Designers can achieve higher earnings as individual contributors rather than taking management positions. Research indicates that ICs earn more in both base salary and equity.
Interestingly, the data reveals that individual contributors earn 3-8% more than their managerial counterparts at parallel levels, with a significant equity advantage of 11-17%.
The rarity of Principal level individual contributors compared to more abundant management roles may also explain the higher compensation for ICs.
As designers reach the Principal level, they're often at the top of their progression, thereby justifying higher salaries to compensate for limited future advancement.
#design-salaries #individual-contributors #management-vs-ic #career-progression #equity-compensation
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