psychologist, Especially Abnormal Psych
I feel like this is one that most people have already considered when it comes to dark academia careers, but I wanted to include it anyway. If you’re considering psychology, why not do abnormal psych?
That can cover everything from understanding and treating psychology disorders to profiling criminals. If you want to take it up a notch, forensic psychology with the police is a pretty cool career idea too.
How to get in: Depending on where you live you’ll either need a Master’s Degree or a Doctorate in Psychology.
Dark academia vibes: Psychology is a classic academic field from the Victorian era so it fits really well.
Artist
This isn’t an easy career to get into, but it’s completely possible to make money from your art if you’re skilled and passionate. One downside is that you’ll probably have to break into the digital art sphere to gain followers and actually sell something, but it’s a great way to turn this hobby into a paying career.
Artists work in a variety of fields, so don’t limit yourself to just trying to sell pieces you create. Take on commissions or work for companies while you build your portfolio.
You can also get into the art field in other capacities like being an art expert.
How to get in: Art school or classes can make a huge difference in your skills. Otherwise, just get yourself out there!
Dark academia vibes: Art is a deep form of self expression that generally is appreciated by intelligent folks.
Detective or Private Investigator
If you’re great at solving puzzles this might be one of the best dark academia inspired jobs for you. Generally, detectives work for the police to help solve crimes.
Scotland Yard wishes they could have Sherlock Holmes for themselves, but alas, he’s a private detective. If you’re more interested in flying solo and working on the cases you find interesting, this is the job for you.
How to get in: Depends if you’re going with the cops or flying solo. You’ll have to check with your local police force for training options, but to go solo it usually just requires a permit or license. The tricky part is building up your clients and reputation.
Dark academia vibes: There’s nothing like the satisfaction of solving a difficult puzzle, especially when you’re the one called in to do it.
Actual Academia
Not everyone wants to be a professor, but it’s certainly a dark academic career if I’ve ever seen one! It can be tough to get into, but academia gets you into a position where you can continue lifelong study while also earning an income.
To up your chances, become an expert in your field. You can also work in academia doing research. Being an assistant doesn’t pay great but might be a way to get into the field too.
How to get in: Usually you’ll need to be an expert, have a high degree like a Master’s or Doctorate and some kind of teaching credentials, but not always.
Dark academia vibes: Academia is a great place for people who love to learn, especially if you choose history as your field.
Final Thoughts on Choosing Dark Inspired Academia Jobs
There are so many cool ways to incorporate dark academia into your career! This isn’t a complete list, just a few jobs that I thought would be cool. Some other ideas are: historian, archeology, criminologist, classical music, and dance.
