What salary does a graphic designer earn?

So you’ve decided on a career as a professional graphic designer. What kind of money can you expect to make in this field? First of all, you need to consider what you will earn when you enter the field compared to what you can earn throughout your career. The American Institute of Graphic Arts found in 2008 that entry-level graphic designers earned an average of $35,000 a year, while senior designers with experience and supervisory assignments earned an average of $60,000. Those graphic designers who were creative heads of departments , owners of their own design firms or partners in design firms enjoyed salaries of around $95,000 a year.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2008, graphic designers earned an overall average of $42,400 per year: the lowest-paid 10 percent of graphic designers earned less than $26,110 per year, while those in the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $76,660. After considering entry-level vs. experienced graphic designers, there are pay differences depending on the industry in which you are employed. Among the five industries that employ the most graphic designers, computer systems design and related services are the highest paying at an average of $47,860 per year, and printing and related support activities are the highest paying. less with an average of $36,100 a year.

A college education, specifically a degree, has a marked effect on the amount of money a designer can earn. An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Graphic Design earns a designer an average salary of $36,074; earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts gives one a more slight advantage of $41,260.

Where you work as a graphic design professional also makes a difference in salary. According to payscale.com, the average annual salary for a graphic designer in San Francisco is approximately $52,000; The next best city to work for is Seattle: the median annual salary for graphic designers in that city is about $47,000. Other cities that offer good salaries for graphic designers are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas. And as far as working for a small company or a large company, when it comes to graphic designer salary, it’s better to work for the “big guy”: those in companies that employ less than 10 people make a little more than $ 35,000 average annual salary. , while those who work in large companies with 50,000 or more employees see an increase of more than $53,000 a year.

So how does all this compare to the average American worker? According to the 2007 findings of the United States Census Bureau, the average salary in the United States is around $81,000 a year, taking into account all types of jobs and experience. If you are a designer with a college degree who has worked for several years at a large company or has successfully built your own design business, you could meet or exceed that average. The future of designers seems to hold the opportunity for growth and advancement, especially for those who constantly improve their technological skills and keep abreast of the needs and desires of society. For graphic designers especially, staying power equals buying power.