Salary for graphic designer

The graphic design field is one of the most creative industries to work in and jobs are available at all levels of expertise. Working as a graphic designer may be a good career path for someone who thrives on art, technology and creativity. Graphic designers are responsible for everything from web page design to product packaging, print ads and TV commercials.

A graphic designer’s salary should be based on several factors, including their level of experience, the type of company they work for, and their geographic location.

According to PayScale, the average salary for a graphic designer is $51,000 per year. The median salary is closer to $50,000. The top 10% of graphic designers earn more than $70,000 per year.

While this might seem high for what appears to be a simple job description, keep in mind that graphic design is not just about making pretty images—it’s about creating an entire brand identity for that company or product. Graphic designers need to know how to use different types of software and other tools to create graphics that represent their client’s business in the best possible light.

They also need to understand branding techniques like color theory and layout design so they can create images that fit within those parameters without sacrificing creativity or originality (or making their client look like an amateur).

Salary for graphic designer

Digital design has become increasingly important as more and more eCommerce businesses are springing up, requiring websites, web logos and branded social media pages. All of which is great news for graphic designers, and anyone working in UX/UI fields.

There are a number of good reasons to choose to work as a freelance graphic designer. You may want the freedom to set your own hours, enjoy the variety of working for a number of different clients, or yearn to travel the world while earning your income. Yet, despite all these issues, you’ll also want to earn a good graphic designer salary.

Whether you’re an experienced graphic designer wondering about earning the same wage when you stop working in-house, or you’re looking to earn an entry-level graphic designer salary, we’ve gathered the data to answer all your questions about a freelance graphic designer salary in 2019, so that you can decide whether freelancing is the right path for you.

What’s the average freelance graphic designer salary in 2019?

Average salary data can hide a huge range of income bands, but it’s still a good place to start. In the US, the average annual salary is around $57,000 according to two different surveys.

Freelance Graphic Designer Yearly Salary Average

Naturally, that disguises a very broad range. At one end of the scale, a top, experienced graphic designer salary is over $90,000 per year, while at the other end, entry-level graphic designer salary could be as low as $26,500. If you break it down to an hourly fee, your salary could be anything from under $15/hour to over $60/hour.

How much does a graphic designer earn in 2019 in other countries?

Today’s business world is a global village, but that doesn’t mean that your salary is going to be the same wherever you work.

Due to widespread digital accessibility, earning potential is fairly consistent in developed countries. In the United Kingdom, employed graphic designers earn anywhere from £15,000 to £19,000 starting out and up to £35,000 to £55,000 at the senior level. For freelancers, there’s only a small difference between a graphic designer salary in the UK vs. in the US – the average freelance graphic designer in the UK earns the equivalent to $22 per hour, as opposed to just over $29 per hour for the average freelance graphic designer in the US.

Freelance Graphic Designer Salary UK
Freelance Graphic Designer Average Hourly Pay US

When you look at developing countries, you’ll see a far bigger gap. For example, freelance designers in India get paid much less than those doing the same work in the US.

Freelance Graphic Designer Salary in India
Freelance Graphic Designer median pay US

This means that the average freelance graphic designer salary in India is equivalent to under $5, compared to almost $30 for the average salary in the US. In fact, a graphic designer in Switzerland, which is home to some of the highest salaries in the world, earns more than ten times as much as a graphic designer in India! Just like in real estate, location does matter.

Here is a recent post looking at the top international websites for freelance designers looking for work.

Other factors that influence your freelance graphic designer salary

Your level of experience and the breadth and depth of your design expertise play critical roles in your earning potential. A benefit of the freelance open market is that your earning potential is essentially what clients are willing to pay for someone that has your talents. Pricing of competing freelancers does place some restrictions on top-end potential.

The following are some of the critical factors to consider when you investigate how much you can earn as a freelance graphic designer.

Expenses

You’ll definitely have expenses, including your equipment, tools, software and other supplies. Remember, your work is only profitable if you set prices at a reasonable markup above these costs. 

Scope of Work

The more technical the nature of the work, and the more unique your skills for that work are, the greater your earning potential will be. Learning challenging or unique software programs and design capabilities can increase your income. For example, UI and UX designers are in high demand at the moment. If you specialize as a UI/UX designer, you could earn an average yearly income of over $97,000. It’s significantly more than the average graphic designer salary.

Freelance UI/UX Designer Salary 2019

Experience

For important projects, clients often prefer people with significant background and expertise. Furthermore, demonstrating strong performance builds trust, and clients will pay more for someone reliable. An experienced graphic designer salary could be almost eight times as much as that of an entry-level graphic designer!

Range of Freelance Graphic Designers

Conclusion

This perspective on earning potential for freelancers in graphic design should help you figure out whether this is the right work path for you, which skills to specialize in, and even which country to target when you look for work. Freelancers benefit not only from a healthy income, but also from flexibility and diversity of work.

As you receive online money transfers from national and international work, utilize Payoneer to affordably and efficiently accept payments!

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