salary madness?
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- rtl3
just got an offer for mid 70's in NYC as Senior Designer. pretty good if you go by AIGA Results. Then I check the Monsters survey and it's got some crazy number. Six figures as the median for Senior Designers.
You guys know something I don't?
- -sputnik-0
i don't live in nyc but a really talented friend of mine did til last year. he made 70k but had to live w/a roommate in this tiny place...not sure but i think it was in the city. maybe brooklyn?
he left cause he said he just couldn't afford to live the life he wanted...just having enough money to do normal stuff.
- rtl30
If he'd stuck around a bit he may have worked out the ins and outs.
Make less than that now and have my own space in the city.
- same0
70k for a sr designer in NY is about right. It will vary between 60-80 depending how good you are.
- same0
PS. those monster.com salary surveys are BOGUSSSSS.
- Mick0
I'd say that's low to mid end for NYC. Salaries vary quite a bit from city to city. I'd think a senior designer range in NYC would be 65 - 85. Depends a lot on the company size/web shop vs ad agency, etc.
- rtl30
that's what i was thinking. just wanted to refresh my sanity.
I've heard there are people out there making 90K but they're pulling 60 hour weeks for it.
- same0
oh ya... ive had offers for 100k just siting at home designing, nothing else. It comes down to desperation and how good you are also. But I would rather work at an agency with people.
- rtl30
Your work rocks the block Same.
thnx for beautifying the world a bit.
- Point50
not sure about NY, but I'm only getting $50k as sr. designer out here in the desert... that's why I freelance my ass off to pay some bills.
those loan officer idiots I know all seem to be doing the right thing.
- joyride0
what does a senour designer do? Just mock-ups, some production, some management?
- e-pill0
nyc senior level salaries run btwn 70+ thru 110k
i have seen higher with some designers, it all depends on how much you are able to negotiate.
in nyc you will pay a lot of tax on your earnings, so you better get the maximum you can, and if you are getting this 70+ offer, dont just accept it, re-negotiate more, or a guaranteed bonus of a certain precentage, or get your vacations up front and health benefits, because really this 70+ number may have this other bonuses with it such as health benefits, job security, time off aand so forth.
so really break that number down after taxes...what are you left with?? does it equal your life style?? do you need to modify it?? think these out.
good luck.
- nokati0
70k is a reasonable offer in NYC. And you can certainly live comfortably (not luxuriously but you wont go mad with poverty).
The things to remember are (some already mentioned - assuming you dont already live in nyc):
1. you will choke on day-to-day expenses (fades with time).
2. you will choke when you see the tax hit on your first check - probably shave 1k off each 2week check (doesnt fade with time).
3. (the BIG one): How much time is expected for that 70k?
The (sometimes) higher salaries in NYC are simply adjustments for the higher cost of living; but if 70hr week(ends) are usual you should be sure to factor that into both the final number and your decision (remembering its an awesome deal to be paid anything to do something you truely love).
- j_red0
70 for senior designer in NYC is low. it's high for a mid-level designer with a year or two experience - if you do interactive or motion it's even higher.
a solid senior designer should be between 75-90 and an AWESOME sr. designer with interactive is 90-130. If you are looking for work email me and I can forward your info along...
- BonSeff0
i cant really imagine what it must be like to run a shop in nyc and pay those salaries + office space... fuckin a. if you had a gang of say six or seven, youd have to bill out at least 100k/month just to cover expenses- assuming you were covering medical and all that for employees. good god
- Hewmiri0
love your work, same.
- j_red0
AOL, which is a crappy company, spent 300,000,000 on advertising in 2006 - so the 100,000k a month =
1.2 million a year multiply that x 10 even, and you are still at 12,000,000 - that's 4% of the total annual amount spent. and that's one company, and there are tons of companies.
- joyride0
*dusts of plaid suit, grabs briefcase and heads over to AOL
- BonSeff0
sure i get that, for sure. but aquiring those accts/ maintaining em, paying out that scratch to employees/rent/bennies- wow, just have a lot of respect for agencies that make the leap.
- tkmeister0
sr designer means different at every company. some company has ad, sr, ad, acd, cd, ecd, vp on top of that. in some others, it could be sr designer, then design director, cd, vp.
i think the question you should be asking yourself is "am i happy with that amount?"
making 6figure isn't all that in nyc. if you are in the right industry and in the right position, you can pull it easily.
you make 100k, 150k, 200k, no matter what amount, you'll aways want more. i do pretty well, but i still feel like i never make enough.
be smart about your money. spend wisely and invest.
- canuck0
56k.