If you work in the creative and design industry, you’ll know it’s one of the most quickly evolving sectors in Ireland. Collectively, the creative industries in Ireland are estimated to account for more than €5 billion annually. And not only do creative and design professionals normally get to make the most of their artistic talents in a professional setting, they get the chance to work in increasingly innovative and impactful roles. And jobs that play a pivotal role in a business’ branding, developing the very best user experiences, not to mention, cutting edge product designs. When you consider the value these roles can have on companies, it’s no surprise that demand is at an all-time high.
But what do these jobs pay? In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into creative and design salaries for 2025. After all, when you understand the true earning potential of this competitive field, you can better understand career opportunities, how to earn the highest salaries, plus put a plan in place for your own career progression.
Whether you’re a designer, copywriter, or UX expert, this blog outlines the salary ranges across various disciplines, proving why Ireland continues to be a thriving hub for creative talent.
Creative & Design Landscape in Ireland
Ireland’s creative and design industry is booming, with more and more businesses recognising the value that hiring great design and content talent can have in driving their growth. Ireland is currently home to a large number of successful design-focused startups (like Black Pug Studio, SAXA, and Chapter Dee) who all trade alongside multinational tech giants that prioritise user experience, branding, and design innovation (think Apple, Microsoft, and Google) that have also set up homes in the country. Add this to a competitive job market, and we’re seeing increasingly attractive salaries, plus some excellent career progression prospects for design and creative specialists in Ireland.
Did you know that an estimated 80,000 people are employed across disciplines like UX/UI design, branding, copywriting, product design, and graphic design in Ireland? So if you’re like many of the ambitious creatives we work with at Connexus, check out the current opportunities in Ireland – it’s an excellent place to further your career!
Overview of Creative & Design Salaries in Ireland
Wondering how much you could make in a creative and design role in Ireland in 2025? We recently carried out a comprehensive salary survey and are pleased to share some of the results with you based on experience levels. Here’s our breakdown of salary ranges for professionals at different stages of their career:
- Entry-Level Creative & Design Roles
Here we’re talking graduates – or those with 1–2 years of experience. People at this level can expect to be offered salaries ranging from €25,000 to €35,000. Jobs such as junior graphic designers and UX/UI assistants would sit within this category. - Mid-Level Creative & Design Roles
Next, professionals with between 3 and 5 years of experience can expect to earn between €40,000 and €60,000. Roles such as mid-level UX designers or senior copywriters would also fall into this category, and it’s important to note that there will be variations depending on the discipline. - Senior-Level Creative & Design Roles
For senior creatives with over 5 years of experience, salaries will typically fall within the range of €70,000 and €100,000+, and particularly in leadership positions like senior art directors or heads of UX/UI.
We can see from these figures that those with specialised creative and design expertise can earn well in Ireland.
Creative & Design Salaries by Discipline
Each creative discipline has its unique salary benchmarks. Let’s drill down into the specific categories…
Salaries for UX, UI & Product Design Roles in Ireland
As a company deeply embedded within Ireland’s creative and design world, we’ve identified UX/UI and product design as some of the most popular in Ireland right now. It’s professionals in this specialist area that are directly responsible for ensuring websites, apps, and digital products are not just user-friendly, but look great too! UX designer salaries, UI designer salaries, and product design salaries often reflect the high level of technical expertise required to succeed in this field:
- Head of UX/UI Design – €90,000–€120,000
These specialists oversee the whole UX/UI vision and strategy and as such can earn the most when it comes to UX/UI/product design salaries - Experience Design Lead – €80,000–€100,000
Leads teams to create outstanding user experiences. - Senior UX/UI Designer – €60,000–€85,000
Brings their expertise to complex projects, often mentoring more junior designers. - UX/UI Designer – €45,000–€65,000
Designs digital products, ensuring great functionality and aesthetics. - Product Designer – €50,000–€75,000
Combines UX/UI design with product development to come up with new and improved solutions. - UX Researcher – €40,000–€65,000
Researches and analyses and uses their findings to direct future design decisions. - Usability Analyst – €35,000–€55,000
Tests products to ensure they meet user needs and expectations. - Junior UX Designer – €30,000–€40,000
Sitting at the lower end of UX Designer salaries, someone in this role will gain valuable experience while supporting senior colleagues while gaining valuable experience.
