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AIGA Aquent Salary Survey 2010
AIGA Aquent Salary Survey 2010
everything +
Careers in design
Compensation
Compensation overview 21
Solo designer 22
Owner, Partner, Principal 24
Creative/Design director 26
Art director 28
Senior designer 30
Designer 32
Entry-level designer 34
Print production artist 36
Web designer 38
Copywriter 39
Print production manager 40
Marketing/New business manager or director 41
Web developer (front-end/interface systems) 42
Web programmer/Developer (back-end systems) 43
Web/Senior/Executive producer 44
Content developer 45
Benefits provided 46
Introduction
Letter from the executive director
Anecdotal evidence and industry data Salaries for designers remaining in the
indicate that corporate design depart- same position have generally done only
ments and advertising agencies suffered slightly better than that—with median
the most employment losses. At the compensation in any category not
same time, the broader discussions about exceeding a three-percent annual
adaptive strategies for corporations often increase over the period—therefore
hinged on innovation, design and design limiting their purchasing power.
thinking. Hence, demand for design was
not eliminated, and business at many In the past year, the trend has largely
independent studios remained active. continued, although median compen
Those studios were not necessarily hiring, sation for a number of positions has
but they were very busy picking up newly increased faster: entry-level designers,
outsourced work from corporate depart- web designers, print production man
ments and other clients seeking competi- agers. Principals also experienced a
tive differentiation for their products. relatively larger increase.
For recent graduates, the opportunities, This finding is consistent with what we have
where available, often consisted of low- heard from design-studio heads: They are
paying or unpaid internships, without working harder, but margins are smaller.
benefits. In some fields of design, Hence, the productivity gains that individual
“permalancers”—those freelancers who employees are contributing are not being
are retained indefinitely, with no security rewarded because clients (internal or exter-
and little chance of becoming regular nal) may not be paying for those gains.
staff in the foreseeable future—had to
simply appreciate having work when so The way for individual designers to
many others did not. increase their value and compensation
is through consistent training and profes-
Paul Krugman, the Nobel laureate in sional development that allows them to
economics, has called the past decade move up in the range of responsibilities
the Big Zero. Between 1999 and 2009, they assume. This is not unique to design—
looking only at the beginning and the for all professions, continuous learning is
end of the decade and not the vicissitudes critical in our rapidly (and we mean rapidly)
in between, there has been zero job evolving business environment. It is also
creation, zero gains in housing value, important to begin to apply design-thinking
zero growth in stock values and zero skills in solving clients’ more complex
economic growth for the typical family. strategic problems as well as their
fundamental communication problems in
order to demonstrate the greater value
that designers can create for clients—
warranting greater compensation.
Introduction
AIGA Design Leaders Confidence Index
100 101.89 96.67 98.46 96.76 90.73 94.79 98.22 98.46 94.24 86.66 70.02 64.06 68.18 50.66 54.55 66.65 88.81 99.01 98.72
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
APR jul oct jan apr jul oct jan apr jul oct jan apr jul oct jan APR JUL OCT JAN
2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2010
NOTE: AIGA began its quarterly survey of design leaders in April 2005.
Introduction
Median total cash compensation 2000–2010
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006* 2007 2008 2009 2010 POSITION
In 2006, a different research methodology was used that may have underestimated * may
Change in 2006 survey methodology
have affected measurements. 2006
data unavailable for Print production
income. The 2006 data are reflected by dots and excluded from the trend line; the manager and Web programmer/
trend line from 2005 through the most recent data is reflected by a dotted line. The Developer (back-end systems).
2007 data are based on the same methodology as all previous years except 2006.
