Digital design is among the most rapidly growing fields in the design world. Not only does it offer stable, high-paying employment for creatives who aren’t interested in working retail; digital design also makes the world more accessible for the average person. By focusing on how people experience digital interfaces, products, and other dynamic designs, Digital Designers are actively solving problems in our world. It’s no wonder that statistics show a steady increase in the demand for digital designers worldwide. 

What is a Digital Designer?

The simplest way to describe a Digital Designer is as a visual media creator who emphasizes interactivity. These designers are distinguished from other classes of designers by their focus on how people experience their designs. Rather than focusing solely on what their designs communicate visually, Digital Designers spend considerable time perfecting components like information architecture and accessibility. To improve user-friendliness even more, digital design projects often include prototyping and preparatory phases that include demographic research. 

Digital Designers are best known for their digitally generated graphics, animations, and visual effects, but many Digital Designers also create full-scale websites and apps. If one type of project piques their interest more than others, a Digital Designer can specialize in a unique aspect of digital design. Some Digital Designers choose to highlight primarily digital projects, while others work exclusively on preparing interactive print designs for marketing. 

Because digital design is an umbrella term that includes many different design niches, most digital design professionals collaborate with a team. Their team may include fellow Designers, Project Managers, Product Designers, and IT professionals. 

What is the Job Outlook for Digital Design?

Although some hard-nosed people will tell you there’s no money to be made in design, that just isn’t true. Sure, some creative industries are on the decline, but luckily, digital design isn’t one of them. If anything, statistics show that Digital Designers can look forward to a bright future with plenty of jobs to go around. 

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Job Outlook

While digital design was relatively new at the turn of this century, it saw a quick rise in demand that’s since brought Digital Designers job security and high earnings. In 2023, 222,600 Web and Digital Designers were working in America, and by 2033 this number will likely hit 240,000. In practice, this means that you can expect roughly 16,500 new digital design jobs to open every year. Even before the rise of artificial intelligence, Digital Designers were in higher demand than less dynamic design roles such as Graphic Designer. 

Future Growth

Companies in every industry see the need for user-friendly apps, websites, and products that can keep their customers happy and the money flowing into their accounts. Because so many businesses value the impact of digital design, demand for digital design services is increasing each year. As a result, the industry’s growth rate has long since outpaced more traditional design fields, including graphic design. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that digital design job openings will increase by 8% from 2023 to 2033. This statistic is double the job growth rate for most industries, which averages between three and four percent. 

Contrast this to the two percent (and falling) growth rate projected for the graphic design industry, and it’s easy to see which path offers better job security. As a result of this imbalance, many Graphic Designers are now learning digital design to join the digital design industry. In the spirit of full transparency, however, it’s worth noting that most new digital design job openings will result from designers retiring or leaving the field rather than funds generating completely new positions. Nonetheless, this is typical of many industries, including large staples such as finance. 

As one of the most diverse creative industries today, digital design includes many different specialties. Each of these can vary regarding job growth. For instance, between 2023 and 2033, Game Designers, Animators, and Special Effects Artists can expect an increase of 4% (on par with the average for most industries). During this same period, Product Designers and Industrial Designers will see a 3% growth, and Design Directors will experience an influx of 5%. 

Job growth is highest for Web Designers, UX Designers, and UI Designers, who can all expect an 8% rise every year. For designers who also offer coding and development services, this statistic increases to a whopping 9%.

Industries That Use Digital Design

Even though design is most often associated with the arts, Digital Designers can work just about anywhere. Digital design services are hot in any industry where businesses need to build relationships with customers or create products that satisfy them. In practice, that means Digital Designers are both incredibly adaptable and highly sought-after in most fields. 

As of 2023, the biggest industries employing Digital Designers were:

  • Professional, scientific, and technical services (employing 28% of all Digital Designers)
  • Information and computer systems design (employing 23% of all Digital Designers)
  • Self-employment or freelancing (1employing 0% of all Digital Designers)

While the first two industries are expected to add plenty of new jobs for Digital Designers over the next ten years, self-employment is projected to decline to 8%. This is likely (in part) due to a temporary increase in freelancing that many industries experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even larger declines are likely to occur in fields like manufacturing and printing. However, unlike freelancing, the slowing of new job openings in these industries is more likely due to a natural decrease in demand. 

