Everyone wants to know how much money they should be making. The AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries has the answers you’re looking for.
Last year I posted a short article, Design FAQ: How Much Money Do Graphic Designers Make? and I thought I should follow it up with the updated information for this year.
The AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries is published every year and includes responses from more than 9,000 design professionals. In it, you’ll find everything from compensation to benefits for all different design professions — even freelancers. There are also some very nice descriptions to break down the different facets of design, and lots of helpful career advice as well.
Download a copy of the 2009 Survey
Visit the AIGA Website for invaluable design resources and advice
6 Responses
Nice link, but there are no calculations for people outside the US which is not quite cool.
Manda Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
You’re right, Lakeside. I’m sorry. I tried to drum up some links for you with salaries in other countries, but I was unable to find anything. When/If I do, I’ll be sure to post it.
Interesting seeing how much Designers make in the US. There are some pretty nice salaries there I wish I had. But then again, there are the living expenses in some parts of the US that are likely to be pretty high!
I flirt between Web Design and Graphic Design, so I do both. But I’m not sure I get why Web Designers get paid more, and Web Developers even more again. Technically I am half a Web Designer, but I’m not sure that part of my job is any more complex than the Graphic Design end. In fact, working on a new logo can involve a lot more intense thought than coding a website – it really just depends on the person I guess.
Web Developers are a lot more mathematically minded, and systematic in the way they work. But again… I’m not sure that should be valued more than creative intellect? Do you know what I’m saying?
I definitely think Graphic Designer/Web Designer/Web Developer salaries should be a lot more competitive with each other.
Mark McCorkell´s last blog ..Evernote: Design Inspiration Scrapbook… accessible anywhere
Manda Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I completely understand what you’re saying, Mark. I think it’s a case of supply and demand. There are just more people who want to work on the design (front-end) side of web design, and fewer people willing to do the back-end coding.
I also think it’s a case of paying for something tangible. A client can see if their website is functioning properly or not — they know they are paying to make something work. Design is more subjective. Clients don’t have as clear of a sense of what good design is vs. bad design. They don’t understand exactly what it is they are paying for.
Finally, I think it goes back to the design myths, in that many people believe that they can do the design themselves. But when it comes to coding or programming, clients are satisfied to leave that to the professionals.
I don’t think people outside of the design world really understand what goes into coming up with something original and meaningful. They just see the final product and say, “I could have done that.” Well, sure, after the hard part is finished, maybe you could execute the design. But, let’s see you come up with something yourself when faced with a blank piece of paper. That’s where the challenge lies.
Interesting stuff. @mark I think it really comes down to supply and demand. I think that is what the difference is. Teachers for instance don’t make as much as they should…maybe because there are a lot of them.
abraxas´s last blog ..SEO TIP: Goodbye PageRank, Hello Trust and Authority