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2023 Content Design Salary & Industry Survey

Median salary ranges, top collaborators, biggest challenges and more—explore the survey to see how you compare against industry peers. Then, get a custom report for your individual stats.

The numbers behind the survey

550+ participants

We received hundreds of detailed submissions from content designers around the world. Over half of our responses came from outside the United States.

Responsibilities and roles

We’re going beyond salary and job titles. We’ve asked content designers about the details of their day-to-day work, so you can compare your experience with peers.

40+ countries

The content design industry is global, and so our survey is too. We’ve received responses from countries on every continent, (except Antarctica!)

Median salary worldwide and by location

What you need to know:

The median salary range is US $81,000 - $100,000

That number will change based on where you live—we've included statistics for countries with more than 20 respondents below.

The United States leads with US $121,000 - $140,000

And that's just base salary. Many content designers in the United States earn bonuses and other benefits, like stock options.

The highest reported salary: US $401,000+

This highest reported base salary actually comes from Europe—well above the median salary range in the US: $61,000 - $80,000.

Median and highest salary ranges for countries with 20+ respondents:

  • Chart
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Graph showing median income ranges for several countries. United States: US $120,000-$140,000. United Kingdom: US $80,000-$100,000. Canada: $US 60,000-$80,000. Israel: US $80,000-$100,000. Australia: US $80,000-$100,000.

CountrySalary range
United StatesUS $121,000-$140,000
United KingdomUS $81,000-$100,000
CanadaUS $61,000-$80,000
IsraelUS $81,000-$100,000
AustraliaUS $81,000-$100,000

Salary ranges by gender identity:

  • Chart
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A bar graph showing median income ranges for gender identities. Those who identify as male: US $80,000 - $100,000. Those who identify as female: US $100,000 - $120,000. All gender identities: US $80,000 - $100,000.
Median GroupMaleFemale
United StatesUS $121,000-$140,000US $121,000-$140,000US $121,000-$140,000
United KingdomUS $81,000-$100,000US $61,000-$80,000US $81,000-$100,000
CanadaUS $61,000-$80,000US $81,000-$100,000US $81,000-$100,000
IsraelUS $81,000-$100,000US $61,000-$80,000N/A
AustraliaUS $81,000-$100,000US $81,000-$100,000US $81,000-$100,000
WorldwideUS $81,000-$100,000US $81,000-$100,000US $101,000-$120,000

Median salary by years of experience

What you need to know:

Worldwide, content designers with 10+ years of experience earn US $121,000 - $140,000

That number is a median range, and changes based on location—in the United States, you can expect to earn a base salary of US $141,000 - $160,000 with that same level of experience.

Median salary ranges by years of experience:

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A bar graph demonstrating income ranges per years of experience. Less than 1 year: US $80,000 - $100,000. 1-3 years: US $80,000 - $100,000. 4-6 years: US $100,000 - $120,000. 7-9 years: US $120,000 - $140,000. 10+ years: US $120,000 - $140,000.

(USD)Less than 1 year1-3 years4-6 years7-9 years10+ years
$1,000-9,00034100
$10,000-19,00002200
$20,000-40,000014511
$41,000-60,0003381353
$61,000-80,0005422467
$81,000-100,0006363879
$101,000-120,00042923168
$121,000-140,00011628129
$141,000-160,000110191212
$161,000-180,00004989
$181,000-200,00011737
$201,000-220,00000204
$221,000-240,00000010
$241,000-260,00000001
$261,000-300,00000002
$301,000-350,00000010
$401,000+01000

Bonuses and stock options for content designers

What you need to know:

Most content designers receive a bonus

Bonuses are usually awarded for performance, profit sharing agreements, and seniority. But they're less common outside the United States—of those who receive bonuses, over 60% live in the US.

Most content designers who negotiated part of their compensation were successful

Just a reminder to ask for what you're worth: among those who did negotiate, only 14% were unsuccessful. Go for it!

Content designers who receive stock:

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A pie chart demonstrating values for content designers who earn stock options. About 45% earn no stock. Another 45% earn stock paid by the company, while the remainder earn discounted stock options.

Do you receive any stock as part of your compensation?Count
No, I did not receive any stock as part of my compensation242
Yes, I am granted RSUs (no additional cost to you, company pays)202
Yes, I am granted stock purchase options (you pay a low purchase price compared to market)91

Content designers who receive bonuses:

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BonusesCount
No additional bonus paid254
Additional 5-9% of salary104
Additional 10-14% of salary81
Additional 15-19% of salary40
Additional 20-24% of salary22
Additional 25-29% of salary9
Additional 30-34% of salary2
Additional 35-39% of salary1
Additional 40-44% of salary2
Higher than 45% of salary6

Content designers and negotiation:

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Hiring bonus55
Base annual salary221
I did not negotitate214
Equity options41
Scope of role or job title34
Vacation time27
Annual bonus43
I negotiated but was unsuccessful45

Freelancers: rates and hours worked

What you need to know:

Freelancers earn a median rate of US $61 - $70 worldwide

That equates to an annualized salary of at least US $126,880 (based on 40 hours per week, 52 weeks a year). That's right in line with the median worldwide range for content designers employed full-time.

