The UK's official graduate careers website

Login to My Prospects

Not a member yet? Join now
 

Search site
 

Furniture designer : Salary and conditions

More in this section

  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
  3. Entry requirements
  4. Training
  5. Career development
  6. Employers and vacancy …
  7. Related jobs

Print all pages in this section

Case studies

  • Pay rates vary depending on where you work, the size of the company/organisation and the demand for the job. Furniture designers might work for a large manufacturing firm, a small family firm or a design company doing work for several manufacturing firms.
  • Range of typical starting salaries: £18,000 - £21,500, rising to around £25,000 - £31,000 a year.
  • Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience (e.g. after 10-15 years in the role): £45,000 and above.
  • Earning potential can rise to around £100,000 for well-known, independent designers. (Proskills UK, 2010)
  • Self-employed designers are likely to earn at the lower end of the range when they start out.
  • Some designers negotiate royalties for their designs with manufacturers.
  • Working hours average 39 hours a week.
  • Working hours for self-employed designers may be irregular and flexibility is essential.
  • Late finishes and weekend work may be required when deadlines approach.
  • Part-time work is possible for established designers.
  • A lot of time is spent in a design studio or workshop but designers are required to travel to visit clients and suppliers, and to attend meetings and trade shows.
  • Self-employed designers may share a workshop with other designers to help reduce costs.
  • The proportion of women in the profession is rising as more women take furniture and industrial design based courses.
  • Manufacturers and design consultancies are found throughout the UK. Continental Europe also has a thriving industry.
  • Travel within a working day, overnight absence from home and overseas work or travel may occasionally be needed, but this depends on your choice of market and scale of work. For a reasonably progressive designer, after five or more years' experience, a significant amount of business might be conducted in Europe and possibly the USA.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
October 2010
© Copyright AGCAS & Graduate Prospects Ltd | Disclaimer
 
 
 

This website is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets if you are able to do so.