Designers are leveling up: In 2019, most designers have 5-9 years experience. It’s not a huge jump, but compare that to 2017, when the majority of designers had 1-4 years experience.

This year we honed in on education experience with an expanded set of 11 answer options that better represent the increasingly alternative paths to education sought by designers. (Previous censuses provided just three options: no degree, college degree, and advanced degree.) Bachelor's degrees are still the most common, with online learning and other workshops and programs on the rise. Hats off to the designers who were “born this way.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Respondents could select multiple answer options

Size of bubble represents the number of designers

“As someone who has lived both inside and outside of major metropolitan design hubs, I can say that my career moves slower when I'm not in a large city. There are fewer events and opportunities, so it's on me to keep everything moving at a fast pace. I'm in charge of utilizing the local community or creating more opportunities through the magic of the internet.”

—Meg Lewis, 31, freelance brand experience designer (Minneapolis, MN)

Age is on the X axis

More women than ever are in the design workforce, as are non-binary designers—though unfortunately this data set is still too small to be statistically significant.

Women outnumber men in every category, especially in school as students, which has been a common trend for years. The number of women and men designers is most equal in the self-employed/small business owner category. Most non-binary and gender fluid designers work full-time in-house or at an agency/consultancy.

The number of designers who identify as LGBTQIA+ has increased 5% since 2017.

After communication/graphic design—which far exceeds every other industry—most designers work in business and the arts, including fine art, art history, and design history.

After art direction—which far exceeds every other skill—most designers are skilled in drawing/painting, photography, data visualization, UI and UX design, coding, copywriting, and 3D/animation. Among “non-design” skills, project management, leadership, SEO/social media, and mentoring also rank high.

Most designers work full-time in-house or at an agency/consultancy, which is consistent with census data from 2017. Slightly more designers today work freelance or are self-employed, and slightly fewer do contract or permalance work.

The drop off rate for full-time employees working in-house or at an agency (as well as contract/permalance workers at the same companies) is around the four-year mark, which is when many designers reportedly tend to stagnate. Most self-employed/small business owners are in it for the long haul—for 11+ years. Of all these groups, educators vary the most, with many working at the same institution for anywhere from just a handful of years to a decade or longer, though it’s interesting to note if there is a burn-out period for educators, it’s around year 9-10.

I've worked here since is on the X axis, Working status is on the Y axis

“The reason I left my job was that after fours years I had a feeling in my gut that I was done. I was ready for something new, but I didn't know what it was. I felt like I had plateaued. I knew the drill at the studio, and sure, you learn something new with every client, but overall I felt a little stuck.”

—Alex Stikeleather, 30, freelance designer/art director (Brooklyn, NY)

These responses are remarkably similar to the 2017 census data, with most designers working in either very large or very small companies.

These responses are remarkably similar to the 2017 census data, with most designers working either 40 hours or 41-50 hours each week.

Those consistently putting in 60+ hours each week are self-employed/small business owners and educators. Those consistently working between 40-50 hours are full-time employees. Freelancers and students make up the majority of designers working less than 40 hours each week, though this may be due to time that’s split across different types of work or time spent on school work.

Distribution of designers by working hours is on the X axis, Working status is on the Y axis

Turns out designers are a rather altruistic bunch. Almost all designers at every level spend around 20% of their time volunteering. Also, nearly all designers spend some time on paid freelance work and doing favors for friends or family. Those actively working on a startup businesses are largely C-suiters and executives.

“I thrive on not spending all my time on the same problem. I like to bounce around. I don't want to feel as if I'm operating in a bubble. Being in a large company, it often feels like an echo chamber. Also because of the company size, roles are pretty specialized. Certain muscles atrophy after prolonged time of non-usage.”

—Eric Hu, 30, former global design director at Nike (Portland, OR)

Most designers make between $50,000-$75,000 a year, regardless of gender. The 3% of designers who identified as something other than male or female make less than $25,000 a year.
Global creative directors command the highest pay at $146,777 annually, while junior designers are paid the least at $44,837.

“For me, salary was one of the main factors in choosing a career at first. Now, understanding the impact of my work as well as how pushed I am to think critically about design and improve my own skills weighs a lot more.”

—Robine Nucum, 27, marketing designer (Brooklyn, NY)

Men are more likely than other genders to make more than $150,000 a year. This tracks with national data that shows women hold just 11% of leadership positions in the design industry and make 80 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts.

“The laser focus on representation makes me blue and impatient. The field became majority female in the late 1980s and early ’90s, and all that representation brought was less pay. The day-to-day experiences of women around power and influence remain mostly unchanged. Diversity and inclusion matter, but will not solve more consequential issues around wealth and social expectations.”

—Juliette Cezzar, 44, associate professor (New York City, NY)

Most LGBTQIA+ designers who responded make between $35,000-$49,000 a year, while most non-LGBTQIA+ designer make $50,000-$74,000.

The most common benefit, regardless of job type, is paid time off. The least common benefit is employer-provided childcare.

“Best benefit? Profit-sharing. Most useless benefit? Summer Fridays.”

—Eric Thomas, 42, studio owner and creative director (Tallahassee, FL)

The majority of designers report feeling happy in their current position, despite saying there’s room for improvement. Only 11% of designers say they’re extremely happy, while 7% say they’re ready to call it quits.

Better pay doesn’t always translate to happiness. Designers who work in advertising, branding, digital product design, media, strategy/innovation, for-profit, motion graphics, social impact design, strategy, and UI design all have an above-average income, but are not fully satisfied.

The happiest designers have benefits that go beyond basic healthcare, including professional association memberships, childcare, professional development, and employer-provided meals.

Satisfaction is on the X axis, Benefits are on the Y axis

Even designers who say they’re mostly satisfied in their job face challenges. The happiest designers are most likely to say they feel spread too thin, while the least happy say they’re not creatively fulfilled and don’t feel valued.

Satisfaction is on the X axis, Job challenges are on the Y axis

Designers who own a small business and volunteer are the most satisfied. Those who work a part-time job and are starting a new project report being the least satisfied.

Satisfaction is on the X axis, Side job is on the Y axis

Designers who reported being happiest are concentrated in major cities. Designers who say they’re “ready to call it quits” are most often in smaller towns and feel disconnected to the design community.

Size of bubble represents the number of designers

“I have less traffic, I'm closer to nature, I feel less stress, and I'm part of the local community. The longer I live here, the less I feel like living in a city again.”

—Meaghan Dee, 36, assistant professor/chair of graphic design (Blacksburg, VA)