Hi I was just wondering how much do web disigners make and was just curious to how they actually make the money / get hired to make websites. And what all would I have to do in order to become a successfull web designer...I am currently in a technical college in Salina, KS taking commercial art and right now we are learning the basics of illustrator and indesign....its a 2 year program and the last semester we get into webdesign and start working with programs that can help make fantastic websites....at least....thats what they are telling me........ let me know if I am taking the right route....thx
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How Much do most web disigners make?
- Thread starter stl_lpified
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Web designers can make great money. A really important factor is if they have the coding (meaning Javascript, PHP, and in some cases .NET [echh !]background to supplement their design skills. The big problem is, everyone and their little brother is a web designer, so finding work can be tough. It's important to create an image and go far with it. A great example can be http://www.funnygarbage.com/ . They didn't start big, but now they do all the design for Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and some TV shows. If you aren't a coder, but an excellent designer, you probably will do poorly as an independant designer, so you'd have to work in a firm where there are other coders to back you up.
People always exaggerate in this sort of survey. These numbers seem incredibly high to me. I suspect you'd be lucky to get over $35K coming straight out of design school.FlamDrag said:
I am not sure exactly which numbers you are looking at on the Aquent survey but you cannot go by "web designer" for someone who is just out from school - the best match there is "entry level designer" and i think those numbers are in line for an average degree in a USA school. "Web Designer" is someone who is experienced and not just out of school. But those numbers are in line for what people are getting paid more or less. I think that a 2 year technical degree will put you in the 25th or 50th percentile at best however.
in my experience coming from where i am coming from those Aquent numbers are lower than what most of the graduates of my school with 4 year BFA's are getting paid to start, so it goes to show that at least for graphic design, some of it depends on your schools reputation as well as your portfolio and experience.
in my experience coming from where i am coming from those Aquent numbers are lower than what most of the graduates of my school with 4 year BFA's are getting paid to start, so it goes to show that at least for graphic design, some of it depends on your schools reputation as well as your portfolio and experience.
its an interesting post because in the next week or two in going to have to decide to either do web design or programming in c sharp...its a hard coice, but i think i might well be happier in a web design role...
It also depends whether you're talking about a designer/developer being self-employed, working for a specialised web design company or working as the web person for a generic company. If you're self-employed you will obviously be able to keep more of the money you earn, but you may not be able to charge as much as your service levels may be limited. These are UK prices obviously, but £20-£60 an hour is a reasonable level for self-employed web developers - depending on their skill level and experience (not to mention the client's budget).
If you're being employed by a company you might not make as much per hour however it is a more secure position to be in in terms of yearly salary.
If you're being employed by a company you might not make as much per hour however it is a more secure position to be in in terms of yearly salary.
That's a smart move - don't follow the money, go with what you think you will enjoy mostAL-FAMOUS said:
.For anyone planning on getting into web design, I would say try to get experience in a wide range of tasks. For example, in a typical day you may be working with HTML and CSS, manipulating images in Photoshop and optimising PDFs in Acrobat. A broad base of experience can make you more valuable to an employer or (more importantly) a client if you run your own business.
One of the biggest issues is that anyone with a little bit of knowledge can set up a webpage. The trick is to be able to do it well.
There so much more than just designing websites, you have to deal with databases, visual interfaces (flash is great and action script programming is essential): there's more than enough that specializing is sometimes the best bet. Then you have to figure out what you really like about the design or programming or both.
In the end, there are two things that are going to get you a job, whether you go freelance/on your own or with a company - and that's the portfolio and who you know. Understand and mastering software only goes so far, having examples to back it up is the most important issue. And like anywhere, having some one in the industry to help you start out makes a big difference.
Good luck
D
There so much more than just designing websites, you have to deal with databases, visual interfaces (flash is great and action script programming is essential): there's more than enough that specializing is sometimes the best bet. Then you have to figure out what you really like about the design or programming or both.
In the end, there are two things that are going to get you a job, whether you go freelance/on your own or with a company - and that's the portfolio and who you know. Understand and mastering software only goes so far, having examples to back it up is the most important issue. And like anywhere, having some one in the industry to help you start out makes a big difference.
Good luck
D
Thx
Thx for all ur replies ...right now what I was planning to do was to finish my 2 years at the tech college while taking classes to get an associates degree and than going to Fort Hays College for 2 yrs to get a BA or 4yrs for a masters....The main reason I went to a tech college right now is cause of money and that I was told that those who major in the same field at a 4 yr college have a hard time understanding and learning what is taught because they have to have their own computer at home with software on it....and no way I can afford that either.....thx again for all the replies they were very helpful and if u got anything that u think will increase my chances of becoming a webdesigner please email me at stl_lpified@mac.com.......thx
Thx for all ur replies ...right now what I was planning to do was to finish my 2 years at the tech college while taking classes to get an associates degree and than going to Fort Hays College for 2 yrs to get a BA or 4yrs for a masters....The main reason I went to a tech college right now is cause of money and that I was told that those who major in the same field at a 4 yr college have a hard time understanding and learning what is taught because they have to have their own computer at home with software on it....and no way I can afford that either.....thx again for all the replies they were very helpful and if u got anything that u think will increase my chances of becoming a webdesigner please email me at stl_lpified@mac.com.......thx