Salaries for Graphic / Visual Design Roles in Ireland
People who work as graphic and visual designers are talented individuals! They’re the ones who create visuals for communicating a business’ messages both accurately and persuasively. The demand for graphic designers in Ireland is really high at the moment, and particularly in areas including advertising, branding, and digital design.
- Lead Graphic Designer – €60,000–€75,000
At the top of the graphic designer salaries in Ireland sit those who manage design projects and supervise design teams to ensure creative excellence. - Senior Graphic Designer – €50,000–€65,000
Professionals with advanced skills and experience and who lead on high-profile graphic design tasks. - 3D Designer – €45,000–€60,000
Responsible for creating attractive 3D designs. - Graphic Designer – €35,000–€50,000
Delivers creative designs for marketing and promotional materials. - Motion Graphics Designer – €40,000–€60,000
Focuses on engaging animations and videos to enhance storytelling. - Junior Graphic Designer – €25,000–€35,000
Assists on design projects and professional experience to progress their career.
Salaries for Copywriting / Content Roles in Ireland
It’s copywriters and content creators that craft key messaging for brands. From short, sharp ad copy to SEO blogs and stories, professionals with these skills are frequently also behind entire content strategies. Needless to say, these roles are important in any marketing and communications department.
- Content Manager – €55,000–€75,000
Typically earns the highest of the content/copywriter salaries, and oversees the creation and implementation of a brand’s content strategy. - Senior Copywriter – €50,000–€65,000
Develops great quality copy for various marketing campaigns. - Content Strategist – €45,000–€60,000
Plans and executes end-to-end content strategies and aligns them with overall business strategies. - SEO Copywriter – €35,000–€50,000
Writes optimised content to improve search engine rankings and engagement. - Junior Copywriter – €25,000–€35,000
Creates basic copy while learning to adapt tone and style to brand guidelines.
Salaries for Branding / Identity Roles in Ireland
Professionals in branding are those employees responsible for creating memorable and consistent brand images, while ensuring a company’s communications and visual identity align with its overall missions.
- Creative Brand Director – €80,000–€100,000
Shapes the overall branding strategy and oversees all creative activity.
- Brand Strategist – €55,000–€75,000
Develops strategic plans for enhancing a brand’s market presence. - Brand Designer – €40,000–€60,000
Works on visual elements – think logos and brand collateral – to communicate key messages. - Junior Brand Designer – €25,000–€35,000
Supports more senior designers in delivering branding projects for various clients.
Salaries for Creative Direction Roles in Ireland
When we talk about creative direction roles, we mean some of the most senior positions available in the creative and design world. These are professionals who typically oversee entire teams and campaigns, and they receive salaries that reflect both the vast responsibility, knowledge, and levels of experience needed.
- Executive Creative Director – €100,000–€120,000
Leads the creative vision across different projects and teams. - Creative Director – €80,000–€100,000
Guides creative processes all the way from concept through to delivery. - Senior Art Director – €70,000–€95,000
Directs design on major projects, often while mentoring more junior designers. - Art Director – €55,000–€75,000
Deals with any artistic aspects of projects, making sure there’s a consistent look and feel throughout.
Top Highest Paying Creative & Design Jobs in Ireland
If you’re looking to earn well in a creative and design role, here’s our list of the highest paying creative jobs, according to our survey. For these kinds of positions we’re looking specifically at professionals with 5+ years of experience:
- Executive Creative Director – €120,000
Leads the overall creative vision and strategies for campaigns. - Head of UX/UI Design – €120,000
Oversees all user experience design activities. - Creative Director – €100,000
Guides the whole creative process across branding, content, and design teams. - Creative Brand Director – €100,000
Shapes brand identity and ensures consistency across all creative outputs. - Senior Art Director – €95,000
Directs high-impact visual projects while managing and mentoring design teams.
When it comes to these kinds of senior roles, they typically call for not just years of experience but also proven leadership and strategic skills, as they have a direct influence on a company’s creative direction and overall, success.
Unlock Your Creative Career Potential
At Connexus Recruit, we’re passionate about matching the best creative and design talent with exciting employers and roles that suit their skills and career goals perfectly. Whatever your specialism, we’re here to help!
Explore the full Connexus Recruit Salary Survey 2025 to get even more insights like these on creative and design salaries. And why not check out our latest jobs too.
We’re ready and waiting to put you in touch with Ireland’s leading creative employers.
