US design salaries down, but trend is steady

Graphic designers are generally inspired by more than just money. But that doesn't mean that a good salary isn't important to us. At the very least it is important that we are seen to be valued in our jobs.

But without having anything to compare against, it can be difficult for designers to know whether the wage they are being paid is in line with the rest of the market. For graphic designers in America, this is where the yearly AIGA/Aquent graphic design salaries survey comes in.

Last year the design salaries survey reported an upward trend in graphic designers earnings. For 2006 salaries were slightly down, but the trend is still looking good from a workload point of view. According to the survey; "margins are tighter and clients are contracting for work against smaller budgets". But, according to the report, the overall trend is still positive, with signs that American businesses are recognizing the value of innovative design in promoting themselves internationally.

As ever with design job descriptions, it is difficult to make exact comparisons. But there are a few interesting pointers in the report. As expected art directors and senior designers earn considerably more than junior designers. Freelance or self-employed designers tended to earn the equivalent of a senior designer's salary.

From a regional point of view there were also wage differences. For example, graphic designers in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta were near the top of the salary pile. Whereas designers working in jobs in Denver, Dallas and Philadelphia appeared to earn at the lower end of the income ladder last year, overall.

Source: Desing : Talkboard