Nick Shepherd
Founder and Managing Director
Desk Product, QA, Project and Delivery
Design salaries, 2026
0 to 3% salary growth across the discipline
Market correction after pandemic over-hiring. AI tool proficiency is now a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator. The premium sits with designers who pair those tools with strategic thinking and brand storytelling.
15 titles, base salary
AUD per year, before super. The bar shows each range on the same scale as the whole guide ($70k to $450k). The day rate is the guide's own formula, annual × 1.35 ÷ 220, on the midpoint. Treat it as a floor, not a market rate.
Title and rangeMinimum day rate
Chief Design Officer$300k–$400k
$2,150/dayHead of Design / VP$175k–$300k
$1,460/dayDesign Manager$170k–$200k
$1,140/dayDesign Lead$160k–$180k
$1,040/daySenior UX Designer$153k–$187k
$1,040/daySenior Product Designer$149k–$188k
$1,040/daySenior Service / Strategic Designer$140k–$180k
$980/daySenior UI Designer$130k–$150k
$860/daySenior User Researcher$130k–$160k
$890/dayService / Strategic Designer$120k–$180k
$920/dayProduct Designer$100k–$157k
$790/dayUX Designer$100k–$144k
$750/dayUser Researcher$100k–$130k
$710/dayContent Designer$100k–$140k
$740/dayUI Designer$90k–$130k
$680/dayHiring in Design?
No Design roles are live today. See all 10 live roles, or send a brief or your CV either way.
Likely desk for this area
Figures as tekFinder publishes them (2026 Salary Guide and Market Report), read 23 October 2026.