Many of our readers are interested in working as a designer. I’m no expert on the subject, but I do know a little about how to enter this field and how much you can expect to make at a starting salary. With over 6 years of experience in the field, I’ve continued to be surprised by the wide range of salaries available for entry-level designers.
The average salary of a graphic designer (with less than 2 years of experience) differs depending on the industry and location. In general, designers with less than 2 years of experience can expect to make between $20,000 and $40,000 per year.
The average designer salary in the U.S. is $5,700 a month, or about $68,000 a year. In nine major cities, the highest-paid designers make nearly three times that amount — between $17 and $48 per hour.
Competition for jobs is stiff, and at the entry level, opportunities can be scarce. So if you’re a recent college graduate looking to become a web designer, there are two initial decisions you need to make: what kind of design work do you want to specialize in (i.e., identity, print, retail, multimedia, etc.), and where in the world do you want to get your foot in the door?
Salary:
Average salary for junior designer
Have you wondered about the time-cost of becoming a designer? Or, just wondering what someone with a master’s degree in graphic design actually makes in the real world? TNW Answers has researched it for you.
There are a number of factors that go into determining the average salary for a junior designer. With more than years of experience in the industry, I have seen it all when it comes to wages. From your hourly wage to salary amounts, there are many areas to consider. I’ll walk you through each of the important factors you need to know with this easy-to-understand guide.
The average salary for a junior designer ranges from $50,000 to $70,000.
Junior designers can earn between £10,000 and £25,000 each year. Working in an agency or freelance will have a great impact on your pay. Searching for junior designer jobs on websites like LinkedIn, Monster or Creative Jobs can also affect your salary. Choosing an agency rather than freelance work will also influence your pay. After working as a junior designer for many years, your salary could increase to over £35,000 annually.
The average entry-level designer salary is around $41,000 a year. The average experienced designer salary is around $66,000 a year.
So you have been reading my blog, and seriously considering starting a career as a Graphic Designer. You like the idea of overall creative freedom, working with others on a personal level. However the only thing holding you back is the salary compared to what you can make sitting behind your computer chair at home. There are certainly pros and cons to being a full time designer from either side of the table. So let’s talk numbers…
Designers have an intimidating job. They have to work as a jack of all trades while trying to stay on top of the latest trends. This full-time job allows them to develop both professionally and personally; however, it can take a toll on their basic needs.
As a junior designer, you want to know what you should be making. There are websites online that list average salaries, but they don’t necessarily reflect your market value. It’s hard to find out how much a Junior Designer like yourself should be making.
The average salary for a junior level designer is around $45,000. The median salary is $61,450. But how can you make sure you’re on the high end of those numbers? It’s not just about the amount of experience you have; it’s also about the type of work you do. Each experience needs some sort of boost to its worth in order to be part of the upper quintile.
The infographic below takes a look at average junior web designer salaries across the major cities in America. It’s designed to give you an idea of what you can expect to earn, or at least be in the ballpark. There are a lot of factors that go into salary, like job title, skill-set, education and location (location also includes your studio).
The starting salary of a designer varies significantly. If you have just graduated, you can expect to earn somewhere between $30,000 and $60,000 per year. However, there are many variables that will affect your salary.
While the average designer pay tends to be between $54,000 and $78,000 across the US, there are variations in compensation based on job title. Web designers generally make more than graphic designers, who make more than branding / identity specialists. Location plays a big part in determining compensation as well.
Being an average designer is okay, right? Being the worst designer in the world is also okay, right?
