How Much Money Can You Make With Freelance Web Design?
Web designers create the look and feel for one web page or for an entire website. The job combines skills from graphic design and coding in such languages as HTML or Java. Because the only tools required for web design are a high-powered computer and appropriate software, many designers strike out on their own to earn a living. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the oldest and largest professional design association in the U.S., conducts the most comprehensive survey for design professionals every year. Unless otherwise stated, all information is from the AIGA 2011 survey.
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Designer Basics
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Salaries for freelance web designers depend primarily on their experience and are generally higher than those for their employed counterparts. For example, junior designers, who require supervision from their clients, earn a median freelance rate of $40 per hour or $83,200. This compares with $42,000 per year for those who are employed. Designers who work independently can command median freelance rates of $50 per hour or $104,000 a year, while their captive counterparts earn a median $52,000. Finally, senior designers, who often manage junior staff, make a median $65 per hour or $135,200 per year, compared with the $64,000 annual salary for those who work for an employer.
Other Jobs
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Web design involves complex tasks that require different skill sets. Rarely do freelancers contain all the necessary abilities to design every aspect of a web. So they can concentrate on the overall look and feel of a site, designers often outsource parts of a job to web specialists. One highly technical position is that of the web developer, who takes the designer's graphic concepts and builds the code to match those ideas. Freelancers who are web developers earn a median $60 per hour or $124,800 per year. Web programmers ensure that the site interacts correctly with databases, servers and web applications. Those freelancers make a median $55 per hour or $114,400 annually.
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Motion
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Web pages often attract viewers through the use of video, animations and other moving elements. Motion graphics designers focus on these aspects using Flash or 3D modeling. Freelancers in this specialty earn a median $55 per hour or $114,400 per year. Motion editors process video and animated objects after they've already been shot so that they fit within the constraints of the overall design. These freelancers earn a median $60 per hour or $124,800 per year. Finally, web-based rich media and motion graphics developers work with web scripting languages to provide immersive experiences such as 3D chat rooms for users. Their median freelance wages also run $60 per hour or $124,800 per year.
Prospects
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide information specifically for freelance web designers, but it predicts jobs for all graphic designers to increase by 13 percent from 2008 to 2018. Prospects are especially rosy for web design professionals. Their skills are important for the burgeoning field of interactive media, which covers websites and smart phones, among other technology. Internet advertising will also provide many opportunities. Competition, however, will be keen due to the increasing numbers of talented designers. Those with experience in marketing and business managements should find the best prospects.
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References
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