A Designer's Salary

ARRIVALS

ARRIVALS

Well-Known Member
Here's some interesting research put together by Creative Review comparing the amount of designers in the UK, their positions, and what they're paid, to designers around the world. Here's a few figures.

There are 232,000 designers in the UK. 65,900 freelance designers, 82,500 in design consultancies, and 83,600 in-house. A lot of competition then.

The average UK design salary:

Junior designer: £21,000
Midweight designer: £30,000
Senior designer: £40,000
Design director: £55,000

The average daily rate for a freelance designer:

Junior designer: £100
Midweight: £130
Senior: £250
Design director: £275

Quite interesting figures, to me at least. I don't mind saying that as a junior designer (being 2 and a half years out of uni) I earn nowhere near the average salary they've found for junior level designers, nor do I earn nowhere near the daily rate figure they've found for junior level freelance designers.

How do you compare to these? Obviously you don't need to reply with figures here, I'm just interested to see if these figures match the real world. :icon_biggrin:

Here's the article. http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2013/january/more-money
 
How would a freelancer be classed in a certain category? I've my own company and don't earn as much as a mid-weight designer, but that maybe says something about the clients I have :icon_frown:
 
I’d presume it comes down to how many years experience a designer has and who they work for?
 
ARRIVALS said:
Here's some interesting research put together by Creative Review comparing the amount of designers in the UK, their positions, and what they're paid, to designers around the world. Here's a few figures.

There are 232,000 designers in the UK. 65,900 freelance designers, 82,500 in design consultancies, and 83,600 in-house. A lot of competition then.

The average UK design salary:

Junior designer: £21,000
Midweight designer: £30,000
Senior designer: £40,000
Design director: £55,000

The average daily rate for a freelance designer:

Junior designer: £100
Midweight: £130
Senior: £250
Design director: £275

Quite interesting figures, to me at least. I don't mind saying that as a junior designer (being 2 and a half years out of uni) I earn nowhere near the average salary they've found for junior level designers, nor do I earn nowhere near the daily rate figure they've found for junior level freelance designers.

How do you compare to these? Obviously you don't need to reply with figures here, I'm just interested to see if these figures match the real world. :icon_biggrin:

Here's the article. Creative Review - On the money
Click to expand...

Yes seems about right. I have my own company and I have been charging £35 per hour for as long as I can remember.
 
It also depends on your location to some degree - I remember seeing a similar list that was broken up into areas within the UK and in some areas like Wales (I think), the per-hour wage was as high as London, whereas, other areas were significantly less. It was quite surprising and it wasn't always the areas you'd think that the wages were highest. I just had a quick Google but I couldn't find it - I'll have another look later.
 
Theory Unit said:
It also depends on your location to some degree - I remember seeing a similar list that was broken up into areas within the UK and in some areas like Wales (I think), the per-hour wage was as high as London, whereas, other areas were significantly less. It was quite surprising and it wasn't always the areas you'd think that the wages were highest. I just had a quick Google but I couldn't find it - I'll have another look later.
Click to expand...

Well as a Welsh graphic designer I find that hard to believe that our rates are the same as London although I would maintain the quality of work is no different.
 
Found it! But it was a survey of graphic and web designers that had a very small sample size so it's possibly not such an accurate reflection as I was thinking (Jon, you're going to love the highest earnings in Wales!). Freelance Rates Survey, 2011 | words from Cole Henley, @cole007

By Location
Group Count Min (£) Max (£) Average (£)
East of England 8 160 520 250
East Midlands 17 150 525 300
London 53 150 675 350
North East 17 150 500 275
South East 68 100 700 300
South West 60 100 500 258
Wales 12 160 1200 275
West Midlands 16 160 525 337.50
Yorkshire & Humber 33 115 800 250
North West 36 120 500 250
Northern Ireland 18 112.50 525 270
Scotland 55 100 800 280


 
Theory Unit said:
Found it! But it was a survey of graphic and web designers that had a very small sample size so it's possibly not such an accurate reflection as I was thinking (Jon, you're going to love the highest earnings in Wales!). Freelance Rates Survey, 2011 | words from Cole Henley, @cole007

By Location
Group Count Min (£) Max (£) Average (£)
East of England 8 160 520 250
East Midlands 17 150 525 300
London 53 150 675 350
North East 17 150 500 275
South East 68 100 700 300
South West 60 100 500 258
Wales 12 160 1200 275
West Midlands 16 160 525 337.50
Yorkshire & Humber 33 115 800 250
North West 36 120 500 250
Northern Ireland 18 112.50 525 270
Scotland 55 100 800 280


Click to expand...

Wow - I wish I could charge £1200 per hour!
 
Huge number of variables in the one-man-band sector; location, location of clients, how close/far away you are from working at capacity, patterns of engagement... In my case, then, I can significantly outperform the average design director on the basis of hourly rate but I'm not pulling in his/her salary.
 
Theory Unit said:
Found it! But it was a survey of graphic and web designers that had a very small sample size so it's possibly not such an accurate reflection as I was thinking (Jon, you're going to love the highest earnings in Wales!). Freelance Rates Survey, 2011 | words from Cole Henley, @cole007

By Location
GroupCountMin (£)Max (£)Average (£)
East of England 8 160 520 250
East Midlands 17 150 525 300
London 53 150 675 350
North East 17 150 500 275
South East 68 100 700 300
South West 60 100 500 258
Wales 12 160 1200 275
West Midlands 16 160 525 337.50
Yorkshire & Humber 33 115 800 250
North West 36 120 500 250
Northern Ireland 18 112.50 525 270
Scotland 55 100 800 280
Click to expand...

This is useful. Something to base how much to pay yourself so you can disipline yourself with the cashflow! Saying that, with the current job I am in is paying far less than the minimum in my area. Bloody robdogs!
 
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