Heading into a design career? Design affects everything we do, so there are plenty of opportunities that align with your passion and artistic ability (or lack therof!).
Here are the 10 most sought-after design jobs in 2024, ranked by total number of jobs available on Indeed. Wage data was also found on Indeed.
Digital design in particular makes up some of the most sought-after roles today, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth is set to continue over the next decade.
Use the clickable menu to get a concise breakdown of each title:
- Product Designer
- Frontend Web Developer
- Digital Designer
- UX Designer
- UI Designer
- Motion Graphics Designer
- Graphic Designer
- Art Director
- Animation Designer
- Notable trends in design careers
Ready to get your hands dirty already? Try our free 5-day short courses in UX design, product design, and UI design.
What are the top 10 in-demand careers in design?
1. Product designer
Job duties
A product designer is sometimes considered a full-stack designer. They might be responsible for UX, UI, coding, project management, problem-solving, or all of the above.
Are product designers in demand?
Product designers are most in-demand at startups, large product-based corporations, and software companies. Specialized product designers are also sought after in the automotive industry. For an example of this, check out CareerFoundry graduate Ophélie Prada, who works as a product designer for real estate company Engel & Volkers.
Open product designer positions: 41,208
Average product designer salary
2. Frontend Web Developer
Job duties
A frontend developer codes the part of the website that the user sees and interacts with. They code the layout, interactive elements, navigation, and more using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. They are also responsible for ensuring optimal display across different browsers and devices, testing for bugs, and technical SEO.
Are frontend web developers in-demand?
Frontend developers are needed in every industry and can easily find entry-level jobs just about anywhere in the world. The need for frontend developers is not going away any time soon as anyone with a website needs them.
Open frontend developer positions: 37,551
Average frontend web developer salary
- US: $104,842
- Germany: €55.503
- UK: £48,464
- Australia: $112,122
- Canada: $79,429
- India: ₹5,95,752
3. Digital Designer
Job duties
A digital designer creates solutions for websites, product graphics, computer software, email templates, social media graphics, brand campaigns, and photography. The digital designer role is often wrapped up with another title but can be found as a distinct role as well, especially in the freelance world.
Are digital designers in demand?
Digital designers are sought after in many different industries. Marketing agencies and departments, e-commerce, cloud-based software, fintech, and tech hardware companies are all hiring digital designers currently.
Open digital designer positions: 34,162
Average digital designer salary
- US: $76,912
- Germany: €63.000
- UK: £33,182
- Australia: $102,563
- Canada: $55,571
- India: ₹2,95,730
4. User Experience (UX) Designer
Job duties
UX designers focus on providing a satisfying experience for users using the UX design process. They conduct research, testing, create wireframes, and use design software to create the best possible product, usually working within a team.
Are UX designers in demand?
UX designers are the most in-demand within the tech sphere. Open positions are most often found working on web applications, mobile apps, or software for companies in nearly every industry. Hardware companies are also hiring UX designers to help them create the perfect phone, laptop, tablet, or watch.
Open UX designer positions: 24,752
Learn more about what UX is all about in this video:
Average UX designer salary
- US: $90K
- Germany: €51k
- UK: £59K
- Australia: $90K
- Canada: $70k
- India: ₹5,68,876
Learn more about how much UX designers make in our complete salary guide.
5. User Interface (UI) Designer
Job duties
UI designers design the screens that a user moves through in an app, video game, website, or piece of software. They create visual elements and interactive properties like images, buttons, menus, forms, and more. UI designers are responsible for how the user navigates from A to B via different visual touchpoints.
Find out every step to this career path in our full guide to becoming a UI designer.
Are UI designers in demand?
UI designers are most in-demand in the tech industry. Niche tech companies like sales platforms, cloud-based software, customer relationship management tools, artificial intelligence services, and startups all need UI designers. UI designers are also sought out by marketing, branding, and web development agencies who work across a variety of industries.
Open UI designer positions: 13,056
Average UI designer salary
- US: $81K
- Germany: €56.125
- UK: £42,404
- Australia: $97,783
- Canada: $59,844
- India: ₹2,88,207
Learn more about UI designer salaries around the world in this comprehensive guide.
6. Motion Graphics Designer
Job duties
Motion graphics designers create movie clips, trailers, advertisem*nts, special effects, title sequences, and more. They use visual effects, graphic design, and animation to bring their creations to life.