In contrast, fields that anticipate many new job openings for Digital Designers include:

  • Medical and veterinary services
  • Software, data, web development, and other IT services
  • Finance
  • Utilities
  • Museums and historical sites

Digital Design Salaries

If you become a Digital Designer, your salary may vary depending on where you live. According to statistics from Indeed.com, Digital Designers working in the United States usually earn between $75,000 and $154,000 per year. However, many additional factors can impact your salary, including your qualifications and experience level. As a general rule, designers who are college-educated earn more than those without a degree. The same is true of designers who earn design certifications such as. 

Digital Designer salaries can also vary substantially according to your specialty. The reason for this variation is that some roles are in higher demand or require a more extensive skill set, earning them a higher paycheck. According to Indeed, the highest-salaried job titles for Digital Designers include: 

The location and industry you work in can also greatly impact your pay. Data from Glassdoor indicates that the five highest-paying industries for Digital Designers are:

  • Finance ($114,000 to $139,000)
  • Telecommunications ($100,000 to $124,000)
  • Medicine, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals ($97,000 to $122,000)
  • Aerospace and Defense ($93,000-113,000)
  • Travel, Transportation, and Logistics ($86,000-106,000)

You can also work in lower-paying industries such as nonprofits/NGOs or human resources and staffing. However, even these industries pay more than the US national average for most occupations. 

How Do I Find a Digital Designer Job?

You’ll be most successful at finding a design job if you set yourself up with the right qualifications beforehand. Because job responsibilities can vary extensively from one digital design job title to the next, you should take the time to research the qualifications you need for your intended role and then acquire them. While each job is different, most digital design jobs will expect you to bring the following with you to start:

  • A four-year college degree (preferably in a design field). Some jobs may also include additional requirements, such as certification in design software like Figma. 
  • A portfolio that demonstrates professional digital design skills relevant to the role. 
  • Two to five years of relevant professional experience. 

You can explore Digital Designer job requirements on Noble Desktop’s Blog. 

Once you’re ready to start looking for a job, your best bet is to play several job markets at once. In addition to developing your presence on mainstream job sites such as LinkedIn, you can build connections through online design organizations (like AIGA), forums (like Reddit), and education platforms. 

When searching for a job, you can find more relevant opportunities by using keywords, like:

For more tips on using Digital Designer job sites to your advantage, check out the Learn Design Blog. 

Learn the Skills to Become a Digital Designer at Noble Desktop

Want to learn design in a supportive environment? Noble Desktop offers highly-rated design classes covering a range of digital design topics for students at all levels. In addition to shorter classes, you’ll find a variety of career certificates that provide comprehensive training, complete with one-on-one mentorship and professional experience opportunities. Start your journey now by signing up for training live online or participating in face-to-face classes at the school’s NYC campus. 

With the hands-on training you’ll get in the Digital Design Certificate, preparing for a digital design career isn’t hard. Even if you start with no experience, you can learn the UI design and graphic design skills you need to launch your career in a matter of weeks. Instead of sitting through dull lectures, this program will teach you practical skills through activities and projects. In addition to mastering tools like InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Figma, you’ll gain the expertise necessary to apply design principles for truly stunning results. 

Learn the skills to make websites and apps that are truly user-friendly in UX & UI Design Certificate. Working with a team, you’ll create your own interactive digital interfaces from start to finish, resulting in work you can proudly display in your portfolio. Rather than focusing only on aesthetics, you’ll learn how to research your target users and prototype to improve accessibility. This course also includes a job preparation segment designed to help you workshop your resume and create the perfect portfolio website. 

If websites are your jam, you can make it into a career by joining Noble Desktop’s Web Design Certificate program. Work toward an impressive portfolio with hands-on assignments that will help you learn a combination of design, coding, and software skills. Quicker than you know, you’ll acquire a versatile skill set that includes UI design theory, Figma, WordPress, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Before you’re through, you’ll also have the chance to build a high-quality portfolio website with help from your expert mentor.