Salary for a Design Editor
Design editors, also known as art directors and page designers for newspaper, magazine and book publishers, produce the layout of a publication or book. They create the artistic identify of a publication, including title banners and graphics, and arrange artwork and text on each page. Their salaries vary greatly by location and the size of the publication or book publisher.
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Designer National Mean
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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in its national compensation survey taken in May 2010 that a designer working in publishing earns a national mean salary of $54,550, or an hourly mean wage of $26.23. Designers who do similar work in advertising and public relations firms earn a higher national mean wage of $61,820.
Designer Wages by Location
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The Labor Bureau’s statistics show New York state with the highest mean wage for designers at $59,920, primarily because New York City is the major hub of the publishing industry. The Chicago area’s concentration of publications contributes to Illinois’s mean wage for designers of $57,840. Rounding out the top five states for mean wages of designers are California at $56,850, New Jersey at $47,770, and Minnesota at $52,350.
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Higher Wages for Art Directors
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Art directors, who are in charge of the overall look and design of a publication, earn nearly $30,000 more than other editorial designers, according to the Bureau of Labor’s survey on the occupation’s national wage rates. The survey showed art directors earning a mean of $81,340.
Art Director Wages by Location
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New York again pays top dollar for art directors, but the mean salary is nearly $70,000 more than other editorial designers in the state. The mean wage for art directors in New York is $128,080, with Illinois coming in second at $119,150, and California third at $106,330. Then there’s nearly a $30,000 drop to the next highest mean wage for Ohio art directors at $79,730, followed by $77,590 at Texas.
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