17,000 Design Professionals Share Career, Skills and Remote Work Data in Dribbble's Annual Global Survey

SAN FRANCISCO, November 19, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​Dribbble, the destination where the world’s top designers share their work, grow their skills, and get hired, has announced the release of its 2019 Global Survey, one of the largest surveys of the design industry ever conducted. More than 17,000 design professionals around the world responded to questions spanning the categories of Remote Work, Salary, Hiring Trends, Education, and Freelancing. 

The survey offers insights into how and where designers are working, their salaries and education levels, areas for professional growth, hiring opportunities, and more, providing vital information that will serve the design community and help propel the industry forward. 

“Dribbble’s mission has always been to make designers successful,” said Zack Onisko, CEO of Dribbble. “We are constantly listening to and investing in our community with the goal of helping them grow their skills, build connections with other designers, and find meaningful job opportunities. We hope that these survey results equip designers with the information they need to be successful now and in the future, and provide hiring managers with an understanding of what designers are looking for in their careers.”

Here’s What We Learned:

• It Pays To Be Remote

  • 14% of design professionals report working remotely on a full-time basis, while 40% report working a combination of remote and on-site, and 46% report working fully on-site.

  • U.S. employees who work remotely on a full-time basis report earning higher average salaries compared to on-site employees. 38% of remote employees earn more than $75K, vs. just 23% of on-site employees. 

  • When it comes to why people work remotely, the top benefits reported include the ability to set one’s own schedule, to enjoy a greater work-life balance, and to live and work from anywhere they choose.

• Money Talks

  • U.S.-based product designers are the highest-paid among design professionals, reporting an average salary of $103,000. 73% of product designers reported annual salaries of $75,000 or above.

  • Designers in California are the highest-paid, with 40% reporting salaries at/above $100,000, followed closely by Washington State and New York. 

• Come On Get Hired

  • The companies that designers most want to work for are Google, Apple, and Disney/Pixar. 

  • The majority of U.S.-based designers report finding their current job opportunities through in-person channels (18%) or through an online job board (18%). Others report working with a recruiter (13%) or contacting a company directly (13%). 

  • Product and graphic design hiring opportunities are growing — more than 38% of global respondents report they are looking to add a product designer to their team this year. 

• Get Schooled (Or School Yourself)

  • The skills designers most want to learn in the next 2-3 years to advance careers are: Motion Design (33%), Business (30%), Illustration (24%), and Communication (24%). 

  • Nearly 50% of U.S.-based designers report learning their skills in school, 15% on the job, and 35% on their own via self-teaching, online courses, apprenticeships, and/or workshops. 

  • The global design community is largely self-taught. 42% report learning design on their own, 29% in school, and 16% on the job. 

  • Nearly 25% of UX Designers report having a Master’s Degree — the specialty with the highest percentage of advanced degrees. 

• Freelance Life

  • The design industry is full of freelancers. Nearly 75% of respondents reported that they’ve done freelance work within the past year, and 40% reported that they are currently doing freelance work.

  • Brand & Logo designers and Illustrators are more likely to freelance than others and are more likely to be looking for leads. 

  • Freelancers are contacted for work via various channels, from in-person to social media and networking sites. In-person contacts account for nearly 50% of all freelance opportunity connections. 

To view the full report and insights, visit the Dribbble Annual Global Design Survey.

Source: Dribbble