My salary history as a designer in tech [Real numbers]
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 8. 01. 2020
- Revealing all the different salaries I've had throughout my career! It's a little scary to talk about money in this way, but I wanted to be open about this because although salaries are relative to your experience, where you live, what size company you work for etc, I think you'll get value from hearing about my progression and what has led to my salary increases over my 8 year career so far. So if you've been wondering what designers earn, this video is my perspective on the matter!
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Since a lot of people have asked: the salaries in this video are all annual, pre-tax figures.
Charli, I have a serious question that you may or may not be able to answer. I am 63, fairly tech savvy, and looking into learning web design (hopefully full stack). I have a graduate degree that I am not using (theology, long story) and am employed as an auto assembler for an American car company (seven years). Industry changes, my age, and arthritis level tell me I won't be there much longer. If I self study (can't afford boot camp or school), would I be employable at a reasonable salary? If you don't know, I understand. It is a long question and fairly off-topic.
Pro Tip: in California, it's now illegal for potential employers to ask your current salary
Nice! Good one California.
The downside is if you work for the state, your salary is public.
It always was. But people did not know that.
@@charlimarieTV Wait till you find out why. Then you'll understand why freelancers across all mediums are trying to run away
I always change the conversation with "I'm sure if we decide this is a good fit we can find a salary that works for both of us."
"Don't be the first one to say the numbers". This is a major point I missed out on all of my 3 job changes.
NOTED!!!
Very valuable content.
Definitely a mistake Iâve made too!
That's an old sales technique. I always say, usually within the first 2 minutes, "what's the salary / day rate?" and if it's shit i just say no thanks... Much better than listening to a recruiter talk up a role for 15 minutes only to find out the pay is lower than what other companies are paying for the same role.
Or you could be the first one to say the number, but anchor it high, that's also a technique. Overall I'd really recommend having a read of the book 'never split the difference'. Very worthwhile read.
@@JonathanSundqvist Yeah I can't believe no one else mentioned the anchoring technique, I've always been saying the number first and anchoring it as high as I can.
At first I was like "why is this 12 minutes long?" and then I was like "I could listen to you talk about that potted plant for 12 minutes."
Bahaha I promise I wonât make you sit through that đ
This was so helpful, I loved what you said at the beginning "The more we talk about what we earn, the more we can help each other get paid what we deserve!"
Jeez, this is an eye-opener. Thanks for this video, it's really refreshing to see this honest, casual and friendly chat about this topic. I'm 35, doing this for 10 years now, outsourcing from Serbia for the last 5 years for an US marketing company for like $20.000. Obviously can't compare the employers, the jobs, roles at the company etc but this video really made me think. $20K in Serbia is enough for a decent living, but nothing more. (for western standards probably not decent, but, hey, third world country lol). But the thing is I isolated myself from the market by working only for them, working on projects that are repetitive (I don't feel like my skills are improving at the rate I would like). Maybe it's about time to finally step up and shift to a higher gear.
20k per year is a living wage in Western countries. You live, but there isn't much more you can do. However, the cost of living varies a lot depending on the city where you live. At 20k, you'll live in a cheap district/suburb.
Same happens in Uruguay (South America), my current salary is around $8k and I've been working for the same company for 12 years... T_T
@@herrlindner 8K per year mate? Where is your employer from?
@@brankodimitrijevic5033 $20K per year makes you an absolute boss on the Balkans
â@@brankodimitrijevic5033 local :(
This impostor syndrome is killing me...
6 figures for a job in UX! That's way more than I thought! I had an inferiority complex going into UX while pursuing a Bachelor's in Computer Science as I had this perception that developers were paid much higher than designers but I think you just proved me wrong. I'm excited to enter this field in the future!
Holy oreos, 115,000 dollars!!!!! Well done young lady!!
This is PA right, can't possibly be PM....
Safils Studio yeah she ainât Jacinda đ
Way to go! this is so awesome! Congrats Charli!!
Thanks Ran!!
This is so great - thank you! As a self-employed "trying to focus on design and let go of other support based income" person, it is really tricky to know what is possible and I often sell myself short. Great to see the progression and how it shifted significantly, not necessarily because of role but because you backed yourself and your value :)
Iâm so happy you enjoyed the video Jill! :)
I have to say eventhough I read the title I didnt expect you to be sharing real numbers. Thanks so much for this, it is really helpful :)
Itâs so disappointing when videos like these donât share real numbers isnât it!
