Graphic designers earn around $51,640 per year in the United States and C$41,686 ($31,202) in Canada. For graphic designers in the United Kingdom, pay runs from £18,000 ($22,486) to £50,000 ($62,445) annually. In Australia, the graphic designer salary is AU$53,054 ($40,437). In Switzerland, the mean pay stands at CHF69,000 ($69,626), while in Norway is NOK498,000 ($58,692) per year.
Graphic Designer Salary Influencers
The earnings of graphic designers can turn on factors such skills, work setting, and experience. Certain countries statutorily entitle employees to various vacation and retirement benefits.
1. Industry
Generally, graphic designers work in the private sector. Certain designers can set their own fees, in 2014 approximately 20 percent were self-employed. While in Canada the self-employment figure stands at 34 percent. Freelance graphic designers in the United Kingdom can earn between £200 and £400 per day.
In certain countries, graphic designers can shape their pay with certain skills or by working in certain settings, especially computer-related and technical. For example, in the United States, the pay for designers in “Computer Systems Design and Related Services” is $60,570 as of May 2015. In “Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing,” the salary stands at $74,110.
In Switzerland, graphic designers with web design skills earn 4 percent above average. While for designers in Australia, with skills in MacIntosh computers, pay runs about five percent above normal. Also, you can read more about the video game designer salary.
2. Geographical Area
| Graphic Designer Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | Switzerland | Norway |
| Hourly Wage | $24.83 | C$20.04 | £18.27 | AU$25.51 | CHF34.02 | NOK239.42 |
| Annual Wage | $51,640 | C$41,686 | £38,000 | AU$53,054 | CHF70,767 | NOK498,000 |
Graphic Designer Salary in the US
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports $51,640 is the salary for graphic designers in the United States, as of May 2015. While the median salary stands at $46,900, with graphic designers in the 90th percentile making above $81,320.
Graphic Designer Salary in Canada
The median pay for graphic designers in Canada is C$41,686 per year. So, the total pay runs between C$30,269 and C$59,621 per year.
Graphic Designer Salary in the UK
The National Careers Service states that graphic designers in the United Kingdom earn between £18,000 and £50,000.
Graphic Designer Salary in Australia
PayScale reports a salary of AU$53,054 per year for graphic designers in Australia. Total earnings run from AU$39,757 to AU$81,796 annually.
Graphic Designer Salary in Switzerland
According to Salary Explorer, the annual pay for graphic designers stands at CHF70,767. The median is CHF69,000, with pay running from CHF51,000 to CHF100,000. While PayScale reports a national salary of approximately CHF61,000 and a pay range of CHF24,561 to CHF123,535.
Graphic Designer Salary in Norway
“Graphic and multimedia designers” in Norway earn about NOK41,500 per month. Therefore, this translates to an annual salary of NOK498,000.
3. Experience
Among starting graphic designers in Canada, the median pay stands at C$38,000. After five years of experience, the median rises to C$43,000 and then to C$47,000 after ten years and C$50,000 after 20 years. For senior graphic designers in Canada, the median pay is C$53,965, while for new senior graphic designers stands at C$50,000.
In the United Kingdom, starting graphic designers earn from £18,000 to £20,000. Among “experienced” graphic designers, pay runs from £21,000 to £32,000. Those in the “highly experienced” category, otherwise known as “senior designers,” make between £33,000 and £50,000.
For entry-level graphic designers in Australia, median pay is AU$49,000. Designers who reach five years experience earn, on a median basis, AU$55,000. At ten years of experience, the median salary is AU$61,000. Those who achieve over 20 years of experience hold a median pay of AU$64,000.
Working Hours
Generally, graphic designers work full-time and keep traditional weekday office hours. However, evening and weekend work may be necessary to complete projects.
In Canada, 84 percent of graphic designers were employed “full-time,” compared with 81 percent of the overall workforce.
According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook, “Graphic and Web Designers, Illustrators” log an average of 39.4 hours per week. This falls generally in line with the regular of 40.2 hours per week for all occupations. Also, approximately 78 percent of graphic designers in Australia hold full-time positions.
In the United Kingdom, the normal work week for graphic designers is 37 hours per week.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
PayScale reports bonuses running from $302.37 to $5,077 for graphic designers in the United States. While bonuses range between C$387.83 and C$5,217 for those in Canada and reach AU$2,500 for those in Australia.
In Norway, graphic designers earn an average bonus of NOK600 per month or NOK7,200 per year. While in Switzerland bonuses reach CHF4,500 for graphic designers.
In Australia, Switzerland, and Norway the law affords to employees rights to pensions and retirement benefits. In Switzerland, graphic designers have their retirement funded through a three-tier system of Old Age and Survivors/Disability Insurance, mandatory employer contributions and a third-level of voluntary contributions by employers.
Employees in Australia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada are entitled to various paid holidays and annual leave. For instance, workers in the United Kingdom get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday leave per year. Australia and Switzerland afford generally four weeks. For Norway, the paid leave is for 25 days. In Canada, most provinces grant a minimum of two weeks per year, with Saskatchewan giving three weeks.
Job Outlook
Opportunities for aspiring graphic designers will depend significantly upon the industry and media platform. For instance, there is a projection of 21 percent rise in the employment of graphic designers in computer systems design and related fields in the United States by 2024. By contrast, employment in the print media – periodicals, newspapers, and books – will fall by 35 percent by 2024. Employers in digital media and other sectors rely on graphic designers to message their products, services and companies to Internet, digital and mobile-device users.
Canada should experience a surplus of graphic designers and illustrators by 2024. Specifically, Job Bank projects 17,300 openings available for an estimated 31,600 job seekers. This suggests a fairly competitive environment for graphic design jobs in Canada.
An August 2016 report by the United Kingdom’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport says In the United Kingdom, employment in the creative industries sector has grown by 19.5 percent between 2011 and 2015.
As of November 2015, graphic designers numbered 46,500 in Australia. Meanwhile, projections say that by November 2019, Australia will have between 25,001 and 50,000 job openings for graphic designers.
Conclusion
Graphic designers can enhance pay and job prospects by working in digital and highly technical settings. In the graphic design field, more experience normally translates to higher pay. Designers can also earn from self-employment and freelancing.
Leave a Reply