Average Illustrator Salary in Derby, United Kingdom for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Illustrator salary for 2026 in Derby and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the British pound. To keep things simple, we are using the GBP currency code instead of the currency symbol £.

How Much Does an Illustrator Make in Derby?

An Illustrator working in Derby will typically earn around 51,300 GBP per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 25,800 GBP to the highest average salary of 78,500 GBP.

Average Annual Salary51,300 GBP
Average Monthly Salary4,275 GBP
Average Lowest Salary25,800 GBP
Lowest Monthly Salary2,150 GBP
Average Highest Salary78,500 GBP
Highest Monthly Salary6,541 GBP

These are average salaries for an Illustrator in Derby and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Illustrator to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Illustrator salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Illustrator Salaries in Derby

So we've looked at the average salaries an Illustrator will earn in Derby. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Illustrator can earn between 25,800 GBP and 78,500 GBP on average in Derby. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Illustrator in Derby is 50,000 GBP. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 50,000 GBP, and 50% of the population earn more than 50,000 GBP.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Illustrator salary in Derby, 25% of the population are earning less than 33,500 GBP while 75% of the population earn more than 33,500 GBP.

75% of the population earn less than 60,100 GBP, and 25% of the population earn more than 60,100 GBP.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Illustrator Salary by Experience Level in Derby

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Illustrator salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Illustrator in Derby that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 30,800 GBP.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Illustrator salary would increase to 41,100 GBP.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Illustrator, the average salary would be 52,000 GBP.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 64,300 GBP.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Illustrator with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 69,800 GBP.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Illustrator with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 72,400 GBP.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
30,800 GBP
2-5 Years+34%
41,100 GBP
5-10 Years+30%
52,000 GBP
10-15 Years+21%
64,300 GBP
15-20 Years+9%
69,800 GBP
20+ Years+5%
72,400 GBP

Illustrator Salary by Education Level in Derby

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Illustrator in Derby based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. An Illustrator in Derby with a high school education can earn an average salary of 35,000 GBP.
  • Certificate or Diploma. An Illustrator in Derby with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 40,200 GBP.
  • Bachelor's Degree. An Illustrator in Derby with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 57,400 GBP.
  • Master's Degree. An Illustrator in Derby with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 71,700 GBP.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
35,000 GBP
Certificate or Diploma+14%
40,200 GBP
Bachelor's Degree+41%
57,400 GBP
Master's Degree+21%
71,700 GBP

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United Kingdom is around 29,600 to 88,700 GBP and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Illustrator Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Derby, a male illustrator will earn an average of 51,900 GBP, while a female illustrator will earn around 51,800 GBP.

This means that a male illustrator earns approximately 0% more than a female illustrator for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Derby

Male-
51,900 GBP
Female-0%
51,800 GBP

Illustrator Average Pay Raise in Derby

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Illustrator in Derby is around 12% every 14 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United Kingdom is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 14 ) × 12  = 10%

What this means is that an Illustrator in Derby can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 10% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Derby for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United Kingdom.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
3%
Energy-
6%
Information Technology-
9%
Healthcare-
3%
Travel-
6%
Construction-
9%
Education-
3%

Illustrator Bonus and Incentive Rates in Derby

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Illustrator is a low bonus based job, with 36% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

64% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
36%
No Bonus-
64%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United Kingdom earn approximately 7% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
72,700 GBP
Private Sector-7%
68,200 GBP

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Illustrator

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Illustrator in Derby.

