Creative Pay in 2025: What’s Changed (and What Hasn’t)

Back in February, LBB’s April Summers spoke with RGD’s executive director Hilary Ashworth about the role of data in empowering Canadian creatives to advocate for fair pay and better working conditions. Now, with the release of the latest Creative Earners report, there’s a new wave of insight to unpack.

Ten months on, the results of the 12th Creative Earners National Salary Survey lands with a fresh set of realities, some encouraging, some cautionary, but all of them essential to understanding the state of Canada’s creative workforce in 2025. Salary growth is climbing across senior roles, more professionals feel design is finally valued, yet pay gaps persist and signs of instability are emerging among independent studios.

In this follow-up, April and Hilary unpack what’s changed since the last conversation, and what still urgently needs attention.

LBB> Hilary, last time we spoke, you mentioned how the Creative Earners survey was designed to empower professionals with data they can use to advocate for fair pay. Looking at the most recent findings, what progress are you most encouraged to see? And where do you feel the industry is still falling short?

Hilary> It’s encouraging to see the median salaries in this report, which are more in line with living wages. The notable exception is junior designers, who have a median salary of about $51,000 CAD. I’m pleased to see how many respondents feel that design is valued in their workplace. This hasn’t always been the case, and I hope it points towards a larger belief in and understanding of the business value of design.

The report makes it clear that the industry is still falling short in terms of pay parity. Women, especially BIPOC women, are paid less than their male counterparts. The DEI section also reveals that initiatives are down across the board, though firm owners and educators note some meaningful efforts that hopefully point towards long-term change. And while it’s not an area where the industry is falling short, it raises a red flag for me that design business owners appear to be struggling more compared to the last report, noting increased layoffs, increased freelancer engagement and an increase in concern about business sustainability. If this trend continues, this could result in a more unstable, precarious creative industry.

LBB> Median salaries are up across most creative roles, with creative directors and senior designers seeing particularly strong growth. What do you think is driving these increases? Is it a reflection of market recovery, a shortage of senior talent, or perhaps a recognition of creative value within businesses?

Hilary> I think it’s likely twofold: there’s a larger understanding of the value of design, and so companies are willing to pay for top talent because they know they’ll see a return on investment. And, with the industry-wide movement towards salary transparency, I think designers are more likely to ask for what they’re worth. I’d like to think that Creative Earners has some influence too, making it easier for both the hiring side and the applicant side to understand what fair pay, or competitive pay, looks like.

LBB> Once again, the report shows women earning less than men across nearly all job titles, with product design showing the widest gap. Why do you think this disparity remains so stubborn? What structural or cultural factors are keeping it in place?

Hilary> The gender pay gap is a systemic problem that spans industries, and I think the reasons driving the pay gap – misogyny, women are more likely to have to pause working to raise families and therefore forgo career advancements – are relevant in the creative industry too.

In the case of this report, it unfortunately doesn’t surprise me that we see the largest disparity in product design and the tech sector. This area of the industry has long been male dominated, and that no doubt makes it even harder for women to be seen, and paid, as professional equals.

LBB> It’s encouraging to see the pay gap between BIPOC and white respondents narrowing overall, but disheartening that BIPOC women still lag behind. What can organisations do to meaningfully address intersectional inequities in creative pay?

Hilary> Management should recognise that these inequities exist, and then investigate their own hiring and pay patterns. Do your white employees make more than your BIPOC employees? What about promotion trends and raises? Are BIPOC employees given opportunities at the same rate as white employees? It’s critical to understand your own organisational culture and patterns so you can make educated, meaningful changes.

While the data still shows that pay inequities exist, I was heartened to see that in this report, design business owners are making an increased effort in implementing DEI measures into the hiring process. I hope that with more sustained and intentional changes, we’ll see this gap start to decrease.

LBB> The data shows a slight uptick in business owners engaging more freelancers, especially those working with three to five contractors. Do you think this suggests a shift in how agencies and studios are resourcing creative talent? Perhaps leaning more on flexible, project-based teams?

Hilary> I think this is more likely to do with the fact that we saw an increase in design business owners who laid off employees this year, according to the report. Instead of rehiring, they’re filling those gaps with freelancers when they’re needed. This seems like a risky trend that isn’t necessarily bad on its own, but if it persists, would make for a less stable industry as a whole if more professionals are out of consistent work.

LBB> For solo designers, the top client industries (non-profit, arts and culture, professional services) and project-based pricing remain fairly consistent. What does this stability tell us about the freelance economy in Canada?

Hilary> This overall stability demonstrates there is still a large interest in hiring freelancers and sole proprietors, particularly in sectors such as non-profit and arts and culture that historically have steady budgets that just aren’t big enough to hire agencies or studios. I’ll be curious to see if our data for solo designers changes further in the next report, given the emerging trend in hiring freelancers to fill gaps left by layoffs.

LBB> With Ontario once again making up the majority of respondents, are there any regional nuances or shifts that stood out to you this year? Have we seen any provinces catching up or standing out in terms of compensation or creative growth?

Hilary> It’s worth noting that roles in Alberta are some of the highest paid, with six positions having the highest median salaries (full-time freelancer, communications/marketing/brand manager, firm owner, UX designer, senior graphic designer and design/creative director). I found it interesting that the median salaries for all graphic designer positions became more uniform across the country, perhaps due to the presence of remote work.

Year on year, salaries are lowest in the prairies and the Atlantic provinces, though it needs to be noted that these provinces by far have the lowest response rates.

LBB> It’s great to see more respondents saying their agency places a high value on design — up 9% from the last survey! What do you think is driving this mindset shift? Is design finally getting a stronger seat at the strategic table?

Hilary> It wouldn’t surprise me if this shift is rooted in agencies’ understanding of the value of professional design amidst the rise of AI-generated content. While agency environments are often about speed and output – two factors that you might look to AI for – they are also about top-tier creativity and strategy, which AI can’t replicate.

LBB> The findings suggest in-house creative departments are expanding more slowly than before, with fewer reporting growth this year. What might be behind this? Are we seeing budget constraints, AI efficiencies, or a shift back toward outsourcing creative work?

Hilary> It’s an interesting question. I think time and future surveys will help us gain a clearer understanding of how in-house is evolving. As the financial landscape continues to shift and more companies feel the squeeze, there’s a chance we may see in-house environments change similarly to design business owners, who note layoffs and increased freelancer engagement.

That being said, this slowdown in growth could just be departments reaching an equilibrium regarding the number of designers on staff and the amount of work. I’ll be curious to follow this in our next report.

LBB> As you look at the trends shaping 2026 and beyond – from AI integration to remote collaboration – what do you expect will have the biggest impact on how creatives earn and work in the years ahead?

Hilary> As AI and automation reshape the creative profession as we currently know it, I think the value of designers will become even clearer. The ability to critique, edit and improve ideas is something AI can’t do, and as brands seek to differentiate themselves from AI-generated outputs, well-executed design will only grow in value, and we’ll hopefully see salaries for designers to match. We’ll likely see a return to tangible, meaningful collateral such as print and in-person experiences, while AI takes over repetitive production tasks, freeing designers to focus on concept, strategy and the human side of creativity.