Working in Europe – Is the Game Worth the Candle?

After the collapse of the USSR, industry experienced a severe crisis, and with it, industrial design stalled. The industry has lost its systemic support and has been in a state of restart for years, while the US, UK and EU countries have long been building sustainable schools, industries and international brands. Ambitious and talented people in pursuit of self-realization went abroad and often achieved some success.

But times are changing, and in 2026 everything is no longer so simple. Let’s discuss what the European Union can give to a specialist and whether it is worth going there today. And if so, for what purpose.

Let’s start right away with the numbers. There are constant disputes around them in the professional community and on forums.

Important note: In Europe, it is customary to call the annual “gross” (before taxes), and not the monthly “net” (on hand). The offer of 30,000 € per year sounds solid, until you calculate that it is about 2500 per month before taxes. And then the most interesting thing begins.

Since I have lived in Italy for many years, and this country is a dream destination for many ambitious aspiring designers, it would be logical to cite it as an example.

On average, industrial designers in Italy earn the following amounts:

● Intern – 400–600 €/month (the most daring and talented – 1000 €). Some top studios do not pay for the internship at all, offering “valuable experience” and a line in the resume instead of money.

● Junior designer – 1200–1400 € net.

● Middle Designer – 1400–1700 € net.

● Lead designer – up to 2500 € net.

Of course, there are exceptions, but they are few. At the same time, designers often work in the studio through an individual entrepreneur on a simplified system, and not on the staff. The income tax rate is from 5% to 15%, but mandatory social contributions are added to this – on average at least 25% of income. The total burden is often above 30% of income. In addition, the mandatory costs of an accountant are another €500-1000 per year. At the same time, there are no paid vacations and sick leaves.

The real salaries of novice designers rarely exceed 20-30 thousand euros per year “gross” – this is about 1200-1500 € net after deductions. For comparison, the average gross salary in the country is in the range of about 30-35 thousand euros per year, but in creative professions, the numbers are usually lower. This is partly due to the fact that every year Italian universities graduate a large number of specialists in the field of design, and the market is objectively competitive.

Within the EU, the distribution of income in the field of industrial design is also uneven.

In Germany, salaries are higher – a novice industrial designer can count on 35-45 thousand euros “gross” per year (about 2000-2500 € on hand), but taxes are higher (up to 42% of income) and the cost of living. The middle can receive 50-60 thousand, and the lead – 65-75 thousand gross. As a result, the total tax burden for most specialists in creative professions is usually 30-45%, and for high-paying positions it can be close to 50-65%.

In Switzerland, salaries are many times higher (80-100 thousand francs per year for the middle), but the prices are so high that the Swiss from the border regions regularly go to Italy for groceries. I remember going to a factory in Switzerland on the border with Italy and buying a cappuccino in a local café, so it cost 6 instead of the usual 1.5 euros. For citizens of countries outside the EU, it is more difficult to get a job due to quotas and priority for EU residents, so either a strong portfolio or unique expertise will be required. This path requires preparation, significant effort and luck.

In addition to taxes, insurance, rent and other mandatory payments must be deducted from the amount “on hand”. In Milan, one of the key economic centers of Italy, renting a one-room apartment (studio) costs an average of €850-1300 per month, taking into account additional costs. You can find cheaper options, but this will require titanic efforts and a lot of luck. A room in a communal apartment is rented for 650-750 €.

By the way, the work itself may require expenses. For example, in order to cover the cost of traveling to Whirlpool and Studio Volpi, I spent about 100 euros a month and 3-4 hours a day.

In Berlin, a one-room apartment will cost from 1200 € per month. In Munich — 1500–2100 € per month. It is easier to rent an apartment in Spain, but large cities are also not cheap: renting a one-room apartment in Barcelona will cost 1130-1200 € per month. In Madrid, it costs €1000-1300 for a one-room apartment in the center. In the Czech Republic, prices are even more modest: in Prague, a one-room apartment in the center costs €800-1200 (20-30 thousand crowns), but the market is quickly rising in price — by 7% in 2024.

It turns out that a significant part of the income will be spent on rent alone, and it will be especially difficult for interns and juniors.

Another line of expenditure that may be unpleasantly surprising is medicine. If your insurance does not cover, for example, surgeries, then even appendicitis can make a hole in your budget. Prices for dental services are on average 3-5 times higher than in Moscow.

Munich stands out in its high cost not only in comparison with other EU countries, but also against the background of other German states.

