Graphic Designer - Salary and Conditions

- Range of typical beginning salaries for junior graphic designers: £14,000 - £25,000.
- A senior designer could earn between £25,000 - £45,000.
- A creative director could make up to £65,000 or more depending on the projects.

An experienced designer and valued freelancer will earn up to £40 an hour. The earning rates increases for designers with outstanding track records and recommendations.

Salaries vary depending on the positions of employment, geographical location and the experience and recognition of the designer. The higher paid jobs are normally in London and other large cities.

Salaries within in-house design teams tend to be more higher than in design agencies, but it is generally thought that in-house work allows less creative freedom and variety. Agency work is carried out for different clients and is, therefore, more varied.

Working hours are normally 37 hours a week, with few flexibility around start and finish times. Extra hours are usually occurs when deadlines are approaching and this means working into the early hours to get a job done.

Graphic designers are normally based in communal studios as some jobs are joint working in teams. Team discussion and team assessment often provide feedback for a designer's work. Some design work is carried out alone. At junior level, work is mainly office-based.

Design work typically involves sitting and working on a computer for long periods of time.

Job satisfaction emanate from utilising your creative powers to solve a problem through a set of strategic processes. The most frequently mentioned reward is the sheer job satisfaction gained from creating high-quality artwork and gaining a strong reputation.

Self-employment and freelance work is ordinary and widespread in graphic design industry. Designers with more years’ experience and professional contacts are commonly likely to freelance successfully. Freelancers may share offices or rent studio space. Some self-employed graphic designers work from home. There are opportunities for part-time work, but these may be hard to obtained.

The numbers of men and ladies getting into the profession are roughly equal.

Jobs are available in major cities and towns. Advertising agencies are predominantly based in London, the South East, Manchester and Leeds. There is a demand for British graphic designers internationally with opportunities in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. Before finding work abroad, it is advisable to have gained at least one year experience of working in the UK.

Although the work is mostly studio-based, travel within the working day to meet clients may be required. Working away from home, however, is frequent and exceptional.