2006 AIGA & Aquent Survey of Design Salaries Available Free Online

For the seventh year, Aquent and the AIGA (American Institute for Graphic Arts, the professional association for design), in cooperation with Communication Arts magazine, have partnered to offer the AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries. Considered a benchmark and valuable compensation gauge across the industry, the AIGA/Aquent survey provides a reflection of what those in the design profession are currently earning. Based on responses from nearly 6,500 designers in nine geographic regions, this year’s results show that while design jobs are still in high demand, salaries have held steady or even slightly declined. Some of this decline may result from the fact that more designers working in corporate marketing departments were included in this year’s survey pool. "The AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries is a critical and unique resource used by designers and firms," said Richard Grefe, AIGA Executive Director. "It is the result of an extraordinary partnership between two organizations solidly committed to the design profession, its future, and the personal development of every designer."San Francisco ($75,800), New York City ($70,000), and Los Angeles ($64,300) were the top three cities where design jobs are paid the most, and Minneapolis/St. Paul ($53,600), Denver ($51,900), and Philadelphia ($51,200) are the bottom three cities on the pay scale. "Every year design professionals rely on this survey as an objective planning and reference tool," said Eric Wanta, Aquent’s VP of Global Marketing. "This year’s findings confirm what we’ve been hearing from both our talent and clients – designers are busier than ever, but clients are having to work within limited budgets." This is the third consecutive year the report has been available as a free, online, interactive database at http://www.designsalaries.com. The site allows visitors to look at results for 15 major metropolitan markets and 14 different design positions. Survey research was conducted by 6 Degrees of Burlington, Vermont, http://www.6Degrees.com, an independent research and technology firm specializing in the needs of professional associations and communities. About Aquent For 20 years Aquent has led the way in transforming how companies find and utilize marketing and creative talent to execute their brand strategies. Aquent’s pioneering approach to staffing and services has helped thousands of companies – including two-thirds of the Fortune 500 and 90 of the Fortune 100 – build their internal marketing and communications capabilities. Today Aquent has 70 offices across 17 countries, with 11,000 talent working at more than 3,000 companies. Aquent, http://www.aquent.com , is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. About AIGA AIGA, http://www.aiga.org, the professional association for design, is committed to advancing designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and global cultural force. Its goals are to stimulate thinking about design and designing, demonstrate the value of designing, and empower designers across the arc of their careers. By increasing the influence of design, AIGA believes the profession can improve the human experience.