How Much Do Content Designers Actually Make (Salary Survey Results 2021)?

Content designers and UX Writers are in high demand these days, with the average global salary for content designers reaching $70K.

But what does that mean if you work in a big tech company, or in different countries around the world?

This article will explore content design salaries around the world to help you figure out how much money you can make as a content designer and how much you should ask for in your next content design interview.

The numbers in this article are based on the UX Writing Hub’s 2021 UX Writing salary survey of over 750 people in the field. 

Global average content design salary 2021

The global average salary for content designers in 2021 is 70K USD. However, that number alone doesn’t say much as it varies enormously across countries, age groups, and years of experience.

Let’s look into some important points that affect salaries for content designers and other writers in tech.

Content Design can easily be a six-figure salary job

Not surprisingly, countries with a high standard of living have the best salaries for content designers. But which country has the highest median salary? Switzerland!

The average Swiss content designer earns $117,500 per year; they are number one on our list with an astonishing six-figure yearly income. The USA, boosted by Silicon Valley tech companies, comes in second at $105,000 per year!

 

In the US, some top content designers earn upwards of an astonishing 300K per year! Many companies such as Netflix and Facebook are hiring dozens of content designers these days, with many earning six figures.

 

So who’s number 3? Australia! The land down under is home to some very successful companies like Atlassian, makers of software development tools including Jira, Bitbucket, and Confluence.

Country Median annual salary for writers in tech Average income
(data from worlddata.info)
Switzerland $117,500 $85,500
USA $105,000 $65,850
Australia $88,000 $55,100
Ireland $86,500 $64,000
Germany $72,600 $48,580
Norway $71,400 $82,500
United Kingdom $69,000 $42,220
Denmark $66,600 $63,950
Israel $66,340 $43,110
New Zealand $66,000 $42,760

It’s important to consider the costs and benefits for each country. For example, even though Germany might have a higher tax rate than America, their cost of living is significantly lower. Likewise, Switzerland has a very high cost of living.

Content design in different companies by type and size

Salary can vary a lot depending on what kind of organization you work for. According to the salary survey, pay is highest at large companies that employ over 1,000 people and lowest with smaller startups or medium-sized enterprises.

However, when it comes down to company type, government employees are doing the best, i.e. they have, on average, higher salaries than employees at enterprise or medium and small companies.

 

What size company do you work for? Median annual salary (USA)
Government $127,999
Enterprise (more than 1000 people) $116,999
Medium-sized company (30 to 200 people) $79,989
Small startup (up to 30 people) $81,001

 

It’s important to say that money is just one factor in determining job satisfaction; some people are happier at a smaller company. As small companies have less bureaucracy, employees will often take on more tasks and roles. This may be easier than the experience at a large corporation, where there might be many layers of management separating employees from the CEO or president.

Content design salary by year of experience

It is no surprise that work experience plays a huge role in salary.

Those who have 10 years of professional writing experience report earning around twice as much compared to those with 1 year or less.

Across job titles, this pattern continues, and it’s clear that the more you put into something the better your rewards are going to be!

Content design salary by gender

The content design salary survey finds that there are hardly any differences in content design salaries between men and women. The majority of the respondents identify as female, but their median incomes are no different from those who identified as male.

What’s your gender? MEDIAN of Annual USD
Female $105,000
Male $105,000

Become a Content Designer

Have you been thinking about a transition into content design but don’t know where to start? Take our free online course on UX writing, content design, and product design. It’s a great first step to see if the field is right for you.

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