The next DIA Fee and Salary Survey is kicking off this week, gathering evidence about contemporary employment in the design sector.

The DIA first conducted this survey two decades ago. Each one provides a comprehensive snapshot of salary rates for different levels of experience, as well as details on studio size and set-up. By comparing results from different surveys we can spot trends and understand how standard practice has been changing over time. We can look at salaries in the design sector compared to other occupations by combining the survey results with Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

The results from the DIA Fee and Salary surveys have also been used by designers to benchmark their fees against their peers and to provide guidance on salary rates for designers ranging from recent graduates to the most experienced studio leaders.

Employees and employers from all design disciplines are invited to fill out a short, anonymous survey that provides crucial insights into current designer remuneration levels. Once all surveys have been returned, the results are compiled, analysed and then released along with a detailed report.

Full DIA Members get the results and report FREE, so if you’re not already a DIA Member, you should be!

The survey closes on Monday 3 June 2024, so don’t delay. Fill out the survey online now and tell your friends as well. Any Australian designer or design business can enter the survey – the more the better.

There are two versions of the survey – one is for individual designers supplying information mainly about themselves, while the second version is for employers (ie business owners and CEOs) who can supply information for all their staff.

If you run your own design consultancy and are also employed as a designer elsewhere you can fill in both the employee and employer/sole trader surveys so we capture a complete picture of your working week. Only provide details relating to your own consultancy in the employer/sole trader survey, and then fill out the employee survey with only the details relating to that role so you don't double up.

Find out what you’re really worth – or what you should be charging.