Being a Professional Designer:

Graphic and Web Design Career and Salary Outlook

Updated: January 2010

Career opportunities in Graphic and Web design and related design fields continues to grow despite a weak global economy, and entry level salaries are strong.

Working in design is like no other field in the world. Design work is not rote, not routine, and not predictable. It is ever-changing, always challenging, energizing and fun. Day to day, month to month, year to year a designer’s professional life can bring both stability and a sense of adventure. It is at once pragmatic and romantic, practical and edgy.

Design is firmly established as a serious career option with growing career opportunities and strong salaries.

This has not always been the case, but the world has changed. Design has taken its place as a serious career option with growing career opportunities and strong salaries. Finally a fun career can also be a serious career with strong earning potential. For proof, review the career opportunity and salary statistics below, and then browse the pages of this section of Sessions College.

91% of Sessions Online students state that Sessions Online has been central to achieving their professional design Career objectives.
(Source: Assessment of Sessions Online Student Outcomes, Eduventures, May 2008)

What follows are statistics most relevant to those seeking full-time or freelance employment in graphic and/or web design and related fields of design. Sources are noted throughout and listed in more detail at the bottom of this page. We encourage the reader to visit the sources for further exploration of the remarkable opportunities available to a graphic and web designer with a formal education like that provided by the Graphic and Web Design Degrees and the Graphic and Web Design Certificates of Sessions College.

• According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract to another company reported median earnings of $57,000 in 2008 (Source: AIGA 2009 Salary Survey)
• Employment of graphic designers is expected to grow 13 percent from 2008 to 2018 as demand for graphic design continues to increase from advertisers and computer design firms. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• 2008 median compensation levels for Graphic Designers* were as follows: (Source: AIGA 2009 Salary Survey)
  - Entry Level $35,000
  - Staff Level $45,000
  - Senior Level $60,000
  - Directors $95,000
  * “Graphic Designers”, as defined by the US Bureaus of Labor Statistics covers not only print design but also web and interactive design. Click here for further detail.
• Employment opportunities for web designers, visual designers, and flash designers grew by 48%, 29%, and 226% respectively from May of 2005 to February of 2009 according to job listings portal site Indeed.com. ( Source: Indeed.com )
• The United States national average annual salary for designers across all design fields in 2008 was $49,753. This reflects an 8.1% increase from 2006. (Source: How Designs biennial design salary survey.)
• Median annual wages for graphic designers were $42,400 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,600 and $56,620 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,660. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition)
• Most employers prefer to hire experienced desktop publishers; among persons without experience, opportunities should be best for those with certificates or degrees in desktop publishing or graphic design. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition)
• 91% of Sessions Online students state that Sessions Online has been central to achieving their professional design Career objectives. (Source: Assessment of Sessions Online Student Outcomes, Eduventures, May 2008)
• 75% of Sessions Online students reported higher income after attending the Sessions and 70% credit Sessions with the increase in income. (Source: Assessment of Sessions Online Student Outcomes, Eduventures, May 2008)

Our Graphic and Web Design Career and Salary Outlook Sources:

There are many reputable sources to perform your own research of design career and salary opportunities. The sources primarily used by Sessions College as we work to stay on the leading edge of well-paying design career opportunities include:

AIGA:
http://www.aiga.org/

Aquent:
http://aquent.us/

Coroflot:
http://www.coroflot.com/

Eduventures, Inc:
http://www.eduventures.com/

How Design / F+W Publications:
http://www.howdesign.com/article/08SalaryReport/

Indeed.com:
http://www.indeed.com

US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/