5 High-Paying Graphic Design Jobs to Earn $2,000/Month With the Right Tools

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Having been exposed to the demand for graphic design, I can confidently say you can turn this into an income opportunity for yourself. Here are five high-earning graphic design positions that can help you hit the $2,000/month income goal.

1. Brand Identity Designer: Creating Unique Visual Identities

I have assisted various clients who need help creating a cohesive brand identity, and I enjoy the work. Brand identity designers create logos, color schemes, and typography that reflect a company’s values and messaging. A strong brand identity can make or break a business, and companies are willing to pay top dollar for designers who can deliver.

Pay rate: $300-$1,500 per project
Potential clients: Businesses, new startups, and individuals
Skills required: branding, logo design, color theory, typography

As a brand identity designer, you’ll have to anticipate clients’ needs. Building rapport and communicating are as critical as technical skills.

Recommended Tools

Adobe Illustrator – Industry standard for creating logos and vector graphics.
Adobe Photoshop – Great for editing images and making brand mockups.
CorelDRAW – A solid alternative for professional logo and print design.
Canva Pro – Quick branding kits and templates for non-complex projects.
Figma – Useful for presenting and organizing brand systems.

2. UX/UI Designer: Creating User-Centered Designs

The demand for UX/UI designers has increased significantly in recent years. As more and more companies create digital products, the interfaces need to be user friendly and easy to navigate. You’ll design wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs that drive user engagement. A well-designed UX/UI can make a huge difference in user experience and conversion rates.

Compensation: $500–2,000 for each assignment
Possible clients: Tech start-ups, software businesses, app developers
Skillset required: Conducting user research, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing

Needing to do user research and testing while understanding the principles of user-centered design are a necessity and the foundation for getting to know the field of UX/UI designing.

Recommended Tools

Figma – Collaborative tool for wireframes, prototypes, and design systems.
Adobe XD – Simple prototyping and interactive UI design.
Sketch – Mac-based design software popular for UI/UX workflows.
InVision – Great for interactive prototypes and client feedback.
Balsamiq – Lightweight tool for quick low-fidelity wireframes.

3. Formulating Infographics

Infographics are useful for conveying complicated information. Infographic designers assist, and collaborate with, various stakeholders like businesses, educators, and researchers to produce, and create graphics that are useful and visually appealing. By using infographics, you can present data, summary processes, and emphasize specific information.

Pay: $300–1,200 for each infographic
Potential clients: Businesses, research institutions, and educational organizations
Skillset required: Data visualization, graphic design, storytelling

An infographic designer has to overcome the challenge of conveying a lot of information using simple graphics that are easy to understand. Keeping yourself informed with new and advanced designing tools and techniques is crucial.

Recommended Tools

Adobe Illustrator – Precise, professional vector infographics.
Piktochart – Beginner-friendly infographic builder.
Canva – Easy drag-and-drop infographic templates.
Venngage – Specialized in data-driven infographic designs.
Visme – Combines infographics with presentation features.

4. Designing Presentations

As a designer of presentations you would equip educational, corporate, and entrepreneurial clients with structured and visually appealing presentations. Your role involves designing various elements such as slides, graphics, and animations that capture the audience’s attention. A well-designed presentation can make a huge difference in communication and persuasion.

Pay rate: $200-$1,000 per presentation
Potential clients: Businesses, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions
Skills required: Slide design, graphic design, storytelling

To succeed as a presentation designer, you’ll need to be able to understand the client’s message and communicate it effectively through design. The message is the information the client wants the audience to act upon, and the design must capture the message and the value visually.

Recommended Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint – Business-standard for professional presentations.
Google Slides – Cloud-based and great for team collaboration.
Keynote – Smooth animations and sleek designs for Mac users.
Canva – Pre-made templates for quick, stylish presentations.
Beautiful.ai – AI-powered tool that designs slides automatically.

5. Digital Asset Creator: Building Scalable Design Systems

Designers must provide businesses with scalable digital assets like icons, graphics, and illustrations. You will create design systems to maintain uniformity across various platforms. Well thought out digital assets improve brand identity and augment a business’s visual recognition.

Pay rate: $500-$2,500 per project
Potential clients: Businesses, design firms, and marketing agencies
Required skills: Graphic design, scalable design systems

As a digital asset creator, the focus will be on the design of assets that accommodate multiple applications.

Recommended Tools

Adobe Illustrator – Perfect for icons, vector packs, and scalable assets.
Figma – Build and share reusable components across projects.
Affinity Designer – Budget-friendly alternative to Illustrator.
Procreate – Best for creating custom illustrations on iPad.
LottieFiles + After Effects – Create and export lightweight animated assets.

Free Tools Starter Kit for Beginners

These free tools will help you to get started if you’re not ready to pay for premium tools. Here are some powerful free alternatives.

GIMP – Free alternative to Photoshop for photo editing and basic design.
Inkscape – Open-source vector tool similar to Illustrator for logos and graphics.
Gravit Designer – Free browser-based tool for vector and UI design.
Krita – Excellent for digital painting and illustration.
Blender – Free 3D design software if you want to explore motion graphics or 3D visuals.

Pro Tips to Maximize Your Earnings

These 5 tips will give higher advantage to earn big and stand out as a graphic designer:

Develop a strong portfolio: Work to build a portfolio with pieces that will appeal to clients with higher budgets.
Specialize in a niche: Find a particular discipline within graphic design and focus on that to maximize profitability.
Network and build relationships: Expand your network by going to design conferences, participating in online forums, and reaching out to potential clients.
Stay educated on new design trends: Always learn new technologies, design trends, and design practices.
Establish definite boundaries– Set expectations on scope, timeline, and payment to avoid misunderstandings.
Pick high-paying graphic design jobs and strengthen your portfolio to achieve $2,000/month. With your efforts, a profitable graphic design career is achievable.