Are motion graphics designers in demand?
Motion graphics designers are most in-demand at AI companies, the entertainment industry, startups, marketing firms, and creative agencies, digital journalism organizations, e-commerce platforms, and the automotive industry.
Open motion graphics designer positions: 17,322
Average motion graphics designer salary
- US: $77K
- Germany: €48.500
- UK: £34,182
- Australia: $102,563
- Canada: $71,701
- India: ₹2,85,236
7. Graphic Designer
Job duties
Graphic designers create visual concepts including the overall layout and production design. They create marketing materials, internal graphics, brand assets, packaging, website graphics, signs, and much more.
Are graphic designers in demand?
Graphic designer positions are open in just about every industry from construction to publishing, marketing to startups,and it continues to grow.There does not seem to be a single industry that isn’t looking for a graphic designer right now.
Open graphic designer positions: 12,167
Average graphic designer salary
- US: $59,517
- Germany: €41K
- UK: £29,237
- Australia: $71,722
- Canada: $58,048
- India: ₹2,41,934
8. Art Director
Job duties
Art directors are responsible for the overall visual style of magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They also direct the teams who work for them to develop the final product.
Are art directors in demand?
Art directors are in demand at advertising and public relations firms, newspaper and magazine publishers, specialized design services firms, and the entertainment industry. More recently, art directors, especially freelance or independent, are sought after in some retail and e-commerce spaces.
Open art director positions: 5,984
Average art director salary
- US: $85,939
- Germany: €102K
- UK: £47,399
- Australia: $87,910
- Canada: $77,702
- India: ₹5,24,901
9. Animation Designer
Job duties
Animation designerscreate mockups, 2D or 3D visual imagery, use animation software for drawing frames, divide up key poses, or rig models.
Are animation designers in demand?
Animation designers are especially sought after in the digital marketing realm, where animators create compelling advertisem*nts for YouTube and TikTok. There is also a strong presence of animation designer openings in the entertainment industry—especially in the United States.
Open animation designer positions: 4,604
Average animation designer salary
- US: $75,471
- Germany: €42.311
- UK: £36,237
- Australia: $69,021
- Canada: $71,701
- India: ₹4,62,430
Learn more about your earning potential in our animation designer salary guide.
What are the important industry trends for design careers in 2024?
Rapid innovation and turnarounds are necessary, and demand for motion design is at an all time high. If you’re looking to develop a specific skill, think about leveraging AI in your process. Degrees continue to decrease in importance, so don’t worry too much if you did not get a degree in design.
1. Rapid innovation and turnarounds are necessary.
The shelf life of design assets can be quite short these days.
YouTube videos last ~20 days, a LinkedIn post is good for 24 hours, an Instagram post will be in feeds for 21 hours, Facebook posts get just 5 hours, and a tweet has just ~18 minutes of fame. A TikTok trend maxes out at about 7 days and is only in its prime for maybe 4 days.
Companies are willing to pay more for high-quality creative talent so that they can quickly turn around assets that fit current trends.
2. Degrees continue to decrease in importance
With career change bootcamps, detailed online resources, and rapidly changing trends, companies would rather see a relevant portfolio of your work and a demonstration of your communication skills than a degree. Employers are looking for visual proof that you can create quality design deliverables and some industry knowledge.
Here at CareerFoundry, we offer top-rated bootcamps in product design, UX design, and UI design. Check out our free 5-day course in product design here.
3. Demand for motion design is at an all-time high
Across the board, video is becoming the preference for content consumption. YouTube advertising revenue increased, Instagram introduced Reels and a video prioritization pivot, and TikTok became the most downloaded app. The value of videos and animation is clear.
4. Demand for AI skills
AI skills are highly sought-after in UX design for 2024. Companies are embracing AI for automation, personalization, and data insights, creating a need for designers who understand and leverage these tools. Evolving user expectations and emerging technologies like AR/VR further fuel the demand. While a new field, AI in UX offers a promising future for curious designers willing to upskill.
Read more in our guide to AI for product design here.
If you’d like to learn more about getting started in UX design, check out these guides:
- How to become a UX designer
- How Ladislav transitioned from software engineer to UX designer
- The 9 best UX design certification programs on the market right now
- How to pick the best UX design bootcamp for your career change