Job TitleCategorySalary
3D ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment63,700 GBP
3D DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment59,500 GBP
3D GeneralistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment52,000 GBP
3D Visualization SpecialistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,200 GBP
Acrobatic RiggerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,000 GBP
ActorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment81,700 GBP
Art AdministratorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment66,200 GBP
Art DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment83,300 GBP
Art LeadMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment87,500 GBP
Associate Media DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment71,400 GBP
Associate ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment92,400 GBP
Broadcast AssociateMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment46,200 GBP
Broadcast News AnalystMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,400 GBP
Broadcast TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment40,300 GBP
Broadcast and Sound EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment59,800 GBP
Broadcasting JournalistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment83,200 GBP
Broadcasting PresenterMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment83,800 GBP
CAS EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,700 GBP
Camera Equipment RepairerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,000 GBP
Camera OperatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment38,700 GBP
Cartoonist / AnimatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,600 GBP
Censorship ExecutiveMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment73,200 GBP
ChoreographerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment56,900 GBP
ColoristMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment33,000 GBP
Communications ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment94,300 GBP
CorrespondentMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment73,200 GBP
Dance DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment68,100 GBP
DancerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment58,600 GBP
Director of PhotographyMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment66,200 GBP
Disc JockeyMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment42,500 GBP
Editorial AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment36,500 GBP
Events ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment67,800 GBP
Graphic DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment44,300 GBP
Industrial DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment43,400 GBP
Instructional DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment42,500 GBP
JournalistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment83,400 GBP
Makeup ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,600 GBP
Media Design ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment117,100 GBP
Media Equipment OperatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment35,300 GBP
Media Operations ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment89,300 GBP
Media PlannerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment61,700 GBP
Media ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment86,600 GBP
Media Product Development ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment109,700 GBP
Media Production ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment108,200 GBP
Media Program DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment127,700 GBP
Media Relation ExecutiveMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment121,800 GBP
Media Relations ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment124,500 GBP
Media Sales ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment130,500 GBP
Movement and Dance CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,800 GBP
Multimedia CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment43,800 GBP
Multimedia DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,200 GBP
Music ConsultantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,300 GBP
MusicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment49,400 GBP
News AssociateMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment61,700 GBP
News ReporterMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment76,800 GBP
Post Production AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment40,300 GBP
ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment109,700 GBP
Product DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment43,500 GBP
Product PlannerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment57,400 GBP
Production ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment58,500 GBP
Production AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment41,500 GBP
Production DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment88,700 GBP
Production TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment39,100 GBP
Program ResearcherMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment71,000 GBP
Promotion CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment54,200 GBP
Sound EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment58,200 GBP
Sound Engineering TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment34,400 GBP
Stage TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment35,100 GBP
Sub EditorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment39,500 GBP
Television Executive ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment132,000 GBP
Transmission EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,800 GBP
Video EditorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment47,200 GBP
Video ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,900 GBP
VideographerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment61,700 GBP
Visual DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,500 GBP

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United Kingdom, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Aberdeen52,300 GBP
Abingdon45,600 GBP
Armagh49,200 GBP
Bangor44,900 GBP
Belfast54,600 GBP
Birmingham58,600 GBP
Bradford53,600 GBP
Brighton50,100 GBP
Bristol54,100 GBP
Cambridge47,600 GBP
Canterbury45,300 GBP
Cardiff54,100 GBP
Chester45,700 GBP
Coventry53,600 GBP
Derry48,600 GBP
Dundee52,000 GBP
Durham48,500 GBP
Edinburgh57,900 GBP
Exeter51,800 GBP
Glasgow58,200 GBP
Gloucester51,300 GBP
Hartlepool50,800 GBP
Inverness46,100 GBP
Kingston upon Hull54,200 GBP
Kirkwall44,500 GBP
Leeds58,400 GBP
Leicester57,100 GBP
Lincoln51,300 GBP
Lisburn46,400 GBP
Liverpool58,600 GBP
London58,200 GBP
Manchester57,200 GBP
Newcastle53,500 GBP
Newport50,000 GBP
Newry45,300 GBP
Norwich47,400 GBP
Nottingham55,200 GBP
Oxford50,700 GBP
Peterborough51,600 GBP
Plymouth50,100 GBP
Poole49,700 GBP
Portsmouth49,200 GBP
Ripon44,500 GBP
Salisbury44,500 GBP
Sheffield55,400 GBP
Somerset54,100 GBP
Southampton51,500 GBP
St Davids40,600 GBP
Stirling47,400 GBP
Stromness45,200 GBP
Strontian45,000 GBP
Swansea51,500 GBP
Truro45,000 GBP
Wakefield44,700 GBP
Wells45,000 GBP
Winchester48,600 GBP
Wolverhampton55,100 GBP
York54,300 GBP

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United Kingdom.

StateAverage Salary
England97,600 GBP
Northern Ireland46,200 GBP
Scotland72,700 GBP
Wales49,800 GBP

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