If you’re heading into a design career, you may be wondering what types of jobs you can get with your new skills. Here are the 10 most in-demand design jobs in 2023.
According to Aquent, “Designers have become the most ‘in-demand’ [of creative professionals] as user experience becomes vital to industry survival.” Design is behind the websites and mobile applications we use, the entertainment we consume, the cars we drive, our healthcare, and even our grocery shopping experience!
We’ve done our research to bring you the most in-demand design job titles right now. Whether you want to do animation design, decide how mobile apps will look, or create tangible products, there’s a design job out there for you.
Here are the most in-demand design job titles for 2023 and beyond. Just use the clickable menu to skip to the roles that interest you most!
- Product Designer
- Frontend Web Developer
- Digital Designer
- UX Designer
- UI Designer
- Motion Graphics Designer
- Graphic Designer
- Art Director
- Animation Designer
And read all the way to the end for a brief discussion on three notable trends in design careers!
(Demand and salaries for these jobs were found on Indeed.)
1. Product Designer
A product designer’s role is flexible and is sometimes considered a full-stack designer. They might be responsible for UX, UI, coding, project management, problem-solving, or all of the above. A product designer creates solutions to the problems that might arise during the initial development and design process.
Product designers are most in-demand at startups, large product-based corporations, and software companies. Specialized product designers are also sought after in the automotive industry. With the massive shift to electric vehicles entering its key phases, nearly every car company is looking for a product designer to lead their teams designing the software, applications, and user experience of their new models.
Average product designer salary:
- US: $112,610
- Germany: €30.976
- UK: £41,579
- Australia: $112,756
- Canada: $65,625
- India: ₹2,70,264
Open product designer positionstitle by country (41,208):
- US: 17,611
- Germany: 5,219
- UK: 8,937
- Australia: 2,138
- Canada: 6,555
- India: 7,478
2. Frontend Web Developer
It is the front end developer who codes the part of the website that the user sees and interacts with. They code the layout, interactive elements, navigation, and more. They bring designs provided by the web designer to life using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. They are also responsible for ensuring optimal display across different browsers and devices, testing for bugs, and technical SEO.
Front end developers are needed in every industry and can easily find entry-level jobs just about anywhere in the world. The need for front end developers is not going away any time soon as anyone with a website needs them.
Average front end web developer salary:
- US: $104,842
- Germany: €55.503
- UK: £48,464
- Australia: $112,122
- Canada: $79,429
- India: ₹5,95,752
Open front end developer positions by country (37,551):
- US: 16,046
- Germany: 559
- UK: 5,580
- Australia: 891
- Canada: 2,077
- India: 12,396
3. Digital Designer
A digital designer creates solutions for websites, product graphics, email templates, social media graphics, brand campaigns, and photography. They usually work on a team or as a freelancer. The digital designer role is often wrapped up with another title but can be found as a distinct role as well, especially in the freelance world.
Digital designers are sought after in many different industries. Marketing agencies and departments, e-commerce, cloud-based software, fintech, and tech hardware companies are all hiring digital designers currently.
Average digital designer salary:
- US: $76,912
- Germany: €63.000
- UK: £33,182
- Australia: $102,563
- Canada: $55,571
- India: ₹2,95,730
Open digital designer positions by country (34,162):
- US: 16,046
- Germany: 3,617
- UK: 5,889
- Australia: 1,431
- Canada: 3,147
- India: 4,032
4. User Experience (UX) Designer
UX designers focus on providing a satisfying experience for users. They design with user interaction as their main focus, ensuring they’re continually improving the usability and accessibility of the product. They conduct research, testing, create wireframes, and work on a team to create the best possible product.
UX designers are the most in-demand within the tech sphere. Open positions are most often found working on web applications, mobile apps, or software for companies in nearly every industry. Hardware companies are also hiring UX designers to help them create the perfect phone, laptop, tablet, watch, or other product that has an operating system.
Learn more about what UX is all about in this video:
Average UX designer salary:
- US: $90K
- Germany: €51k
- UK: £59K
- Australia: $90K
- Canada: $70k
- India: ₹5,68,876
Learn more about how much UX designers make in our complete salary guide.
Open UX designer positions by country (24,752):
- US: 8,941
- Germany: 5,081
- UK: 2,966
- Australia: 647
- Canada: 3,437
- India: 3,680
5. User Interface (UI) Designer
UI designers design the screens that a user will move through in an app, video game, website, or piece of software. They create visual elements and interactive properties like images, buttons, menus, forms, and more. UI designers are responsible for how the user navigates from A to B via different visual touchpoints.
As you can imagine, UI designers are most in-demand in the tech industry. Niche tech companies like sales platforms, cloud-based software, customer relationship management tools, artificial intelligence services, and startups all need UI designers. UI designers are also sought out by marketing, branding, and web development agencies who work across a variety of industries.
Find out every step to this career path in our full guide to becoming a UI designer.
Average UI designer salary:
- US: $80,074
- Germany: €56.125
- UK: £42,404
- Australia: $97,783
- Canada: $59,844
- India: ₹2,88,207
Learn more about UI designer salaries around the world in this comprehensive guide.