Median freelance rates worldwide:

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Hourly rateCountAnnualiszed salary range (minimum)
Less than $199>$41,000
$20-309$ 41,600.00
$31-4011$ 64,480.00
$41-5010$ 85,280.00
$51-609$ 106,080.00
$61-705$ 126,880.00
$71-807$ 147,680.00
$81-9012$ 168,480.00
$91-1009$ 189,280.00
$101-1105$ 210,080.00
$111-1203$ 230,880.00
$121-1304$ 251,680.00
$141-1501$ 293,280.00
$151-1703$ 314,080.00
$171-1901$ 355,680.00
$191-2101$ 397,280.00
$231-2501$ 480,480.00
$250 and higher1$ 520,000.00

Job titles and years of experience

What you need to know:

47% call themselves “content designer”

That is the most common title in the industry, according to the survey. That's a large change from our 2019 survey, in which “UX writer” was the most common title.

“Content strategist” is becoming less common

Only 11% of respondents called themselves “content strategists.” They also said they collaborate most often with product managers, product designers, and UX researchers—the same most common collaborators as those who call themselves “content designers.”

Most common job titles:

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TitlesCount
Content Designer248
UX Writer163
Content Strategist or UX Content Strategist64
Copywriter or UX Copywriter17
Technical Writer14
Designer or general UX14

Who do content designers collaborate with?

What you need to know:

Top collaborators: product designers, product managers, and other content designers

Technical writers and translators topped the list of those with whom content designers collaborated the least.

Your collaborators change as you get more experience

Download your custom report to see the top collaborators for your stats.

Most common collaborators:

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No collaborationA little collaborationSome collaborationA lot of collaboration
Translators16623111942
PMs1651206285
Marketers9525816045
Product Designers163364445
UX researchers49114197198
Front-end developers4319322399
Support or help writers12524610978
Technical writers1752458949
Other content designers47107162242

How many designers and projects do content designers support?

What you need to know:

Most content designers support 3-5 designers or projects

That changes based on your location. For instance, Canadian content designers were more likely to say "supporting too many designers" was a top problem.

Just over 10% support more than 9 designers or projects

Eleven lucky respondents said they support between 16-20 designers or projects.

What are content designers’ biggest challenges?

What you need to know:

The biggest challenges: not being in meetings, lack of influence, and supporting too many projects

Challenges change based on location and experience

Download your custom report to see the top challenges for your stats.

Most common challenges facing content designers:

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What are the most common challenges you regularly face in your role?Sum%
Not included in important meetings30357.39%
Supporting too many designers or projects27151.33%
Pushback from stakeholders23544.51%
Lack of influence21841.29%
Too much energy spent explaining the role14727.84%
Not paid enough8616.29%
Lack of work-life balance6612.50%
Lack of support from UX managers6011.36%
Not familiar enough with tools489.09%

We asked our survey respondents to tell us about issues they face day-to-day. Here are just a few responses:

What do content designers love most about the job?

What you need to know:

Over 2/3rds of content designers said their biggest joy was “crafting experiences with words”

The next most common? “Solving complex problems” followed by “collaborating with lots of people.”

Over 1/3rd of content designers said their biggest joy was “getting paid to do something I love”

The least common response was “teaching others about UX writing.”

What do content designers love most:

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What part of your job brings you the most joy? Sum%
Crafting experiences with words35767.61%
Solving complex problems29455.68%
Collaborating with lots of people24846.97%
Helping humans use tech22342.23%
Getting paid to do work I love19236.36%
Launching completed projects10519.89%
Customer research9317.61%
Teaching others UX writing7714.58%

We asked our survey respondents to tell us what they love the most about their jobs. Here are just a few responses:

Download your custom salary and career report

Compare your stats and see where your career may take you…

Compare compensation with other content designers

Median salary ranges, bonuses, and stock compensation for your stats—see how much you may earn with more experience.

Discover how your career may change over time

Colleagues, collaborators, challenges, and more—see which aspects of your career might change, and what you can do to prepare.

Get tailored recommendations for your career

We’ve reviewed every report to give recommendations and guidance that makes sense for content designers at your level.**

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* In our survey, we allowed users to self-identify. We received fewer than 10 responses worldwide for people who explicitly identify as non-binary, trans, and other gender identities, which is below our statistically significant threshold for providing breakout results. If you have any questions please reach us at info@uxcontent.com.

** Where relevant, we’ve provided some recommendations for career growth. These are general recommendations and may not apply to your specific situation.

This data is based on a survey we conducted in early 2023. Your personal circumstances may differ from the data we received—use this report as inspiration and not a guarantee of future results. For example, training and education may not guarantee future results such as higher compensation, seniority, or more responsibility in your role. Training provided by us is not a guarantee that you will achieve the outcomes listed in our report. In some areas, we’ve combined datasets in order to produce a statistically significant sample. For example, we may combine data from countries or combine gender identities. We’ll clearly note if that’s the case in your report.

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