Design Week adds up the industry’s salaries

This year’s salary survey offers predictably little cheer for designers, with any pay rises barely keeping pace with inflation and many senior creative roles seeing their remuneration cut.

However, recruitment agencies have predicted an above inflation increase for the coming year of 5 per cent, while also reporting that attractive salary packages are available for the best managerial candidates.

New business directors in London have seen their average salaries rise by 7 per cent in the past year, reflecting the need to incentivise and reward their performance when the economic climate is tough.

London-based managing directors have enjoyed a marginal 0.5 per cent rise on average, although their counterparts in the UK regions have seen salaries fall by 6 per cent.

Many senior creatives have had to accept pay cuts or deferred increases this year because of the poor business climate.

Regional creative directors have experienced the largest fall in salaries – 13 per cent – while the rewards for London-based designers from middleweight to creative director level have seen negligible settlements.

Junior designers have seen increases, especially in the regions, perhaps benefiting from redundancies further up the career ladder.

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