Graphic Design Job Market: Key Trends and Opportunities for 2024

If there is one consistent thing in the graphic design industry is that it is always evolving. The rise of AI, eCommerce, and online opportunities has left its mark on the design job market. At the same time, the industry is on the rise due to the constantly growing importance of powerful visual content.

Overall, the landscape for graphic designers in 2024 looks promising, with many remote job opportunities and new career trajectories. However, it is all in the details. So, let’s review them.

Salaries and Job Outlook

According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the occupational outlook for Arts and Design is positive. The number of jobs is expected to grow on an average level in the next ten years. It means about 95,800 openings annually, which is good news for seasoned professionals and those who plan to enter the industry.

The salary rates are also decent, with a $51,660 median annual salary, which is higher than the average. For graphic designers specifically, the median annual salary is $58,910. So, there is steady job growth and competitive salary trends in the industry. If you open the Jooble website it is easy to see that this data is relevant for the majority of cases.

Yet, this data is based on median numbers, which don’t always represent regional or employer-related specifics. Graphic design is an important industry with great relevance, but it is also evolving according to technological trends.

Career Perspectives

Visual content is crucial in the modern world. So, professionals who combine creativity and technology to convey a powerful message are always in demand. At the same time, technological progress has changed the career perspectives of graphic designers. With the rise of eCommerce and the significance of online brand presence, designers are now involved in user experience development, interface optimisation, and social media marketing.

It requires new soft and hard skills but gives more career trajectories simultaneously. Some of the most exciting career perspectives for 2024 and the near future are:

Animation and special effects

Those who want to work in the movie or game industry are in luck. Talented and highly skilled special effects and animation specialists are sought after by many employers. There is a high demand for specialists who can apply the best practices to create compelling animations and impactful stories.

UX design

This field focuses on the user experience with a mobile or web application. It incorporates creativity and a strong focus on people’s behavior, usability, and data architecture.

UI design

Here the focus is on the visual aspect of an interface. It needs to be pleasant and appealing to application users. At the same time, it must convey a specific brand image.

Motion graphics

It is a great field to focus on if you are excited to create engaging graphics for various content. All companies use visuals in their presentations, marketing videos, or social media. With an intelligent combination of typography, sound, and imagery, designers can present important ideas or findings.

Industrial design

Another fruitful career is to design various physical products in partnership with engineers and manufacturers. It is an opportunity to bring a vision to the world with maximum functionality and aesthetics.

Design technology

This career is always on top of innovation. The primary responsibilities include using the most recent technologies to create new design solutions. Currently, these technologies are AR/VR and 3D printing. But the new achievements might bring something new to the table quite rapidly. It is quite an exciting niche to be involved in.

Procurement management

This role leans heavily toward management but also requires designer skills and competencies. The main occupation here is procuring materials and supplies for a company. It is crucial to consider factors like quality, price, and delivery specifics. The job involves working with vendors and suppliers, so it requires advanced communication and negotiation skills.

These careers are among the most well-paid in the graphics design job market. However, more traditional roles like fashion, landscape, advertising, or product design are still relevant.

Salary Ranges and Trends

Latterly, Robert Half published an important report on marketing and the creative industry, including graphic design.

The report gives relevant insights into the trends and compensation ranges, for example, the average annual salary for beginner graphic designers (25th percentile) is $51,000; for the more experienced (50th percentile), it is $66,000, and for those highly skilled (75th percentile), it is $78,000.

The numbers for 3D animators are $64,750 (25%); $76,500 (50%); and $94,250 (75%).

Presentation designers receive $58,750 (25%); $73,500 (50%); and $84,500 (75%). For Illustrators, the numbers are $50,750 (25%); $61,250 (50%); and $75,000.

The highest-paying position in Design and Production is Art Director, with salaries of $79,750 (25%); $97,750 (50%); and $115,500 (75%).

As for the trends, it is essential to note the following:

1. Recruiting remains difficult because some roles have dense competition while others need more skilled talent.

2. For candidates, digital portfolio and resume optimisation are essential. AI has changed recruitment tactics, and if the resume doesn’t fit the set criteria, it won’t get to the human manager. Also, portfolios serve as the best representation of one’s skills and flexibility. So, it is incredibly beneficial to work on a portfolio before applying to advanced positions.

3. According to the report, marketing automation, digital marketing strategy, and marketing research and analysis are the most valued skills.

4. Hard skills are essential, but so are soft ones. Communication and adaptability are among the most valued ones. There are plenty of hybrid and remote job opportunities to adjust to.

5. Upskilling and staying in tune with the industry’s latest trends and developments is a must.

Employers are looking for specialists ready to grow and adapt to innovation quickly.

What About AI?

In recent times, AI has become a hot topic in almost every industry – and the world of design is no different.

So will it be replacing designers? Not necessarily – at least not in the short term.

But AI is increasingly being used to automate and optimise design tools and software solutions. Not a day goes by, it seems, without some new AI feature being added to the likes of Adobe Photoshop.

And then you have designers themselves.

From architecture to industrial design to illustration, more and more designers across multiple disciplines are starting to incorporate AI tools into their daily workflow, especially for when it comes to rapid ideation and visualisation purposes.

Conclusion

The demand for visual content is always high. That’s why graphic design professionals are in a good place in terms of career prospects and opportunities. New jobs are steadily growing, and the salary ranges are good.

At the same time, technologies and workloads constantly change, and there is a need for constant upskilling.