What is the average starting salary for a graphic designer? See the information below about how much a Graphic Designer makes, according to Indeed.com’s research of jobs data from thousands of sources. In fact, we’ve broken down the median expected salary by experience level for all graphic designers. From there you can sort by location, job title, and average hours worked per week.
Graphic design is a career of skill, knowledge, and experience. Designers need to know about the industry, the tools of trade, and the core concepts involved in the profession. Students may expect an average starting salary for graphic designer to be about $41,000 . However, this differs based on specialization and location.
Average starting salary for graphic designer
The typical starting salary for a graphic designer in the United States is just under $40,000. This can vary depending on the location of the job, level of education, experience, and skills. A number of factors affect the starting salary for a graphic artist so it’s important to keep this information in mind when deciding what to charge or how much to negotiate.
According to data collected by the BLS, the average starting salary of a graphic designer is $36,000 per year. The level of experience can vary widely though. If someone is just stepping into the profession, they can expect to earn much less than someone who has been practicing for years. Entry level positions will often start at around $15 per hour, with junior positions earning between $20 and $27 per hour. Even experienced professionals are often earning under $40k.
A great deal of private practice designers earn between $40,000 and $55,000 per year, leaving the possibility for more advancement in the future. Most design firms pay a competitive salary, with many new hires earning upward of $70,000 annually. With both private practice and firm salary averages well above the national average of $45,000 per year, a profession in graphic design opens up many possibilities for career growth and professional freedom.
If you are just starting out as a graphic designer, you likely have no experience in the job market. As a result, you will have to rely on the advice of others and your own research to determine a fair pay rate for designers in your area. By taking some time to research the average salary for designers in your area, you can develop realistic role models that you can strive for. Researching such information also lets you know what being a designer in your area will mean to your bank account. It is equally important to ensure that you are basing your salary expectations on realistic career goals. What is it that you want to do with your design career? Do you want to direct the career path or will take any opportunity? By recognizing what it is that you hope to gain from design, you can tailor the necessary education or required experience to suit these goals.
The career outlook for graphic designers is incredibly strong with a projected increase in jobs of around 20% through 2020. With such a widespread demand for designers it is hard to not find employment within the field.
To start out, you can look for internships-the best internship is the one that lets you test run graphic design as a career. If you are looking at changing careers, this is also a good way to explore the field and what it involves. Given the massive amounts of information being produced, we live in an incredibly visual world. It is more important than ever that information be conveyed clearly, simply and visually. This makes the demand for visual communicators very high.