Open UI designer positions by country (13,056):
- US: 4,539
- Germany: 1,395
- UK: 1,028
- Australia: 276
- Canada: 1,005
- India: 4,813
6. Motion Graphics Designer
Motion graphics designers are responsible for animated artwork that can be published on the web, television, social media, augmented reality technology, and film. They create movie clips, trailers, advertisements, special effects, title sequences, and more. They use visual effects, graphic design, and animation to bring their creations to life.
Motion graphics designers are most in-demand at AI companies, the entertainment industry, startups, marketing firms, and creative agencies, digital journalism organizations, e-commerce platforms, and the automotive industry. Many motion graphics designer opportunities can be found through agencies.
Average motion graphics designer salary:
- US: $49,597
- Germany: €22.311
- UK: £33,182
- Australia: $102,563
- Canada: $71,701
- India: ₹2,85,236
Open motion graphics designer positions by country (17,322):
- US: 16,046
- Germany: 84
- UK: 443
- Australia: 68
- Canada: 231
- India: 450
7. Graphic Designer
Graphic designers create visual concepts including the overall layout and production design. Most graphic designers work on a team, in a specific department, or as a freelancer. They create marketing materials, internal graphics, brand assets, packaging, website graphics, signs, and much more.
Graphic designer positions are open in just about every industry from construction to publishing, marketing to startups. There does not seem to be a single industry that isn’t looking for a graphic designer right now.
Average graphic designer salary:
- US: $49,597
- Germany: €28.355
- UK: £24,237
- Australia: $71,722
- Canada: $58,048
- India: ₹2,41,934
Open graphic designer positions by country (12,167):
- US: 5,968
- Germany: 340
- UK: 1,128
- Australia: 306
- Canada: 1,044
- India: 3,381
8. Art Director
Art directors are responsible for the visual style of a variety of media including magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They’re in charge of the overall design for a project. They also direct the teams who work for them to develop the artwork, layouts, or final deliverable.
Art directors are in demand at advertising and public relations firms, newspaper and magazine publishers, specialized design services firms, and the entertainment industry. More recently, art directors, especially freelance or independent, are sought after in some retail and e-commerce spaces.
Average art director salary:
- US: $66,939
- Germany: €41.731
- UK: £45,399
- Australia: $87,910
- Canada: $77,702
- India: ₹5,24,901
Open art director positions by country (5,984):
- US: 3,252
- Germany: 1,463
- UK: 147
- Australia: 487
- Canada: 135
- India: 500
9. Animation Designer
Animation designers draw, animate, storyboard, edit, brainstorm, and conceptualize. They usually work with a team. They create mockups, 2D or 3D visual imagery, use animation software for drawing frames, divide up key poses, or rig models.
Animation designers are especially sought after in the digital marketing realm. There are open positions for this role in nearly every industry from startups and apps, to real estate and healthcare. There is also a strong presence of animation designer openings in the entertainment industry—especially in the United States.
Average animation designer salary:
- US: $41,971
- Germany: €22.311
- UK: £24,237
- Australia: $69,021
- Canada: $71,701
- India: ₹4,62,430
Learn more about your earning potential in our animation designer salary guide.
Open animation designer positions by country (4,604):
- US: 1,693
- Germany: 352
- UK: 835
- Australia: 152
- Canada: 635
- India: 931
Notable trends in design careers
From a shift in reliance on e-commerce platforms to how we consume entertainment, design careers are changing—and quickly. The global pandemic has altered the state of workforces just about everywhere, especially for designers. On top of this, climate change is fueling a shift in transportation and shipping which will open up even more design jobs in these specialized fields. Here’s how those changes are appearing in the hiring process:
1. Rapid innovation is necessary.
The shelf life of design assets can be quite short these days.
YouTube videos last ~20 days, a LinkedIn post is good for 24 hours, an Instagram post will be in feeds for 21 hours, Facebook posts get just 5 hours, and a tweet on Twitter has just ~18 minutes of fame.
Companies are willing to pay more for high-quality creative talent so that they can quickly turn around assets that fit current trends. A TikTok trend maxes out at about 7 days and is only in its prime for maybe 4 days. Continuous learning, digital fluency, and strong remote communication are rated among the most important skills needed in the pandemic era.
2. Degrees continue to decrease in importance
With bootcamps, detailed online resources, and rapidly changing trends, companies would rather see a relevant portfolio of your work and a demonstration of your communication skills than a degree. Employers are looking for visual proof that you can create quality design deliverables and some industry knowledge.
3. Demand for motion design is at an all-time high
Across the board, video is becoming the preference for content consumption. YouTube advertising revenue increased, Instagram introduced Reels and a video prioritization pivot, and TikTok became the most downloaded app. The value of videos and animation is clear.
Embarking on a design career in 2023 is a fantastic choice if you love solving problems, working on a team, and communicating your ideas. You can find both technical design jobs and more creative roles from front end developer to art director.
You may find yourself designing tangible product lines, software, or overarching concepts like brands. Whatever your passion, you can certainly make a living doing it with design. This is a career path that is more than meets the eye.
If you’d like to learn more about getting started in design, check out these guides: