Graphic designing is a new field in itself and offers the scope for very decent salaries.
Graphic designing has been a highly sought after career in the recent years owing to the increasing demand for computer-based graphics and innovation in the technological field. Offering tremendous career opportunities, it has immense potential for aspirants who want to express their inborn creativity. This field can be a calling for all those who are born artists and have the desire to couple their creativity with the technological advancements. The graphic designers, in essence, use a combination of words, symbols, and images to create a visual representation of an idea or a message.
Salary Range
One of the most lucrative and relatively new technology jobs, graphic designing covers a wide range of work profiles, starting from production artists to senior art directors. Depending on the type of job profile and the level of expertise one has gained, the salaries vary significantly. Like various jobs start with a lower pay scale, the salary is low in the initial years. In the beginning, they may earn anywhere between USD 25,000 to USD 40,000. The starting pay for a freelancer can be relatively lower than that of a full-time position. This owing to the fact that it takes a lot of time for freelance designers to build a reputation and client base.
Those at higher positions like that of creative directors or senior graphic designers, earn the highest salaries owing to their extensive body of work. As per data of March 2010, they averaged as high as USD 60,000. It can even go up to USD 80,000 depending on the level of responsibilities the person handles. The salary per hour is usually between USD 10 – 12 and can even go as high as USD 20 per hour. The per hour rate varies due to many factors like skills, type of project, and educational qualifications.
Factors Affecting Salary
The salary fluctuates as per market forces in the initial years of the job. The factors on which it depends are:
- Work location
- Work experience
- On-the-job or real-time training and skills learned
- The industry of the employer
- The specialization and major research area of graphic designing
We all know that location plays a major role in the earning potential of every profession. If you take a look at the salary data of two different cities for the same job, then you may find a drastic difference in the average figures. The positive is that geography plays a negligible role since most of the work happens online. However, depending on the cost of living of a place, the salary does vary.
As we can see, the salary is competitive with other jobs and offers good scope for growth. With the right educational qualification and the awareness of some negotiation techniques, you can start off with a fairly good remuneration as a fresher.