Survey Of Web Designers 2008

By Bud Kraus
bud@joyofcode.com
Joy Of Code
Creator And Instructor

v5 i9
Originally Published: June 11, 2009

Just what is a web designer?

For me, it's always been "I know one when I see one." I'd like to think I've trained more of them than I can count. Probably a few of you web designers are reading this right now.

To give insight into the lives of those who create what we look at for more than a few hours every day,
A LIST APART conducted their second annual Survey For People Who Make Web Sites 2008. Over 30,000 people took part - smack dab in the midst of the worst economic downturn most of us have ever seen.

The survey is broken down into these categories:

Jobs and Titles
Education—How Relevant?
Salaries
Sticking With It
Punching the Clock
Everybody’s Got One (A Blog)
Perceptions of Bias
Evidence of Bias
Staying Current
Skills and Skill Gaps
Confidence
Corporate Versus Freelance

The survey is eye-popping on a number of accounts which I'll get to in one sec. You really should take a look at how well a survey can be presented online. Such style!! But what would you have expected from the A LIST APART folks?

I didn't go through every line - there's a ton of info there - but what I did see, I just had to share with you.

Here's What Shocked Me

Web Designers Are Mostly Male
It shocks me because I've trained more females than males by a 3:1 margin.
The Numbers That Were Bloggers
I probably shouldn't be surprised that over 70% report having a blog - but I don't have one.

Here's What I Suspected

People enjoy making what you see online
They had better as the vast majority are not over paid.
A majority work as employees of a company, university, library, museum, nonprofit, or other organization
... and about 26% were freelancers or owners of a small business.
People are working more hours this year than last
That's pretty good, considering the economy.
Web Designers don't make a heck of a lot of money
In fact only 2.2% report incomes in excess of 100K.
The work is done in a corporate site or at home in a 50:50 ratio
Three cheers for telecommuters.

There is so much more to this report. If you like this kind of stuff - learning about an industry that you just might be in (or want to be) - you'll love this report.

Joy Gems was a twice monthly newsletter for people new to web design and for those moving beyond that stage.

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