How much do graphic designers make?

[marmasatt]

I'm just wondering. I know it probably depends on the area and the company like anything else, but... Read an ad in the wanteds today and my mind began wandering. The company is right in my town. They want a graphic designer to help with gaming. Any graphic designers out there? Are we talking 40's, 60's? 6 figures for large companies (like valve or eidos or something?) this position must be proficient in Photoshop and Illustrator. Is this something you can go to school for, for a semester or two? Just curious. Thanks.

Oliver

 

[Buttzilla]

www.salary.com

 

[Malak]

Graphics design is something you'd go to school for a degree, not something you'll do in a semester or two.

 

[TitanDiddly]

My manager at CVS is a graphic design graduate. Apparently the field is saturated thanks to trade schools.

 

[BentValve]

They dont make no love though.

 

[yobarman]

Graphic Design is usually towards web-based content, printing, illustrations, etc. You can land a graphic design job is you have talent (a diverse portfolio) and experience. A degree in graphic design is usually 4-years, so its not something you can pick up in a semester or two. Its hard to find a job in graphic design unless you have either the talent or a degree. My good friend does freelance graphic design for webpages, and he's making around 40K a year, but he's just finishing up school. He plans on making 100K very soon (keep in mind he's very very good.) The people who make 100K are usally art directors, and they are in the position not because they are good with Photoshop, but because they're good artists. They understand what works and what doesn't, so their job is to direct their groups work in a certain direction on a project by project basis. .

If you're looking at Eidos or Valve ... considering you want to do graphic design, then your main position would involve storyboarding, character design, or even character texturing, mostly stuff of 2D nature. The gaming industry is a very difficult industry to stick to, so the people who are around longer make more money .

see here

 

[marmasatt]

Hmmmm.

25%, Median, 75%

Providence, RI: $38,547-> $43,260 -> $48,702



A bit lower than I would expect preliminarily. You must get alot more if you're working for a gaming company and a title goes gold and all that.

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
My manager at CVS is a graphic design graduate. Apparently the field is saturated thanks to trade schools.

The graphic design industry, or any computer graphics industry for that matter, is a very dog eat dog world. You're not going to make it far if you can't prove that you're better than these cookie cutter students that thee trade schools are pumping out.

I know people who are very sucessful without a college degree, and on the other hand I see many people in my school who really should not be touching graphic design. I think it's something that you have to have a knack for doing, as well as a strong passion.

 

[marmasatt]

Thanks for the info. Too bad. Its just like everything else, huh? Got some real good people out there who probably have degrees in it and still can't find a job that pays anything. Tough market. I just figured it would be pretty fun to say the least. Not something that you can do in a semester though I take it now..

 

[Mo0o]

Ouu, salary.com is cool What I want to be is aroudn $200,000 a year

 

[Malak]

Yeah I thought about going back to school for graphics design as my industry is flooded right now. But I imagine it'd be the same deal all over again, even with my contacts in the gaming industry. I have other routes though.