Introduction
ANNUAL
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006* 2007 2008 2009 2010 RATE
2.2% 3.4% 2.8% 1.6% 2.3% 2.7% 3.4% 3.2% 2.8% 3.8% -0.4%
$52,000 $60,000 $56,000 $55,000 $55,000 $60,000 $49,000 $60,000 $60,000 $58,000 $56,000 +0.7%
+15.4% -6.7% -1.8% 0.0% +9.1% -18.3% +22.4% 0.0% -3.3% -3.4%
$100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $93,000 $100,000 $100,000 $80,000 $113,000 $105,000 $101,500 $110,000 +1.0%
0.0% 0.0% -7.0% +7.5% 0.0% -20.0% +41.3% -7.1% -3.3% +8.4%
$85,000 $84,000 $85,000 $85,000 $85,000 $90,000 $80,000 $98,600 $100,000 $97,400 $100,000 +1.6%
-1.2% +1.2% 0.0% 0.0% +5.9% -11.1% +23.3% +1.4% -2.6% +2.7%
$55,000 $62,500 $62,000 $60,000 $65,000 $65,000 $60,900 $72,000 $75,000 $70,000 $72,000 +2.7%
+13.6% -0.8% -3.2% +8.3% 0.0% -6.3% +18.2% +4.2% -6.7% +2.9%
$52,300 $54,000 $53,000 $55,000 $55,000 $56,000 $52,000 $62,000 $65,000 $65,000 $65,000 +2.2%
+3.3% -1.9% +3.8% 0.0% +1.8% -7.1% +19.2% +4.8% 0.0% 0.0%
$38,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $41,200 $42,500 $39,800 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 +1.7%
+5.3% 0.0% 0.0% +3.0% +3.2% -6.4% +13.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
$31,000 $32,000 $30,000 $31,000 $32,000 $33,000 $35,000 $36,000 $36,000 $37,500 +2.1%
+3.2% -6.3% +3.3% +3.2% +3.1% +6.1% +2.9% 0.0% +4.2%
$35,000 $38,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 $44,800 $47,500 $45,000 $46,000 +2.8%
+8.6% +5.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% +12.0% +6.0% -5.3% +2.2%
$45,000 $52,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $52,000 $48,000 $55,000 $55,000 $55,000 $58,500 +2.7%
+15.6% -3.8% 0.0% 0.0% +4.0% -7.7% +14.6% 0.0% 0.0% +6.4%
$44,800 $50,000 $54,000 $58,000 $58,000 $55,000 $65,000 $62,000 $60,500 $60,000 $62,000 +3.3%
+11.6% +8.0% +7.4% 0.0% -5.2% +18.2% -4.6% -2.4% -0.8% +3.3%
$50,000 $48,000 $50,000 $52,000 $52,500 $55,000 $62,000 $62,000 $60,000 $64,000 +2.5%
-4.0% +4.2% +4.0% +1.0% +4.8% 0.0% -3.2% +6.7%
$51,400 $55,000 $58,200 $50,000 $55,000 $60,000 $60,000 $60,000 $65,000 $62,000 $60,000 +1.6%
+7.0% +5.8% -14.1% +10.0% +9.1% 0.0% 0.0% +8.3% -4.6% -3.2%
$67,500 $65,000 $62,900 $56,000 $56,000 $60,600 $65,000 $65,000 $65,000 $65,000 -0.4%
-3.7% -3.2% -11.0% 0.0% +8.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
$65,000 $69,000 $75,000 $65,000 $65,000 $70,000 $54,100 $75,000 $75,000 $74,500 $75,000 +1.4%
+6.2% +8.7% -13.3% 0.0% +7.7% -22.7% +38.6% 0.0% -0.7% +0.7%
$47,000 $47,500 $50,000 $46,500 $55,000 $65,000 $70,500 $58,800 $59,000 $52,000 $55,000 +1.6%
+1.1% +5.3% -7.0% +18.3% +18.2% +8.5% -16.6% +0.3% -11.9% +5.8%
Introduction
Careers in design
What can designers
do to improve
their prospects?
