Summary
Are you getting paid fairly? And what's the salary growth potential? These were some of the questions that inspired us to launch the global Service Design Salary(+) Report. Now heading into its fifth edition already, the report has helped over 20,000 people make smarter career decisions. In this session, we're rolling up our sleeves and diving into the data of the upcoming 2025 edition of the report. You'll get a first and exclusive preview, hot off the press – the survey closed just 3 days ago!
Key Insights
-
•
The 2024 survey had over 1,000 participants from 61 countries, but is not fully representative of the global service design community.
-
•
Median salaries vary significantly by country, with the US median at $161K and the Netherlands at $73K, but these figures are influenced by seniority distribution.
-
•
Salary satisfaction is decreasing in some countries like the US and Netherlands despite rising median salaries.
-
•
Having 'service design' in an official job title does not necessarily lead to higher salary.
-
•
Men report higher median salaries than women year over year, indicating a persistent gender pay gap.
-
•
In-house positions generally pay more and yield greater salary satisfaction compared to agency or freelance roles.
-
•
Work experience strongly correlates with higher salary and satisfaction; service design-specific experience is tracked separately from general experience.
-
•
Senior executives, such as VPs, tend to negotiate salaries more frequently and work longer hours.
-
•
Remote work prevalence has declined from 79% in 2022 to 66% in 2024 among service designers working remotely, with freelancers working mostly remotely.
-
•
Design maturity of the organization correlates with higher median salaries, suggesting organizational context influences compensation.
Notable Quotes
"We have over a thousand participants from 61 countries, but remember this is only a sliver of the broader service design community."
"Salary is the most objective data point we have, but many questions here are subjective, like satisfaction and design maturity."
"Correlation does not equal causation; we're spotting patterns, not proving them."
"The average salary in the Netherlands might be high because there are more senior participants skewing the data."
"Men consistently report higher incomes than women across years, but don't jump to conclusions without digging deeper."
"People who work in-house tend to be more satisfied with their salary compared to those on the agency side."
"Having 'service design' in your official job title does not give you an advantage in salary globally."
"The more experienced you are, the more satisfied you tend to be with your salary; it can almost be double compared to beginners."
"Senior roles like VP require negotiating your salary almost by default."
"Remote work is less frequent now than it was two years ago among service designers, except for freelancers who mostly work remotely."
Dig deeper—ask the Rosenbot:
More Videos
"Laura let out a sigh of relief and said, I don’t think I could ever recover the way that you did."
Randolph Duke IIWar Stories LIVE! Randy Duke II
March 30, 2020
"Don’t force yourself into a job you know isn’t right just because you’re unemployed."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"You shouldn’t send another survey unless you’ve implemented changes and allowed time for behavior to adapt."
Landon BarnesAre My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?
March 10, 2022
"Design for Evil by Chris Nodder is a great resource to understand how behavioral design can be misused, sometimes very subtly."
Amy BucherHarnessing behavioral science to uncover deeper truths
March 12, 2025
"When you observe a quantum particle, its possible states collapse to one—just like user intent collapses to action."
David SternbergUncovering the hidden forces shaping user behavior
July 17, 2025
"Processes are never perfect, but thoughtful testing limits disruption for your team."
Deanna SmithLeading Change with Confidence: Strategies for Optimizing Your Process
September 23, 2024
"The establishment mindset is colonialism manifest in the design world."
Jennifer StricklandAdopting a "Design By" Method
December 9, 2021
"If adding a design program manager gives each designer back even one hour a day, you might make your entire team more efficient."
Rachel Posman John CalhounA Closer Look at Team Ops and Product Ops (Two Sides of the DesignOps Coin)
November 19, 2020
"Mirroring content by repeating back what people say helps them understand their own ideas better."
Gina MendoliaTherapists, Coaches, and Grandmas: Techniques for Service Design in Complex Systems
December 3, 2024
