Free tool
Hire a designer or subscribe?
Compare the real cost of an in-house hire with a flat monthly plan. Change every number.
Over 12 months
A subscription costs
$44,655 less
50% lower than the in-house hire.
In-house designer
Subscription
Time frame
Defaults: $62,960 is the median US graphic designer salary (BLS, May 2025). 30% is the benefits share of private-industry pay (BLS, June 2026), an all-industry average, not a designer figure. Software, equipment and hiring costs start at $0 because they vary: add yours.
Running total
What you have spent after each month. Move over the chart to read a month.
Where the in-house money goes
- Wages$62,96070%
- Benefits$26,98330%
- Software and equipment$00%
- One-off hiring$00%
Side by side
Employer cost = salary ÷ (1 − benefits share). Total = employer cost × months ÷ 12, plus your extras and one-off hiring cost. A salary buys one person's time. A subscription buys output you can scale or pause, so compare what you need, not only what you pay.
How it works
Three quick steps
- 1
Set the in-house cost
Start from the median US designer salary or enter your own. Add the benefits share, software and hiring costs.
- 2
Pick a plan
Choose a noondesk plan or enter any other monthly price you are comparing.
- 3
Read the difference
See both totals over your chosen number of months, and the gap between them.
Good to know
- Defaults come from two public sources (BLS, May 2025 and June 2026) linked in the tool. The benefits share is an all-industry average, not a designer-specific figure.
- A salary buys one person’s time. A subscription buys output you can scale up or pause. Compare what you need.
Related
Keep going
Want a designer who does the work?
One flat price. Unlimited requests. A designer matched within 24 hours.