Big drop in freelance pay rates
Pay rates for freelance designers have dropped by 17.25 per cent in the past year, according to a Design Week survey.
The poll of recruitment agencies and designers showed that senior creatives have been hit hardest, with freelance creative directors receiving an average of only £261 a day, compared to £288 in 2007.
Those surveyed suggest that a high level of redundancies have affected pay rates, with more experienced designers flooding the freelance market after losing their jobs.
However, the poll does predict that there will be an increase in freelance rates of up to 8.75 per cent in the next 12 months.
Read the Design Week freelance salary survey results in full in the next issue of Design Week, out tomorrow.
Comments
Except for those with respect for quality photography it’s now a case of fighting for a good fee. Not good for your psyche, creativity, self respect, bank balance, investment in your equipment and work, ability to eat etc when working on the cheap.
I think it could take a generation for design (of every discipline) to be valued for its true worth by design buyers. Hi-profile or corporate work benefits from the recognition of design and concept but this does not always filter to the mainstream. Design is all-pervasive and it will take more time (than I’ve got left!) for people’s experience of to turn to appreciation. Freelancers will then start to get what they are worth. But it won’t benefit all freelancers, so slackers beware – your future clients will be far more attuned to recognising good design from bad and expectations will be higher.
Supply & Demand – simple.
Fulltime staff cutbacks due to downturn in business = more designers ‘working from home’
So there’s less work, with more freelancers chasing it. Thats life – dont moan about it.
We have 2 options – (a) retain overall income by putting in more hours or finding alternative job – (b) reduce overheads by shopping at Aldi & working smarter.
Like I said – moaning about it is the worst you can do, it will eat your soul & piss off your friends & colleagues.
I think tim-nice-but-dim lives up to his name with those comments. Trouble with the industry is that agencies do not want to drop there profits and are forcing the freelancers to drop there’s due to the competition out in the market. for instance a big design agency will not drop there price if they can make there suppliers drop and the recruitment agencies who have kept freelance wages low for over 10years due to how they operate don’t help either as theyare all scrambling for business and reducing rates left right and centre which opbviously means freelancers get less. IF YOU WANT A GOOD FREELANCER GOTO http://www.twosmokingbarrels.co.uk