If you’re interested in a career as a web designer, you may be curious about what your salary might look like. After all, this field is growing rapidly and isn’t necessarily one of the highest-paying tech careers in the US.

As with most professions, your experience level and education will determine your pay. Additionally, where you live can also impact your earnings.

Experience

Web designers must be able to balance the visual design of a site with the technical aspects of building it. This includes ensuring that the site is easy to use, compatible with various platforms, and is search engine optimized.

To achieve this, a web designer must be skilled in human psychology and understand how to design a site to meet the user’s needs. They must also have a working knowledge of coding languages, like JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and ASP.

A web designer can either work for a company, or they can become self-employed and freelance. Both options require a strong portfolio and skill sets.

Continuing Education

There are a number of ways to further your education in web design. Depending on your personal goals, you can find programs at the certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree levels.

Alternatively, you can join a professional association that offers a range of ongoing educational opportunities for designers. These associations can also help you network with other professionals in the industry and develop new business relationships.

Online courses (also known as MOOCs) are a great option for designers looking to further their skills, and they’re often available free of charge. These sites offer a selection of high-quality courses taught by top academics.

The free TreeHouse course on HTML and CSS is a good place to start for beginners, as it provides 43 hours of interactive lessons on the basics of web design. However, it’s not a comprehensive introduction to the field.

Area of Specialization

There are many different areas of specialization within the web design field. Some designers specialize in specific aspects of design, such as user experience (UX) or search engine optimization (SEO).

Others may focus on coding, using languages such as HTML and CSS to create websites. Having a good understanding of these languages can help you stand out from the crowd and command a higher salary.

In addition to coding skills, web designers often need to know how to use design programs like Adobe Creative Cloud or CorelDraw Graphics Suite. These software applications allow you to produce mock-ups and manipulate images for your website designs.

Web designers also need to have strong time management skills to keep up with projects and deadlines. This can involve learning productivity apps such as calendars and task lists or utilizing project tracking tools such as Trello or JIRA.

Where You Live

Web designers get paid well for their efforts, and they can enjoy long, successful careers. But salaries can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors, including experience, area of specialization, and location.

Those who live in larger cities tend to earn more money than those who work in smaller towns. This is because urban areas are more expensive to live in, and the jobs they offer tend to pay more.

If you want to increase your earning potential, consider focusing on higher-paying niches within web design. For example, UX designers and UI designers can expect to make more money than general web designers because of their specialized skills.

Another way to increase your salary is by learning more about the industry and taking advantage of the many continuing education courses offered through colleges, universities, and community colleges across the country. Whether you’re already a web designer or just starting out, continuing your education can help you increase your income and stand out in the job market.