Prepare for the new normal Six major trends, and the challenges they
The most frustrating aspect of the current pose for the profession, emerged from our
climate is that designers who want to research. These trends define design’s role
advance their prospects are having a hard in a much broader, more strategic context
time maintaining control of their fate. The than its roots, which involved the creation of
issue is less about the competitive striking, engaging visualizations of mes-
advantage of one designer over another sages. Although visualization and excellence
and more a result of the overall economy. remain important, they will be only one
Still, AIGA believes that we must all take manifestation of a solution that may involve
advantage of the shift in the economy to many different forms, including intangibles
prepare for the new normal—which will not such as strategy and experiences.
be anything like the old normal.
The trends that will influence the role of
When we emerge from the Great Recession designers include the following, in the order
there will be opportunities for designers, of importance identified in our surveys of
although the opportunities will be much designers:
more substantial for those designers who
are prepared to create noticeable value Wide and deep: meta-disciplinary
for clients. study and practice
Designers must be able to draw on
AIGA believes that one characteristic of experience and knowledge from a broad
the future will be an acceleration in the range of disciplines, including the social
growth and speed of information flows. The sciences and humanities, in order to solve
only way to play a role in communicating problems in a global, competitive market
in that environment will be for adept of products and ideas.
professionals to develop the form in which
messaging takes place. It will also be As the contexts in which communication
crucial to quicken the pace of personal occurs become more diverse, designers
learning, to always remain ahead of need to experience meta-disciplinary study
changes in technology and information. as well as train deeply in specific disciplines.
They must understand the social sciences
Trends that will influence and humanities in order to understand the
the practice of design content they are asked to communicate,
In 2008, AIGA and Adobe partnered on a and they must understand how to work
research project to define the characteristics collaboratively with other specialists.
that a designer would require to be effective
in 2015, so that both organizations could
begin to prepare designers and their tools for
the demands of the future. This moment,
when the economy is undergoing massive
change, may be the most opportune time for
designers to consider the trends and
competencies that emerged from that
research, so that they can ready themselves
for the competitive challenges ahead.
Improving your prospects
What can designers do to improve their prospects?
Be determined
to succeed
When I started out, I worked for a designer Stay ahead of the curve
who told me that there was a little regret You need to know how to design for print
in every job. At the time, I thought this and digital media, period. An understand-
was a negative outlook. But now I realize ing of both allows you to express ideas in
that if you don’t see that there are things any application and helps you to be a
that you could do differently or better, better resource for your clients.
you won’t keep striving to improve. The
designers who aren’t afraid to question Communicate what you do best
themselves and their work are the ones Don’t, however, try to be everything to
who ultimately get better and succeed. everyone. Know what your strengths are
and develop them. If you’re a web
Technical ability brings the idea to life designer, excel at that. And when you’re
A creative director I visited in college told looking for a job, look at firms that you
us, “Don’t lie to me, because I will find out think fit well with your skills. Don’t try to
what you can and can’t do within one say that you’re a great fit for the job if Ellen Bruss is owner and
creative director of EBD
week. And if you can’t do what you said your skills aren’t a match for what they’re Ellen Bruss Design, a design,
you could, I will fire you.” That terrified seeking. Neither of you will be happy. marketing and brand
consultancy in Denver.
me at the time, but he was right. An
employer needs to know what you’re Do design because you love design
skilled in and what you still need to learn. It shouldn’t be work; it should truly be
If you misrepresent yourself, it puts your passion. Abraham Lincoln said,
everyone in a bad situation. While you can “Always bear in mind that your own
learn on the job (and will), most firms resolution to succeed is more important
don’t have time to teach you the software than any one thing.”
you should have learned in school. Bad
execution can kill a great idea. But
learning how to execute well will make
your work sing.
