Design salaries drop by 6 per cent, DBA survey shows

Average salaries in the design industry have fallen by 6 per cent over the past year, according to the Design Business Association’s Charge Out Rates and Salary Levels report for this year.

The report, designed by Robson Dowry (cover pictured), collates findings from DBA members across design sectors. The DBA is reserving the full results for its 396 member groups, but it reveals that product designers are the top earners in the sector, taking the number one spot from packaging designers. This is despite average salaries for product designers falling by 4 per cent.

The average salary for packaging designers has dropped by 18 per cent, taking the sector from first to fifth position in the salary rankings.

Point-of-sale designers are the second-highest paid, according to the DBA, despite an average fall of 3 per cent in salaries. Retail designers come in third, despite an average fall of 6 per cent in salaries. Corporate identity designers are the fourth-highest paid group, despite an average fall of 10 per cent.

The DBA survey also found that the average charge-out rate is £104 an hour, which is the same as the previous year.

The Design Week Salary Survey, published in March and based on recruiters’ projections, found that average salaries for junior designers in London had risen by 2 per cent and for creative directors by 15 per cent. Outside London, junior designers saw salaries rise by 5 per cent, while the average salaries for creative directors fell by 4 per cent. The DW results also showed that digital creative director salaries rose by 17 per cent in London, and 18 per cent outside London.

Looking ahead
65% of respondents to the DBA survey expect fees to increase in 2011, compared to 46 per cent last year
6% of respondents expect to reduce their company headcount this year
38% of respondents are looking to increase their personnel this year

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  • Gabriella Pusztai November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Now this is interesting. I’m glad though that companies started to realise the values of investing in and training junior designers.

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