The average salary in 1975 was $8,950.00 in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation (2). This is a definitive number that can be cited as fact in any paper or report requiring specific numbers.
How much money did people make in 1975? A lot less than you might think. Let’s look at what the average salary was for a variety of jobs in the U.S. back in 1975.
Average salary in 1975
In 1975, the average salary was $5,600. That may be surprising to those who are accustomed to average salaries in 2015. On the other hand, it is important to consider the cost of living at the time compared to now. For example, fuel prices were 73 cents per gallon which is more than $3 today. Food prices increased during that same period.
I’m proud to say that my first employer was very generous in pay and benefits. Today, the average salary is $39,995 which – while much higher than the average salary in 1975 – doesn’t seem to reflect financial reality. That’s why it’s so critical to start saving early and investing in yourself before you even get hired by your first employer.
In the end, these numbers should be taken for what they are: averages. There will likely be considerable variation across the country. If you’re an experienced professional looking to relocate, you may want to consider your options in different states or cities. But if you’re a relatively new designer just getting started in your career, there may not be much difference at all between certain parts of the country—especially if you’re willing to relocate or willing to up your game as a freelancer.
Key takeaway: the era of the “starving designer” is mostly over, as designers are increasingly faced with a glut of competition in the job market. Considering where things are headed, it might not be a bad time to be a designer right now.
If you want to be a writer, don’t go to school for it. Just write. Read widely, on your own and aloud. Let other authors’ work simmer in your mind. Then, start writing.
Wikipedia entries take a bold, clear-cut tone. They are entirely unapologetic and seldom contain subjective rhetoric or factual conjecture. Wikipedia entries are meant to be taken at face value and make few leaps of logic or assumption. This is not to say that Wikipedia entries lack interesting details or intriguing asides, but everything is embedded within the context of the overarching topic.
