"The Survey for People who Make Websites" has been compiled and the results are now available. In 2008, more than 30,000 readers took part in the A List Apart survey. Presented below is a snapshot of key findings.
Show Me the Money
The "average" person who makes websites for a living earns $1,000 a week:
- average salary (weighted) | $52,095
- salary range (median) | $40,000 - $59,999
Not all web workers are "average." Here are the highs and the lows:
- earning over $100,000 | 9%
- earning under $40,000 | 39%
Show Me the BIG Money
If you are looking to become one of the nine percent who have made it into the six-figure club ($100,000+), here are the titles most likely to get you there (percentage of job-title holders who earn six-figure salaries):
- Creative Director | 25%
- Usability Expert/Consultant/Lead | 21%
- Information Architect | 20%
- Web Director | 16%
- Marketer | 16%
Job Titles
While the above list represents the high-paying titles, here are the three most popular job titles (other than "other"):
- Developer | 28%
- Web Designer | 13%
- Designer | 8%
Young and Male
A relatively new medium attracts relatively young practitioners (age range | percentage of respondents):
- 18 - 29 | 52%
- 30 - 44 | 40%
A somewhat surprising 84 percent of respondents were male.
Work Style
The majority of survey respondents work for someone else. Employees outnumber independents by a two-to-one margin:
- employee | 56%
- contractor/freelancer | 26%
Next Career Move
Responses to the question "What is your next career move?" differ dramatically by work style -- employees vs. independents.
For employees the top three "next moves" were as follows:
- Get a promotion at my current job | 95%
- Get a new job in a new organization | 86%
- Attend a conference/take classes/other educational activity | 79%
For independents the top three "next moves" were as follows:
- Find a partner whose skills complement mine | 73%
- Get my first job in the field | 69%
- Start pitching a better class of client | 68%
The Next Step
Here is the "70 | 40 | 10" take-home message based on the findings from this survey:
- 70% of all independents want to convert their work status to employee
- 40% of Web workers earn less than $40,000 per year
- 10% of Web workers earn a six-figure salary
Beantown Web suggests the following two recent resources to help guide you through the "70 | 40 | 10" career transition process:
Detailed findings from the A List Apart Web Design Survey, 2008 are available in an interactive Web format.
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