How have Digital Design salaries changed?

Jun 2, 2017 10:07:54 AM

Have Digital Design salaries changed for those working in the Ecommerce sector?

Following our exploration of Digital Marketing salaries, our next ecommerce specialism to take the spotlight is Digital Design. Using our 2017 Ecommerce Salary Survey, we are going to look at what changes have occurred for digital designers when it comes to their annual wage; from increases and decreases to expectations of how income might change for the rest of the year.

In this #PandaPounds feature, we are specifically looking at Digital Design professionals working within the ecommerce team in their company, from junior ecommerce designers to creative directors.

Digital Design salaries have seen some changes

Looking at salaries within Digital Design, there have been a few changes to salary brackets, largely amongst junior to middleweight designers. Take a look at the numbers below…

  • Junior digital designers: £20,000 - £27,000 (2016: £22,000 - £34,000)
  • Mid-weight digital designers: £27,000 - £37,000 (2016: £25,000 - £45,000)
  • Senior digital designers: £35,000 - £70,000 (2016: £35,000 - £70,000)
  • Lead/head of digital design/creative: £55,000 - £120,000 (2016: £55,000 - £120,000)
  • Creative directors: £80,000 - £130,000

Considering junior to middleweight professionals in this specialism have seen a decrease on the maximum end of their salary brackets, does this mean there haven’t been as many salary increases in the last 12 months? Let’s find out…

64% of digital designers saw their salaries increase

Digital Design salaries have seen an increase after all. 64% of digital designers saw their salaries increase, while 33% saw their salary remain the same. That leaves 3% of digital designers in ecommerce who saw a decrease in salary.

Why have 36% not seen an increase in their salary? Here are a few of the reasons…

  • There was no budget for a pay rise
  • They had not been with the company long enough
  • They did not hit their performance targets
  • A pay rise is due later in the year They simply did not ask about a potential pay rise.

Compared to 2016, where 54% saw an increase in salary, there has definitely been a positive change for digital design professionals working in ecommerce. 39% saw no change in 2016, while 7% saw a decrease in their salary.

50% of digital designers expect to see a pay increase in the next 12 months

So half of our digital design respondents are expecting a welcome increase when it comes to their salary in the next 12 months.

While 31% are not sure what salary changes to expect, 17% expect their salary to stay the same and 2% expect a salary decrease. Why do designers expect these changes? Just a few answers include…

  • Brexit and business cuts
  • The company will not prioritise employee salaries over business
  • Due to recent promotion, they do not expect another pay rise in the next year

Looking at digital designers’ expectations in 2016, 54% expected a pay rise and seeing the salary increases so far this year, it looks like they may have got it!

Digital Designers and employee benefits

When it comes to employee benefits, it’s essential to know what will attract – and retain – the best people for a company. What benefits are digital design professionals looking for?

  • 44% would simply prefer a larger salary over any added benefits
  • 13% would like monetary benefits only
  • 8% would prefer non-monetary benefits that make life a little easier (and saves some money!)
  • 35% think a combination of monetary and non-monetary benefits is the way to their heart

It seems everyone has their own preference when it comes to employee benefits, and digital designers working in ecommerce are no exception.

What salary changes do digital designers expect when moving to a new role?

When moving to a new Digital Design job, salary is an important factor during the job hunt and when it comes to accepting a role. We asked our salary survey respondents what change in salary they would expect when moving to a new role. Looking solely at this specialism, here’s what they expect…

  • 14% would expect a 5% pay rise
  • 38% would expect a 10% increase in their salary 2
  • 2% would ask for a 15% boost in salary
  • 16% want a 20% increase in salary

While 7% believe their salary would remain the same when starting a new job, 3% of digital designers selected ‘other’. Their answers include a 35% increase, and £10k added to their current salary.

Read the full Ecommerce Salary Survey report

Our focus on the Digital Design ecommerce specialism has come to an end! However, there are plenty more insights to explore...all you have to do is download your copy of the full report.

What do you think?

Share your thoughts on this post - whether you agree, disagree or have your own insight to share, we want to hear from you!

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