Career Graphic Design

Graphic Designer Salary

Do you want to be a graphic designer? Suppose you are a person who has patience and creativity. In that case, you should consider a career in the graphic design industry. In this article, I will tell you about the graphic design salary range and give you 4 tips on how to earn more.

Graphic design is a field of work with a growing market, and the market hasn’t reached its peak. There are a lot of opportunities for you to jump into the graphic design trade and make a name for yourself.

The good thing about being a graphic designer is that you don’t necessarily need a degree because there are enough resources out there for you to learn on and build your foundation. But if you want to get a degree, it will help you even more with your design skills.

Graphic Designer Salary Variations

Graphic Designer Salary in the USA

In the USA, a median graphic designer makes around $50.000 per year. If you fall in the bottom half, you might make less than $20.000 a year. If you fall in the top half, you may make around $60.000 a year.

Graphic Designer Salary in Australia

The average salary for a graphic designer in Australia is around AUD 70.000. If you fall in the bottom half, you are looking at around AUD 45.000. If you fall in the top half, you will probably make way more than the average Australian salary for a graphic designer.

Graphic Designer Salary in Europe

In Europe, the average salary for a graphic designer is around 30.000 Euros. If you fall in the bottom half, you are looking at about 17.000 Euros, and if you fall in the top half, you will probably make approximately 50.000 Euros.

meeting in a meeting room

Junior Graphic Designer Salary

Junior graphic designers are less experienced and less skilled graphic designers. They will make less than the senior graphic designer. Their payroll is around $35.000 in the USA. In Australia, a junior graphic designer’s salary is around AUD 35.000. In Europe, their pay is around 25.000 Euros.

Senior Graphic Designer Salary

Senior graphic designers are more experienced and more skilled than junior graphic designers. They will earn more than the junior graphic designers. Their payroll is around $55.000 in the USA. In Australia, senior graphic designers make around AUD 50.000. In Europe, their pay is around 35.000 Euros.

4 Tips to Earn More as a Graphic Designer

1. Build an Excellent Portfolio

The most essential thing in this graphic design field is your portfolio. A portfolio for a graphic designer is the visual representation of his skills and the previous designs he has done. Your portfolio should include all your best work to date.

Your future clients will judge your skills based on your portfolio. Your portfolio will involuntarily give them an impression of your skills, experience, and creativity. As they are going through your portfolio, they will have an idea whether you are the right guy for the job or not!

holding phone in hand looking at the online portfolio

Include designs in your portfolio that make the client go “wow!” because it’s about impressing your potential clients and making them believe that you are the best person for this job.

It will make it much easier for you to get your desired payment from the client if you impress them immediately and they have confidence in your skills.

When you are meeting a client, try to edit your portfolio and arrange the designs that are most similar to the graphic design that they want you to make. In that case, the client will immediately know whether you are the right person for this particular job or not.

I have seen people with excellent skills and creativity not get jobs because they could not present their skills accurately to a potential client. But a graphic designer with lesser skills got that job because he showed his skills clean and organized.

Always remember your portfolio represents you. The more structured your portfolio is, the more organized you will look in front of your clients. Your clients want someone with who they feel they can communicate properly. 

giving feedback

Your clients will want feedback, and someone who they feel will give them the best feedback. You have to be confident in your skills, and when they ask you any questions, answer them confidently because that assures them that you’re the right guy for the job.

Do not give them any little reasons for them to doubt you, like do not show up late to your interview or meeting. Being on time shows that you are a competent professional dedicated to your job.

Always prioritize your portfolio. If you are starting as a graphic designer, build your portfolio. Your portfolio matters as much as your CV, if not even more in this field.

2. Strengthen Your Reputation

After your portfolio comes your reputation. Your reputation consists of everything. How skilled you are, how you are with meeting deadlines, and how you communicate or behave. All of this makes up for your reputation.

For example, you want a logo for your company, so you ask a friend of yours, “Dude, I want a logo for my company. Do you know anyone?” The friend says you can call the guy who designed my logo. But if the guy who created the logotype did a lousy job, would the friend recommend him? The answer is NO!

graphic designer salary: friends sharing their experiences

A person will only recommend you if you have a good reputation with them. This is called word-of-mouth recommendation. To make a name for yourself in this field, word of mouth is critical. Most people say, “Dude! I love your logo; who made this?”.

You want your designs to stand out from the crowd and make your clients go, “I am glad that I hired you to do this job for me.” In this way, you build your reputation. If you have an excellent graphic designer reputation, it will be easier for you to get future clients.

Your reputation matters a lot. Clients want the best candidate available because they want the best person for their task. Your reputation will precede you; try to make it a good one.

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.

Just think of a restaurant. If the review is decent, you will consider going there. The same goes for you; if you have a good reputation, people will want to hire you.

Remember, your reputation consists of everything that makes you a graphic designer, such as your perseverance, dedication, and many other responsible things. Always be cordial to your clients even if they are hard to deal with, and try to be warm.

2. Power of Patience

You do need to have patience in this industry. Patience is a critical feature that separates elite graphic designers from the rest. Having to master your patience will help you endure a lot of things in this profession.

When starting as a graphic designer, you will have a tough time finding clients. Patience is very vital at those moments. You need to be calm, put your head down, and keep working. Keep on building your portfolio.

Not only will patience help you land a job, but it will also help you communicate with clients well. It is easier to talk with a person who is calm and organized.

Think about some clients that are very demanding and are giving you a hard time designing. If you have patience, you will be able to deal with them accordingly and will not lose a client.

3. Details Make the Difference

Every detail matters. Think about a design you are working on. You need to give your 100 percent on that design. Because you need to focus on every little detail, the finishing product must be perfect.

To Sum Up: Graphic Designer Salary

For you to get the best possible rates for you, build up your portfolio, this is what represents you in front of a client who has not seen you in person. Build up your reputation; your reputation will help get clients and never let a client be dissatisfied.

I encourage people to follow their hearts and passion. If you are someone who has creativity and a passion for graphic design, then I would inspire you to pursue a career in graphic design.

But suppose you are a person who wants to become a graphic designer because of how much it pays. In that case, I will suggest you ask yourself, “Will I enjoy doing this?” if the answer is yes, then carry on, but if the answer is no. You should find your passion and do something more enjoyable for you.

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