Graphic Designer

How Profitable Is It Being A Graphic Designer? (Updated for 2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: September 1st, 2024

How Profitable Is It Being A Graphic Designer? (Updated for 2024)

So you want to start a graphic designer?

And the first question that came to your mind was, “well, are graphic designers actually profitable?”

With a market size of $12.7B - there’s plenty of business to go around.

Especially considering:

You could start a graphic designer with as low as $35
Based on our data, graphic designers generate an average of $296K per year
You could see gross margins as high as 90% with graphic designers

There’s money to be made. Don’t worry.

But, I don't want to spoil it all. Below we’ll cover everything you need to know when it comes to the profitability of a graphic designer.

Let’s dive in!

Is a graphic designer profitable?

Yes, a graphic designer is generally a profitable business. However, you still need to consider several factors since these things always impact the overall outcome.

For instance, since average revenue is $296K per year with an estimated gross margin of 65%, you could expect to recover your investment within 7 months or even less.

But of course, it all comes down to how much you earn compared to the potential revenues of your graphic designer.

To determine whether your business is profitable, you should earn more than your expenses in the beginning months. However, while you're in your first month, it can be challenging to know what to expect.

Therefore, you should maintain a record of your monthly expenses and income to determine whether you're meeting your goals. By doing this step, you can see how your graphic designer is doing and if any changes or adjustments need to be made to enhance or maintain your efforts.

Is a graphic designer worth it?

If you’re wondering if a graphic designer is worth it, the answer is a big YES. With graphic designers, you have the potential to earn $296K per year (this is based on data reported by real founders).

Further, you could have your initial investment back within months. Simply put, it’s a business worth a shot, especially if you have the resources and make the necessary efforts to achieve or surpass the target.

With a market size of $12.7B, it will be possible for you to build something that grows and turns into a flourishing business. As such, it’s the type of business you might want to consider starting.

Of course, you must learn and understand every aspect of running a graphic designer to ensure success. Still, as long as you have the initial investment and can endure a few months before your actual gains, this business could be worth it.

You might want to consider reading more specifics about successful graphic designers case studies.

Examples Of Profitable Graphic Designers

Here are a few examples of profitable graphic designers, and a few more details about them:

1. VecRas Creations Pvt. Ltd. ($144K/year)

Spotting a gap in the booming gadget skin market, graphic designer Sunil Aggarwal launched VecRas in 2007 to supply essential digital templates, transforming a $1,000 per month start into a $20,000-$30,000 revenue stream with a nationwide customer base.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K

How I Started A $12K/Month Business Designing Phone Skin Cut Files

Founder Sunil Aggarwal started VecRas in 2007, a digital design company that provides Vinyl Ready Vector cut file templates for skins and Smart PSD mockups for mobile devices, which initially did $1,000 per month and now expects $20,000 - $30,000 per month with customers growing nationwide.

Read this case study

Read by 9,856 founders

2. FVA Business Consultancy ($12K/year)

Julmar Grace Locsin, founder of Filipino Virtual Assistance, came up with the idea after experiencing the challenges of transitioning from office jobs to freelancing. Recognizing the potential for freelancing to improve the lives of individuals and families, Locsin and her husband launched FVA to provide training, coaching, and services to empower freelancers. Since its inception, FVA has trained over 25,000 students and aims to become the top online academy in the world.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500

On Starting A Business Training Virtual Assistants

Filipino Virtual Assistance by FVA Business Consultancy, founded by Julmar Grace Locsin, offers online and offline training to empower marketers, enable businesses, and equip freelancers which has trained 25,000 students from their 31 courses, has 16 coaches assigned from different territories, and fifteen in the FVA team for global digital leadership that will impact the world through digitalization, one life at a time.

Read this case study

Read by 8,283 founders

3. Draftss ($180K/year)

Junaid Ansari and Amin Memon co-founded Draftss.com, a productized graphic design and frontend code service. They started by providing graphic design services and later added frontend coding to their list of offerings based on customer requests. In 2019, they made $66,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR), and as of July 2020, they hit $9.6k in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). Their focus is on automation and improving their service to retain customers and scale their business.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100

How We Make $7.5K/Month With A Productized Service

Draftss.com is a productized graphic design and front-end code service on subscription that made $66k ARR in 2019, has an MRR of $9.6k as of July 2020, and offers add-ons such as designers being added to team in interacting tools and front-end code services on WordPress using various page builders like Elementor and Divi.

Read this case study

Read by 12,234 founders

Learn more about starting a graphic designer:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a graphic designer?
-> Pros and cons of a graphic designer

Need inspiration?

-> Other graphic designer success stories

Other resources

-> Graphic designer tips

How much can you make with a graphic designer?

With a graphic designer, you can make an average of $296K revenue per year (based on data reported by real businesses).

You can start with an initial investment as low as $35. Then, with proper knowledge and sustained effort, you could have an ROI (return of investment) within 7 months.

How much does a graphic designer make a week?

Based on our data, average weekly revenue for a graphic designer ranges around $6.18K. As such, you could see monthly revenues of $24.7K.

To know if your graphic designer achieves the weekly profit target, you need to keep track of the total earnings you get per day. Afterward, you'll want to consider subtracting the expenses you have daily.

Learning your weekly profit can also show whether you're hitting your target goal for your graphic designer.

How much do graphic designers owners make?

The income of a graphic designer owner can vary depending on various factors such as location, size, competition, and the owner's business skills.

But to give you some idea, the weekly revenue of an established graphic designer is about $6.18K. But this can be lower or higher depending on so many factors - it's almost impossible to say exactly.

While the potential for earning a good income as a graphic designer owner exists, success in this field requires a commitment to providing quality products and services and building a strong reputation within the community.

Graphic Designer Profit Margins

Generally speaking, a graphic designer can expect profit margin of around 65%. Profit margins refer to the percentage of revenue that remains after deducting all expenses associated with running a business. In the case of a graphic designer, profit margins can vary depending on various factors, such as the type and quality of products sold, the size of the store, and the level of competition in the area.

However, these figures can vary depending on the pricing strategy, inventory management, and overall efficiency of the business. To maintain healthy profit margins, graphic designer owners must focus on managing costs, negotiating favorable supplier terms, and providing high-quality products and services to attract and retain customers. By doing so, graphic designer owners can ensure long-term sustainability and profitability for their business.

Graphic designer owner salary

The salary of a graphic designer owner is an unpredictable figure. It's significantly influenced by numerous factors, including the store's location, its size, and the degree of competition. An owner of a well-established graphic designer, in a prime position, might see an average weekly salary around the ballpark of $4.01K.

But it's worth noting, such numbers aren't always consistent. The earnings can vary wildly, potentially swinging by as much as 80% either way.

Achieving consistent success and maintaining a reliable income stream in this industry requires a deep commitment. It's imperative to offer high-quality products, deliver impeccable customer service, and nurture a trusted bond with the community you serve.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, based on many of our examples, a graphic designer may be a promising business to start - but the success of your graphic designer mostly depends on your effort and your approach.

If you focus on these, you'll have a much higher chance of a profitable graphic designer.

Part of

Becoming A Graphic Designer: Everything You Need To Know

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