I've been working as an Embedded Software Engineer for 4 years now, have given a lot of interviews for both local and international offers, and IMO salary negotiations is a very important skill to learn. If an employer is willing and have bigger bucket of cash than you want / ask for, it overall impacts your future growth as in you raise is compounded over the years and also before getting a promotion or to reach next salary band you've to be earning close to next band which makes manager confident enough to give you promotion, atleast that's how it works in India.
Anyway, thanks for this video. More power to you :)
Really great video Charli. Thanks for sharing your numbers. Will be very helpful for up and coming designers. Just discovered your channel :)
I appreciate all of your career advice! Crazy how much negotiation impacts career trajectory. Thank you for all of this wisdom.
Great video Charli, thanks for sharing â€ïžKnow this will really help people and it's a brave video to make. Hope you're doing well!
thank you Matt!! Appreciate you.
Brave? đȘ
There's so little insight into this area, so it's refreshing to see someone sharing their first-hand experiences on the topic. I wish you all the best as you continue to move forward in your career. Thanks, Charli!
Hey my friend is starting a Ted Talk Like Venture I would love to get some suggestions on the logo Please đ
I loved the video, I really like when videos are short like this one. Amazing! Nice job!
You are a career role model for me. I saw your portfolio and itâs no less than amazing! I wish you all the best in your future work. Love from Macca! â„ïžđžđŠ
Thank you so much for discussing this so frankly and openly! It's been incredibly helpful.
happy to hear it Lana!
Thanks for openly discussing your salary Charli! Also I like how your lipstick compliments your hair! Happy New Year!
haha thank you! always gotta match đđ»ââïž
Thank you for being so honest! It helps a lot!
This was really interesting! I think some of the negotiation tips etc that you gave can translate to any job. I too am not that good at negotiating when it comes to salaries haha. Thanks for sharing, sis!
Must run in the family haha glad you liked the vid!
You are bloody amazing to share these details Charli! Thank you so so much for making things more transparent for the industry! I always struggle with negotiations too, glad to hear I'm not the only one who has made some regrettable mistakes!!
This video is wonderfully informative. First for your honesty and openness, and secondly for your success and career development. Well done and I wish you so much more success and happiness in your career!
thank you so much Lauren!! I really appreciate that :)
Really valuable information! I have the same work background and your experience has opened my eyes in getting to know more about negotiation tactics.
Charli, this video has helped me be more positive about the future. Iâve been a designer for 20 years now, working for ad agencies and design studios, having only seen a $30k shift in salary in that time. Partly because I donât live in Sydney or Melbourne where the good money is. The thought of trying to find work remotely has never really seemed feasible until watching your vid. Would love to know more on how you came across such an opportunity and places to look. Thanks for being so down to earth in all your videos.
Great watch!! Thanks so much for the transparency!.
Thank you for sharing this! The fact that people are so shy about talking money is a shame. Knowledge is power!!
fully agree Erica!
I love that you're talking about this! I've only started to negotiate in the last couple years and it has definitely paid (ha...) off. We have a very similar history of just taking what was offered and not being aware of what we were actually valued at in the market. DO YOUR RESEARCH, folks. I've also found it very helpful to look up sample scripts for negotiation and practice them out loud. It can feel awkward but having those conversations are definitely worth it. Thanks for sharing this, Charli!
practicing negotiation from scrips is such a fantastic tip!
I'm not in the design field, but where can you find salaries for roles you are interested in? Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc.? Curious to know what tools you use and how one can gauge their own value as an employee.
Thank you not only for such personal info but also guiding us what mistakes we should avoid
Charli, thanks for being so transparent!! I (and probably all the other designers) appreciate it so much, it is SO HELPFUL.
We need to have more open conversations about our salaries and help each other know our value!
I totally agree! thanks Florence
Wow, you became popular, great stuff! NZ represent!
thank you!
Thanks Charlie
Love your videos, they always compliment my channel approach
thanks for watching!
Thanks for another great vid! Always enjoy how open you are with sharing your experience, I learned a lot!
Glad to hear it Darien!
Charli, I appreciate so much you doing this, because it's very nice to know that we designer can make money! i'm happy being a begginner in design.
Super interesting and useful video. Thank you Charli.
Wow. Great share Charli, thank you. Going to spend the next 38 mins listening to episode 138!
thanks David!
Really cool! Getting into the field myself as a college student. Insightful and gained good tips. I wish more people were comfortable talking about it. Thank you so much for being comfortable enough and willing to talk about this
You're welcome!
This was so informative for someone who is about to enter the job market! Thank you for sharing!
Glad to hear it Taha! You ever wanna discuss money with me 1 on 1 just let me know how I can help you as you enter the job market!