See no boundaries
To create patterns is natural. In fact, not Yet even this is not enough. As you become
only as designers, but also as humans, we comfortable in this open field—no matter
make sense of a wild environment by the discipline—what is common is that you
taking haphazard shapes and concepts design for people. And an understanding
and giving them form and meaning. We of where design intersects with human
categorize them: poster, website, building, behavior is critical to raising both the
typography, interactive, stone, and so on. meaning and value of products and
Creating categories, then, gives our services. The studies of how people think
experiences boundaries. (cognitive psychology), how people interact
(interaction design), how people behave
For designers in this era, however, seeing (behavioral economics), and the design of
boundaries can be a disadvantage. At a services for them (service design) can
time when websites are spilling off complement and enhance your under-
desktops onto sidewalks and computing in standing of your pursuit.
Liz Danzico is chair of the MFA
in Interaction Design program
public spaces is dissolving into behavior,
at the School of Visual Arts in technology itself has shown boundary So, start by reimagining your design studio.
New York. blindness. And humans are following suit. It’s not just the place where you have a
We carry our televisions in our pockets. desk, a chair and some tools—it is also the
We pay with our phones. And we read place beyond those walls. It is there, in
more than ever before on an unpredict- your design studio at large, that you’ll find
able number of screens. It is possible to those who will inspire and instruct you
see beyond the small fences of the familiar, that seeing no boundaries is one of the
but first you must see no boundaries. greatest lessons for a young designer.
Going beyond yourself, then, can become a
natural extension of your every day.
To be a great designer,
understand business
I was lucky enough to spend some time Sadly though, in the world that we find
recently with a friend who plays in a band, ourselves in today, hard work isn’t
a pretty brilliant and successful one. Like enough. As a matter of fact, beautiful,
all the greats, they make amazing work award-winning design skills aren’t even
look easy. After the show, we started to enough—they are the cost of entry.
talk about process: song making and
making design. For a young designer to succeed years
from now, you had better have some
We both shared stories about how hard it serious design chops—so start working
is to make good work, and how nearly hard. But in addition to this, you’d better
impossible it is to make great work. And understand how to deploy those design
how terrifying it can be to share that work skills in a way that helps solve business
with the world. It gave me comfort to hear problems for your clients. So you’ve got to
that I wasn’t the only one who really understand business, as well as how to tell
Alan Dye is creative director at
Apple in Cupertino, California.
needed to get a lot of bad work out of my that client’s story across a wide variety of
system before getting to anything good. media. Print may not be dead, but the
My friend talked about the 20 songs that tools that we have to tell stories these
need to be written to get to the one that days are dramatically different from those
makes the album. I talked about the of even just a few years ago. In other
hundreds of sketches and work sessions words, there are plenty of designers out in
that lead to the final piece. the world who know how to make a nice
poster, but the select few who are going to
It reminded me that in all worthwhile thrive in the months and years to come
endeavors—creative ones, especially—you are going to be the ones who can tell a
need to grind it out. And you need to be complex story across a range of media in a
scared to death that the work won’t be simple, clear and elegant way. So learn
good enough, isn’t better than anything from the great storytellers—watch tons of
you’ve done before. I find that it helps to films and read lots of books. And while
set the bar high. And yes, at times that you’re at it, read the business section
leads to some anxiety, but it’s all worth it every day and start to pay attention to the
when you create something that makes analytical studies that your strategic
you proud. planners keep talking about. It will pay off.
Be a designer, plus
It has never been easier to think that the What do people actually need? How can
world is your oyster simply because you a designer meet that need? How can you
sit, day after day, staring at a computer actually observe what people need—and
screen. And there’s never been a more where and when and how they need it?
misguided way to think about design in Finally, how might you begin to think
the 21st century. about design as a combination of the
known (read: your education) and the
Like music, design is an international unknown (read: the real world) and
language, and it’s evident in everything approach it as a kind of robust interna-
from text to textiles, shelter to shopping. tional language?
