Study finds Wales is the best place for graphic designers in the UK
The latest research from NimbleFins has found that Wales is the best place for graphic designers to live and work in the UK.
Graphic designers earn more when working in Wales, and considering the cost of living, can afford the most for their pay.
When comparing wages in areas around the UK, it is common to assume that professionals in the capital city would get paid the most. In the case of graphic designers, however, London only comes in third in the pay ranking. The most lucrative region for graphic designers in the UK is Wales, where the average pay for professionals in the graphic design field is £30,924. Following Wales, graphic designers in the South West earn the second highest wages at £29,453 per year. As said, London ranks third in terms of mean pay, standing at £29,370 per year.
Although high wages are important to most professionals, pay does not determine the affordability of a region. Another vital metric to look at is the Pay to Cost of Living Ratio. Finding the best area from an economic point of view means considering both pay and cost of living. For example, while London ranked 3rd in terms of average graphic designer wages, it’s the most expensive region to live in.
If you adjust pay by the cost of living, then Wales is arguably the best place to work and live as a graphic designer. The average annual household spend is £24,461 in Wales. Combined with the average graphic design wage of £30,924, that yields a Pay/Cost of Living Ratio of 1.26. That’s 40% better than the Cost-of-Living Ratio across the UK for graphic designers (0.91).
The South East is least affordable for graphic designers. Average annual wages of £26,083 in the region are not enough to cover the high £34,190 average household spend in the South East. These figures translate into a Cost-of-Living Ratio of just 0.76, the worst in Great Britain.
To learn more, visit: https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/business-insurance/freelance-insurance-uk/best-areas-graphic-designers