In Germany, compulsory health insurance (public or private) is a condition for legal residence. But even if you have insurance, some procedures or medications may require additional payment, and if you change your status (for example, switching from an employee to a freelancer), the terms of coverage may change. In Italy, the situation is similar: there is a basic coating, but for comfortable access to specialists, you often have to pay extra.

Therefore, if you have serious plans to work in Europe, then the first thing to start with is to calculate the numbers and estimate whether you can handle such a financial burden or sacrifices associated with savings – for example, living in a communal apartment or renting a bed (and this also exists).

Salaries and expenses are not the only pitfalls in the world of European industrial design. It is tempting to participate in the projects of famous companies, but this does not mean that you will be entrusted with really interesting tasks or you will be able to influence the product as a whole. Industrial designer Daria Efremova confirms:

— An acquaintance had experience of working as an industrial designer in a large automaker in Germany, and he is very sobering to romanticize the “dream job” abroad. In the picture, this is the freedom of creativity, concepts and “I make a whole car”, but in reality, under a contract, you can spend years doing only the steering wheel or one or two parts, practically without affecting the overall image of the car.

This is not a unique case. In large corporations, design is often fragmented into product elements. A “line in a resume” is valuable, but you often have to pay for it with narrow specialization and limited creative freedom at the initial stages.

This is confirmed by my experience at Whirlpool. I have been fortunate enough to work outside of specific departments and to complete several projects in their entirety, but both my colleagues and I have regularly completed tasks to design handles, controls, and containers for refrigerators or ovens.

In design studios, the situation is different. There you can gain valuable design experience and participate in interesting projects, but your ability to place projects in your portfolio will probably be extremely limited.

It is a great luck to influence the whole image of the product. More often than not, a designer in the EU works on small elements for a long time, and this can be frustrating

In addition, all communication in some design studios is conducted in local languages, so knowledge of English may not be enough to get an offer and productive interaction with colleagues. I remember that even if I had an excellent Italian one, the design director of the Volpi studio was afraid to give me projects of Italian clients, fearing that I would say something wrong and this also felt like a “glass ceiling” slowing down my professional and career development.

In this regard, we can say that working in Europe is not about a dizzying career, but about a calm and stable job, unhurried career development and valuable experience.

After all that has been said, it may seem that going to Europe is pointless – you can’t earn much, and life is fraught with restrictions and difficulties. And all this is true. But that doesn’t mean we should forget about the idea.

Europe is, first of all, history and traditions, atmosphere and culture. Some of the best schools of industrial design are located here: Politecnico di Milano, Istituto Europeo di Design, Domus Academy, ArtCenter Europe and others. The community of professionals and teams working on projects is simply amazing, many legendary designers continue to live and work in the EU. The headquarters of brands such as Audi, Alessi, Kartell are also located in Europe.

The largest exhibitions in all areas of design are held annually: Surface Design Show, Salone del Mobile, Euroluce, Ambiente, Hannover Messe, Dutch Design Week, Light + Building, IFA and others.

In Europe and especially in Italy, the best design exhibitions of the planet are held. To visit any of them at least once is a must-have cultural program.

All this provides great opportunities for professional development. An environment that forms taste, discipline, and understanding of processes is something that money cannot buy, but which makes a specialist in demand and highly paid. You will be able to learn how to work in a team with engineers, marketers, and production workers — not as a visiting artist, but as an equal participant in the process.

In general, studying and working abroad will most likely not allow you to gain financial success, but it will help you become a sought-after specialist with unique experience.

Do not forget about the opportunity to travel simply and inexpensively to the beautiful countries of the European Union, delicious food, international relations and a pleasant climate.

All this does not mean that it is impossible to achieve success and wealth in the field of industrial design in Europe. This is an example of the history of our compatriots who have become important specialists in their fields.

Vadim Kibardin founded a successful studio in the Czech Republic and became one of the world’s recognized designers with a dozen international awards (iF Design Award, Red Dot). Igor Lobanov, whose superyacht projects for Spanish and international clients regularly appear in international publications, studied transport design in Turin from the age of 27 and invested an insane amount of effort in education, after which he settled in Barcelona.

But it is worth remembering that they started at a different time, and now a lot has changed. Therefore, before you go to study in Europe or accept an offer from a European company, carefully study everything related to it.

Europe is not a gold mine, there are no insane salaries, except for industry legends. This is a school, a competitive market, a developing and beautiful environment. It is worth going here if you want to improve your skills, work with brands, learn a systematic approach and professional discipline.

And for career success and achievements, you can always go to a country with a more dynamic and developing economy, for example, to Russia, as I did — and I have never regretted it.

If you have something to say about what you have read, we will be glad to comment on a special post in the telegram channel.