Graphic Design Jobs
The market for graphic design jobs is expected to grow 13% between 2008 and 2018, which is the average expected rate of growth for employment over a 10 year period. Graphic design jobseekers are expected to face keen competition for graphic design jobs.
Education and Training
A bachelor’s degree is required for most graphic design jobs. Some designers have years of experience with little or no professional training. Without a degree, the job search can be much more difficult and while competing with those with experience AND education, you may find yourself having a difficult time in your search.
Salary
Because of the wide variety of graphic design jobs, the salary varies quite a bit from job to job. According to payscale.com, as of October 2010, the average salary for graphic designers is $32,634-$48,534.
Generally, those seeking graphic design jobs will have a combination of education, training and experience. Those with the highest level of education and training can expect to be on the higher end of the pay scale. Because there are many fields within the graphic design industry, the pay for graphic design jobs in each area of expertise will also vary.
Job Prospects
As the demand for design projects in the interactive media field grow, those graphic designers with web site design and animation experience will have an advantage in the job market.
Graphic design jobs are more abundant in some areas of the United States. California, Texas and New York have the highest number of graphic design jobs of any states in the US. This is partly due to the size of the state, but also can be attributed to the industry influences in those states. States with a heavy artistic influence, such as New York, breed many more graphic design jobs than other states, where agriculture is the bread and butter.
Types of Jobs
Some graphic designers are seeking a graphic design job. Some are looking for full time employment with graphic design studios. The newest trend, especially in graphic design, is freelance work. There are an abundance of websites that allow you, as the designer, to bid on work. There are many benefits to doing this. This can be on your schedule, and you can have the benefits of working for yourself. Schedule, working conditions, and pay can all be reasons that freelance work is becoming more and more popular in the graphic design industry. As graphic design jobs become harder to find, people are looking at less conventional means of income. Below are a few sites that can connect you with freelance work.
https://secure.elance.com/php/reg/main/providersignup.php
For additional freelance design sites, visit http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/jobs.html#freelance
Best Graphic Design Jobs
Graphic Design is a great field for the creative artist. Graphic design is an industry that is high in demand. Every logo created, sign designed or publication released has been touched by the hand of a graphic designer. Graphic design is a general term for the artistic and creative process in which symbols, letters, images and color are put together to communicate an expression. This artistic communication is used in many facets of life, including, but not limited to, signs, billboards, business cards, letterhead, websites, video games, flyers, advertisements, logos, and many, many more.
Jobs in Graphic Design
The economical status of the US is making graphic design jobs (and most fields) more and more difficult to land. Graphic Design is not am exception to this situation. The problem that this kind of job shortage creates is that wages and salaries are lower. More people are looking for a great deal, or a “design-on-a-budget” and are not willing to pay high prices for a quality and professional design. The good news is that many places still are. But- there is more competition than ever before.
There are a few great places to find a Graphic Design job. Here is a list of just a few:
- Monster
- Career Builder
- Simply Hired
- Authentic Jobs
- Craigslist (not always fruitful, but worth a try)
- Smashing Magazine Job Board
- Fresh Web Jobs
- Coroflot
- Krop
Graphic Design Salaries
According to Simplyhired.com, the median salary for Graphic Design jobs is $51,000. This was updated as of August 25, 2011. Salaries for graphic design jobs can vary greatly depending on location, specific graphic design industry, experience, education and company. Graphicdesignersalarydata.com is also a great resource to get an idea of the expected salary for a Graphic Designer. These are things that are wise to research if you are considering pursuing a career in graphic design. Graphicdesignersalarydata.com reports that the lowest Graphic Designer salary is $21,120, while the highest average salary is $69,730. It also reports that graphic design jobs in the industries that have higher pay than average are government and video industries.