How we communicate in foreign places
stems from the ways in which we engage You can begin by contemplating a
material culture—not popular culture, departure from your comfort zone
but the real, tangible, material worlds and going out into the world to see for
Jessica Helfand is a partner at
Winterhouse in Falls Village,
inhabited by millions of people you’ve yourself. Apply for every travel grant you
Connecticut, and a founding never met. can. Get out there and look. Be strong and
editor of Design Observer. listen. Be brave and ask tough questions.
Ignore them at your peril, because they’re Be humble and participate in that which
going to be your next audience. As a seems so other. Be bold and immerse
student, your job is to learn how to learn; yourself in a culture that is not your own.
this means training your eye, your hands, This is what it will mean to be a designer
your mind. Yet as you hone your craft, in the next 50 years. Start now.
you must keep your eye on a much more
distant goal, but a much more relevant
one—and that is need.
Be a super-designer-
renaissance person
As this was being written, Steve Jobs debuted the iPad. Game
changer or overgrown iPod Touch? We’ll certainly know in three
years. Regardless of its success, it is clear that having the skills
to be a media-independent designer is essential. That suggests,
for example, that the necessary area of expertise may be in
coding languages and how they can enable interface design.
Three years from now, expectations for flexibility and custom
ization on the part of a user—no matter the interaction—will be
even greater than they are today.
Keep learning,
keep giving
Be detail-oriented
Big ideas are made up of details. Your
intelligence is demonstrated in those
details. Put design elements together in
a deliberate way. Be aware of how your
notes and files are organized, how your
thoughts are layered, how you present
yourself and how you take care of others.
All of those details are part of craftsman-
ship and will help you succeed.
Owner, Partner, Principal $65,000 $95,000 $145,500 $75,000 $110,000 $160,000 803
Print production artist $35,000 $43,000 $55,000 $35,000 $46,000 $60,000 400
Print production manager $49,000 $60,000 $75,000 $50,000 $64,000 $80,000 400
Marketing/New business
$60,000 $75,000 $91,600 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 335
manager or director
Web developer
$45,000 $60,000 $75,000 $50,000 $60,000 $75,000 331
(front-end/interface systems)
Web programmer/Developer
$50,000 $65,000 $83,000 $55,000 $65,000 $85,000 188
(back-end systems)
Web/Senior/
Executive producer $59,000 $69,500 $89,500 $60,000 $75,000 $90,000 144
NOTE: The Salary/Wage Comparison graphically depicts the three salaries indicated in the table. The black horizontal bar represents the range from 25th to 75th percentile, and the red vertical bar indicates the median.
Compensation overview 21
Solo designer
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$35,000 $74,000
22 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Solo designer 23
Owner, Partner, Principal
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$52,000 $150,000
24 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$68,000 $140,000
26 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Creative/Design director 27
Art director
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$48,000 $122,500
28 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Art director 29
Senior designer
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$50,000 $80,000
30 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Senior designer 31
Designer
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$36,500 $55,600
32 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Designer 33
Entry-level designer
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$32,000 $60,000
34 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
Entry-level designer 35
Print production artist
Seattle
Portland
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago New York
Salt Lake City
San Francisco Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Indianapolis Baltimore
San Jose Denver Washington, D.C.
Kansas City Cincinnati
St. Louis
Los Angeles
Charlotte
San Diego
Phoenix
Atlanta
Dallas
Austin
Orlando
Houston
Miami
$32,000 $66,700
36 Compensation
SALARY/WAGES SALARY/WAGE COMPARISON TOTAL COMPENSATION RESPONDENTS
25% 50% 75% 25% 50% 75%
earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less earn less
38 Web designer
Copywriter
Copywriter 39
Print production manager
44 Web/Senior/Executive Producer
Content developer
Content developer 45
Benefits provided
NET: paid time off 5,527 76% NET: insurance 3,941 54%
46 Benefits provided
About this survey
Characteristics of survey respondents
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Methodology For more information on methodology used for this survey, visit www.designsalaries.org.