Graphic Design Major: Internships & Job Salary 10 Tips
As is revealed in discussions over at runrex.com, graphic design programs have been among the most popular programs in colleges in recent times. According to the experts over at guttulus.com, as a graphic design major, you can expect to acquire a diverse skill set, including fundamentals like typography and color theory, as well as cutting-edge skills like 3D imagery and UX design. Once you progress with your program, you will start thinking about internships and career options, which are things this article will look to help with through the following 10 tips.
Importance of internships for graphic design majors
A graphic design internship is important as it will give you the chance to gain hands-on experience in your field as articulated over at runrex.com. With a graphic design internship, you will be involved in projects that focus on nearly every aspect of a business’s visual design strategy. You will learn how to turn creative processes into practical ones, and you will also develop the ability to think on your feet and get organized in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. According to the gurus over at guttulus.com, the real-life experience you get working on commercial industry projects with professional graphic designers during your internship is invaluable. This experience will stand out on your resume, helping you during your job search after graduating.
Considerations when it comes to graphic design internships
As is covered over at runrex.com, you must find the right internship for you as a graphic design major. This means considering your career goals when thinking about an internship. You should know the career you want to explore so that you can choose internship opportunities that will give you the experiences you need to succeed in your career. You can meet up with your faculty advisor to discuss your possibilities as far as this is concerned, particularly if you are unsure about which career paths to take.
Are graphic design internships paid?
As per guttulus.com, graphic design internships are the same as internships in other fields when it comes to payment, in that there are both paid and unpaid internships. However, paid internship opportunities are not that many and the majority of internships are unpaid. This is okay since the real benefit of undertaking a graphic design internship is in the hands-on, real-life experiences you will gain as well as the relationships you will build during your internship.
How much are graphic design interns paid?
If you are lucky enough to find a paid graphic design internship opportunity, you will likely receive a stipend, which is usually paid hourly for work done as explained over at runrex.com. Some unpaid internships also give interns travel and food allowances for the duration of the program. On average, graphic design interns in the US are paid around $12.91 per hour, although how much you will make exactly will depend on several factors including the company and the location of your internship.
Types of graphic design internships
Graphic design majors will have several options to explore as far as internships are concerned, which is why the gurus over at guttulus.com recommend that you start by considering your career goals when choosing an internship as discussed above so that you can choose the right type of internship for you. Some of the types of internships you can choose include:
Internship at a design firm
Internship at an advertising agency
Internship at an in-house design group
Internship at a tech company
The best graphic design internships
From discussions on the same over at runrex.com, there are several excellent internship opportunities out there you should check out as an internship major, opportunities that would look great on your resume not to mention the excellent experiences they would provide. They include:
Apple’s Internship/co-op program
Google’s User Experience Internship
Walt Disney’s Creative and Graphic Design Digital Media Internship
DirecTV Graphic Design Internship
Hasbro’s Graphic Design Internship, among many others
The annual salary for graphic design majors
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a graphic designer is about $52,110. According to guttulus.com, skill set, experience, and level of responsibility all play a role in graphic designer salaries. Entry-level graphic designers earn a median annual salary of about $45,000. This is just the beginning, however, as graphic designers have got the potential to make well over $100,000 annually as they progress.
High-paying jobs for graphic design majors
Some of the most lucrative jobs to aim for as a graphic design major as discussed over at runrex.com include:
User experience director – They are the principal leader of a company or brand’s UX department and earn an average annual pay of $129,250.
Creative director – They are responsible for overseeing the creative vision of a company or brand and ensuring that vision manifests in everything their team creates and earn an average annual pay of $116,750.
Interactive art director – They pay special focus to projects concerning web and mobile products and services and earn an average annual pay of $92,500.
User experience designer – They make products, services, and websites enjoyable and accessible for users and make an average annual salary of $89,250.
Other top-paying careers to explore include a career as an art director, UI designer, publication designer, among others.
Entry-level jobs for graphic designers
While some of the above-listed jobs may be out of your reach as a fresh graduate, the gurus over at guttulus.com recommend that you consider the following jobs:
Photo editor
Apparel graphic designer
Logo designer
Packaging designer
Web designer
Multimedia designer
Advertising designer, among others.
Job outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of graphic designers is projected to decline 4% from 2019 to 2029, with the BLS pointing out that graphic designers are expected to face strong competition for available positions during that time. However, as is explained over at runrex.com, this is not the real story as this dull outlook largely stems from a projected decline in design jobs with newspapers, periodicals, and book and directory publishers. Therefore, although the future of print designers looks dim, the future of digital design remains a bright spot and that is where graphic designers should focus on going forward.
These are some of the things you should know about as a graphic design major as far as internships and career options go, with more insights, tips, and information on the same to be found over at the highly-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com.