Design & code at DoorDash, prev. Instagram, Headspace, Red Bull.

Frank Bach

I went back and forth on whether or not I'd answer this one. Maybe I'm old school, I dunno - this feels a tad uncomfortable but maybe it's better to share for the greater good and uplifting others to know their true value. Here's my life's salary history, with years and titles:2007 - straight out of collegeGraphic Designer, freelance - Sudbury, ON - $30,000 CAD ($20,000 USD)

This was mostly freelancing and designing the odd gig poster. 

2009Founder, brand / digital design agency - Sudbury, ON - $55,000 CAD ($38,000 USD). By 2012 I was earning $75,000 CAD ($52,000 USD).

I was working 60 hr weeks for this, easily. Burned me out. Keep in mind, in Canada much of your social safety nets are in place like healthcare, some dental, $20/day child care.

2015Senior Visual & Interaction Designer, Edenspiekermann - Los Angeles, CA - $135,000 USD

I basically 2.5x'ed my Canadian salary by moving to the states. Hard to ignore those kind of numbers. This role is where I transitioned from graphic design. 

2016Product Designer - Headspace - Los Angeles, CA - $125,000 USD, bumped up to $135,000 after 6mo + 10% bonus. Received 42,000 RSUs that are hopefully worth something when the company has a liquidity event.

By 2017 I was promoted to Senior Product Designer and earning $150,000 USD + 10% bonus. By 2019 I was a Lead Product Designer earning $178,000 USD, mostly due to annual comp. increases. At this point, my work visa would expire and the company sponsored my green card. That process took 3 years to complete and by 2022 I was a Principal Product Designer earning almost $200,000 USD + 12.5% bonus. Really good money, but towards the end started to feel undervalued. 

2023Staff Product Designer - Meta (Instagram) - Los Angeles, CA - $235,000 base + $40,000 sign-on bonus + $750,000 RSU’s over 4 years vesting immediately. 

By 2024, I was given a $5K increase to $240,000 as base salary and the stock was on a tear. For 2 years I was making between $650-700K/yr. Add on their generous 401(k) match and that’s easily an extra chunk. More than anywhere else, working at Meta you can really earn a lot with strong personal performance w/ bonuses, and depending on the current stock value - this can fluctuate from year-to-year.2025Staff Product Designer - DoorDash - Los Angeles, CA - As always I keep this updated after I've moved on :) 

I went back and forth on whether or not I'd answer this one. Maybe I'm old school, I dunno - this feels a tad uncomfortable but maybe it's better to share for the greater good and uplifting others to know their true value. Here's my life's salary history, with years and titles:

Graphic Designer, freelance - Sudbury, ON - $30,000 CAD ($20,000 USD)

This was mostly freelancing and designing the odd gig poster. 

Founder, brand / digital design agency - Sudbury, ON - $55,000 CAD ($38,000 USD). By 2012 I was earning $75,000 CAD ($52,000 USD).

I was working 60 hr weeks for this, easily. Burned me out. Keep in mind, in Canada much of your social safety nets are in place like healthcare, some dental, $20/day child care.

Senior Visual & Interaction Designer, Edenspiekermann - Los Angeles, CA - $135,000 USD

I basically 2.5x'ed my Canadian salary by moving to the states. Hard to ignore those kind of numbers. This role is where I transitioned from graphic design. 

Product Designer - Headspace - Los Angeles, CA - $125,000 USD, bumped up to $135,000 after 6mo + 10% bonus. Received 42,000 RSUs that are hopefully worth something when the company has a liquidity event.

By 2017 I was promoted to Senior Product Designer and earning $150,000 USD + 10% bonus. By 2019 I was a Lead Product Designer earning $178,000 USD, mostly due to annual comp. increases. At this point, my work visa would expire and the company sponsored my green card. That process took 3 years to complete and by 2022 I was a Principal Product Designer earning almost $200,000 USD + 12.5% bonus. Really good money, but towards the end started to feel undervalued. 

Staff Product Designer - Meta (Instagram) - Los Angeles, CA - $235,000 base + $40,000 sign-on bonus + $750,000 RSU’s over 4 years vesting immediately. 

By 2024, I was given a $5K increase to $240,000 as base salary and the stock was on a tear. For 2 years I was making between $650-700K/yr. Add on their generous 401(k) match and that’s easily an extra chunk. 

More than anywhere else, working at Meta you can really earn a lot with strong personal performance w/ bonuses, and depending on the current stock value - this can fluctuate from year-to-year.

Staff Product Designer - DoorDash - Los Angeles, CA - As always I keep this updated after I've moved on :) 

Frank Bach

What’s your current salary?

Subscribe to Frank Bach

Frank Bach