Web Design Salaries & Salary Outlook

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It’s hard to imagine a business without a Web address. With millions of Web sites spread all across the largest information database in the history of humankind, the Internet, Web designers are in demand. A Web design degree can get you into one of the newest growing industries around.

In addition to being creative, Web designers must be fluent in HTML, Flash, Java, and all of the other code that is makes up the Internet. In other words, Web designers are hybrids; they must have both good design skills and stay up-to-the-minute on all the latest computer and Web trends.

Spinning Web Design Degrees

The good news for Web designers is that it is possible to break in to the field with an associate’s degree or a certificate from a vocational school. However, employment prospects improve with a four year bachelor’s degree in graphic design, computer science, or software engineering–to name a few. This field is new enough that degrees specifically in Web design are only now becoming popular. If you want to land a position as a Web designer, you may have to spin that degree when pitching yourself to an employer.

Web designers must–and that’s a big must–stay up on all of the newest software tools available. Not to worry, software publishers often provide online or in-product training–they want their cutting-edge software used just as much as the Web designers want to get their hands on it. Software publishers sometimes offer student discounts to encourage product loyalty and discourage pirating.

A Career in Web Design by Any Other Name…

Much like the various degrees that can lead you to a career in Web design, the careers themselves go by a few different names, carry a few different responsibilities in the Web design process, and come with range of different salaries:

Web Developer: $54,750 to $81,500, as provided by a 2007 Robert Half International (RHI) salary guide
• Responsible for Web site design and creation

Senior Web Developer: $71,000 to $102,000, from RHI
• Responsible for overseeing/managing Web site design and related staff

Web Administrator: $49,750 to $74,750, from RHI
• Oversees a Web site, dealing with technical issues on a more day-to-day basis than higher-ups

Web Designer: $47,000 to $71,500, from RHI
• A blend of the creative- and code-driven aspects of Web site creation

Graphic Designer (Computer Systems Design and Related Services): $53,390, mean annual wage as reported by the 2008 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary report

• Creates visual media for use in Web site design
Network Systems and Data Communications Analyst (Computer Systems Design and Related Services): $73,830, mean annual wage as reported by the 2008 BLS salary report

• Often called webmasters, typically responsible for various design and development aspects of a Web site and server maintenance

Many, many more positions exist, but few fall outside of these major categories–differences are largely semantic. As the competition for these positions is quite competitive, a Web-design-related degree (to the tune of a four-year degree) is extremely helpful for standing out from the rest of the pack in the resume pile.

It also helps when it comes time to negotiate your salary in the wonderful world of Web design.

Lorraine Watkins
Lorraine Watkins is a business writer and a regular contributor to business and education websites. She is a graduate of California State University, East Bay with an MA in English.

Find Web Design Schools Near You

Find the right school today.