Design news

Good financial news for designers.

Survey of design salaries 2005, points to continuing upward trend.

The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) along with it's sponsor Aquent, have released the results of this years survey of graphic design salaries. The survey, which took responses from more than 3,600 design professionals, has proved to be interesting reading, with reports of a clear rise in salaries for the first time in several years.

Aquent and the AIGA have reported erratic results over the past five years, but they believe that this years salary survey results show a definite upward trend;"We expect to see design salaries remaining firm this next year, with modest increases and growth in employment among designers who have been underemployed over the past several years.", said Richard Grefé, Executive Director of AIGA.

On top of this, Grefé claims that the design industry as a whole is picking up ground, after a few years in the doldrums. Although designers are still having to pitch for jobs that they might not have taken an interest in 10 years ago (and for smaller fees), AIGA believe that this trend is now being reversed and that the design industry's unique skills are being increasingly recognised; "Every sign from the business community today signals a growing realization of the importance of design - both communication and product design - to American industry’s global competitive advantage. Design innovation is seen as the driving engine - across all business sectors - for creating value in a world economy where production costs and prices are being driven ever lower."

The survey, which took input from across the creative and communications industry, is available for download as a PDF file, or in the form of an online interactive database.

The 2006 survey of designers salaries is now available.

Read our reports of previous graphic design industry surveys;

• US design industry
• UK design industry

Are you earning the wage you deserve? Discuss graphic design salaries with other designers in our design forums.