The Real Talk About Junior Salaries in London's Creative Scene
With another 4% minimum wage increase on the horizon, I've been having a lot of conversations lately. The kind where everyone's frustrated, no one feels heard, and frankly, I think we're all missing the bigger picture.
Junior candidates in London's creative and design sector are walking into interviews with salary expectations that would've been mid-level just two years ago. At the same time, agencies and studios are pulling back on hiring anyone without a few years under their belt. The gap is widening, and it's not helping anyone build the career they actually want.
So let's talk about what's really happening here.
What I'm Seeing From Both Sides
If you're a graduate or junior candidate looking for that first proper role in project management or operations, you're probably thinking: London is expensive, my degree cost a fortune, and I need to live. All true. All fair.
If you're running a creative agency or design studio, you're thinking: our clients haven't increased their budgets, our costs keep climbing, and hiring someone junior means investing serious time and money before we see any return. Also true. Also fair.
The thing is, you're both right. And you're both stuck.
Here's What Junior Candidates Often Don't Realise
When a company hires you fresh out of uni or with less than a year's experience, they're not hiring someone who can hit the ground running. They're hiring someone they believe in enough to invest in, knowing it's going to cost them before it pays off.
That investment looks like this:
Your senior colleagues spend billable hours training you instead of working on client projects. That's real money they're choosing not to earn so you can learn.
Projects take longer because you're still figuring out the systems, the tools, the way the company works. That's expected, but it impacts the bottom line.
You're not bringing in revenue yet. In project management and operations, you're supporting the people who do. That doesn't make you less valuable, but it does mean the business is banking on your future, not your present.
There's more oversight needed to make sure client work stays at the standard they expect. Again, totally normal, but it requires resources.
When I explain this to candidates, I'm not trying to justify low pay. I'm trying to show you why companies see junior hires as a bet on potential, not an immediate contributor. It usually takes 12 to 18 months before that bet starts paying off.
Why This Matters More Now
Here's the part that's making everything harder: costs are going up across the board, but creative work isn't getting more expensive for clients. Agencies are working with the same fee structures they had two years ago, sometimes less. The margin they're operating on? It's shrinking.
So when salary expectations rise but client budgets don't, companies have fewer options. What I'm seeing is:
They're hiring fewer junior people altogether.
They're redefining what 'junior' means, expecting more experience for the same title.
They're cutting back on training programmes and development opportunities to protect their margins.
And honestly? That's terrible news for anyone trying to break into the industry.
What Actually Works
I'm not here to tell junior candidates to accept less than they're worth or to tell companies to just pay more. Neither of those things solve the actual problem.
If you're starting out:
Think about what you're really looking for in your first role. Yes, salary matters. But so does who's going to teach you, what kind of work you'll be exposed to, and where this role could take you in two years' time. The highest offer isn't always the smartest one to accept.
Do your research on what people with your exact level of experience are actually earning in the creative sector right now, not what your mate in tech is making or what you think you should earn. London's expensive, but the market is what it is.
Be realistic about what you bring on day one versus what you could bring in a year. Companies want to know you understand that difference.
If you're hiring:
If you're asking someone to accept that they're an investment, show them what they're investing in too. What will they learn? Who will mentor them? Where could this role go? Make the full picture worth it.
Be transparent. If your margins are tight and you can't compete on salary, say so. Then explain what you can offer instead. People respect honesty, especially when it comes with a genuine development plan.
Junior talent isn't getting cheaper, so make sure the experience you're offering is genuinely valuable. If you're not committed to proper training and mentorship, you probably shouldn't be hiring junior at all.
The Bit No One Wants to Hear
The tension between rising costs and flat client fees isn't going away anytime soon. The creative industry needs to have some serious conversations about pricing, value, and what sustainable actually looks like. But while we're figuring that out, we need both sides to meet somewhere in the middle.
For candidates: your first role isn't about maximising salary. It's about maximising what you learn and who you become. Pick the opportunity that sets you up properly, even if it's not the biggest number.
For employers: if you want good people to stick around and grow with you, you have to make that growth real. Junior hires are still worth it, but only if you're doing it right.
London's creative scene is built on fresh ideas and new talent. Let's not price out the next generation before they've even had a chance to prove themselves.