Interesting insight there. It great being open about salary, and some useful tips too!
Nice! Thanks for sharing and great to hear your story! Very great tips too
This is awesome and so helpful, especially as a woman making some of these career shifts. It's hard to get solid insights about negotiating salaries in this industry so this is so so great. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! This is really helpful :) I work remotely too and growing within the companies can get tricky if you donât advocate for yourself!
Thank you so much for your video, CharliMarie!
Wow thanks for this video! Im starting to study webdesign and you gave me lots of hope
This gives me hope for my future lol, thank you for sharing this
Youâre so welcome!
Very helpful and inspiring video! Thanks for posting!
I would be interested in hearing about what different skills/responsibilities are expected of a person for each level. Also, I'd be interested in seeing exactly what you do in your role more in depth.Thanks for the video!
Loved this. Iâm in the process of doing a career change into this field. Still working on my portfolio, hoping to start the job hunt in 2 months.
So many good tips, thanks for being honest and sharing!!
Thanks for watching!
Really useful, thanks for sharing
Thank you for being so transparent and encouraging others not to undersell themselves. It was very useful
So inspiring! Thank you for sharing âșïž
thanks Alayne!
Thanks for this video Charli! Congratulations
Thank you for sharing this! Good luck with all your ventures. :)
Thanks for watching!
I make $70k and got a $14k bonus this year with unlimited vacation as a graphic/web designer with 8 years of experience
Nice bonus!!
Thanks for sharing Samantha! and congrats! well done.
Thats amazing iâm happy for you!
Thank you so much for sharing this and being so open about the subject. I'm still early on in my graphic design career, so it has been so helpful to hear about your experience early on and how it's changed as you grew your career. I definitely had the same experience where I wish I knew to negotiate more when starting a new job. This has made me more confident about asking for what I deserve in the future.
I'm really happy to hear that Alexandra!
Thanks for this! Starting out most people want to pay a junior designer min wage. It's hard to know your worth and have a realistic expectation of what you can negotiate. I've been watching you for 4 years and hope you know you really are helping designers and young women in general as we have watched you become such a stronghold in the industry with hard work, great design, transparency and a beautiful personality. You're killing it!
Thank you Veronica thatâs such a lovely thing to say!
Super interesting! Thanks for sharing, Charli. And NO I did not know about your podcast -cool! I'll try and make a similar video soon.
I would love to see a similar video from you!!
So much value in this vid. I learnt a TON! Thanks for sharing and congrats on your growth.
Iâm so glad! Thank you for watching :)
Thanks for all the Information this was great cheers
Wow Charli, really brave of you to share. Thank you! Incredibly useful.
thanks Nicoleta!
Thanks for sharing your experience, really helpful topic.
How were you able to find your remote job? can you recommend any resources? esp for finding work with U.S companies.
That was so helpful! Thank you!
glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the transparency. This is very useful.
Youâre welcome!
Thanks for making this really important video. We all need to talk more about numbers - it gives more power to employees if you know what you should be paid.
exactly! Thank you Danica :)
Thanks a lot for this video! :)
Love it... Love it!!! You're my Shero! Great discussion about a Taboo subject that should be talked about between designers. If you do a follow up, please mention that there is a difference in pay between: Men and Women, White and Black, etc... It's a reality!
Thanks Charli ;)
Authentic! âŁïž Thanks!
Waoh! It is interesting how you have been moving up the ladder. Congrats! This vid has equipped me with info necessary to get me started-off in the UX field
Thank you! I also found this very helpful :)
Glad you found it helpful!
Great video. I too am a horrible negotiator! Been a designer for 26 years and was underpaid for about 8 of those as a Creative Director for an exhibit company in California. But loved the work. Finally went freelance 6 years ago and in 2 years almost doubled what I was making as a salary from an employer. Though in the U.S. as a contract designer (self employed) I have to pay 15% taxes. I also have to pay my own health insurance which is now $1,350 per month. The pros are I now work for myself and establish my own pricing. Your very candid video is something I wish more people would do since it feels like even with friends and family we all have to talk in code about what we make. Congrats to you!
Wow, I was really surprised at how high these numbers are. I am a designer living and working in Cape Town South Africa. Like you say salary varies depending on your role and skill set but it's very apparent that companies in SA are paying way less than in States and Europe. On average a mid weight designer with 4 - 6 years of experience is getting between R18 000 and R30 000 per month (before tax), so around R336 000 per year (before tax). The cost of living in Cape Town is really high as well with about R10 000 (for a one bedroom apartment in town) of your salary just going towards rent every month. Thanks for sharing so openly. This is an eye opener. Maybe time to find some remote work for a tech company based in America ;).
Thanks. I got many insights. Good luck))
Fantastic and insightful video, thanks for being brave with sharing this information - it isn't easy to talk money, but we really should start to break down the fear and apprehension around approaching the subject because it can be very beneficial to others in similar industries, or at similar points of their career. Go, you! :)
Agreed!! I hope that this helps in some way to do that :)
Just caught one of your vids on my homepage, so my first time to your channel. Candid video... just out of interest I appreciate you sharing đ
Welcome to my channel Lee! Thanks for watching :)
@@charlimarieTV đđ» I look forward to seeing more!
Wow fantastic info. Thanks for sharing
Thanks a lot . This video was helpful for me
I like the idea of standard salaries. In my last job in London a lot of of my colleagues with the same job duties were paid way more than me. I quit that job as I felt under valued.
Iâm sorry to hear that!
Ro Mo Unfortunately itâs true of many places. They want to get the most out of the least return. Iâm leaving my current job due to this. Sometimes itâs not down to fault of the individual so Iâm not sure why you are focusing on that? Some employers are just assholes who donât value their staff.
Thank you very much for sharing thisđđŸ
Thank you for being so open and transparent on a topic that most design professionals tend to shy away from. I HATE discussing salary but I understand it can't be avoided either. I need to work on my negotiating skills and going in with the mindset that "you need my skills"...and not the other way around..đ
Itâs so hard in the moment tho right? I felt embarrassed to admit how many times in my career I havenât negotiated or advocated for myself.
Thanks for all the useful information. I would like to know how did you transition from one job to the next. Were you always looking at other positions, were you referred by networking? Thanks!
I love that I found your podcast and your CZcams channel independent of each platform âšđ»
I love that too!
This is extremely helpful!
I always like hearing you. Thanks for being so blunt, you have such a bright future, because of who you are and how you present yourself. Great Job!! The phrase that comes to mind is âabove all else be true to yourselfâ...you certainly are doing that, not to mention how talented you are!!
Thank you Tim thatâs really kind!
I appreciate that you have shared this
Such an important and under discussed topic đ
regardless, i can't wait to finish my school to become either designer,dev or programer. Great vid!
Wow nice journey! Thank you for sharing.
thanks for watching!
Hi! This video was very helpful. Thank you! Questions. Did your company explain what the roles and responsibilities were in the different design tiers (Level 1, 2...) or just YOUR personal tier/level when they switched over to a standardized salary? Do you know of any resources that explain the different levels?
I want to thank you for your honesty. I really enjoy your design videos, and I find them to be very informative. I teach graphic design in college. I am so happy that I have run across your material. I am now using it to supplement my class. Thank you also for making your content accessible by captioning it. In the colleges there is now a push to only use video content that is properly captioned (not auto-captioned), and I would not be able to show your material to my class without that.
You're so welcome AJ! And I'm glad the captioning is useful to you. Say hi to your students from me! :)
Great video - refreshingly honest!
thanks Toby!!
Thanks for sharing girl!
6:07 I feel annoyed when employers start to be nosy on personal accounts:
You can say you're beign paid 15% - 20% higher than your actual salary, so your employer won't have any advantage on you, and without "knowing" you're gaining 15%- 20% more than your last job, fair enough considering that most of the people donÂŽt last a year with employers/bosses that could considerate you a non necesary payment at some point; This is extremely profitable when you're dealing with clients, Âżmaking 15%- 20% more each client? yes please!, i did it till i found the top of the market i'm in, which is pushing me to move on, i loved this video, thank you charli.
Youâre welcome! Thanks for watching!
This is great advice :)
This is a wonderful video and thank you for being so transparent! So much great information you shared here. Negotiating is a hundred percent a must for any new position! I know when I was younger it was scary to do, but the first time I told a coworker my salary and realized the crazy differences we could have, despite having the same role. I was shocked, and vindicated to never be afraid to negotiate my worth.
good on you Lindsay!
Defiantly negotiating is great! I think we should never be shy from it and always be confident in our skills and know we do deserve it. Plus if the company can actually afford it why be shy. Love your insight.
This is fantastic, and thanks for explaining context as well! Did you take any online courses or anything as you started doing more ux and research?
I didnât do online courses, mostly learned from smart work mates and blog articles and videos!
Thank you for sharing! Very informative.
Good to know how much I'm being taken advantage of and where some good negotiating could get me in the future!
Iâm sorry to hear that youâre being taken advantage of now. Thatâs a horrible feeling. But I hope hearing what I earn can give you the confidence to ask for a raise!