Compare the true all-in cost of an in-house design team against a design subscription — with every overhead accounted for.
Open Calculator ↓The cost of an in-house designer is rarely just the salary. When you account for superannuation (11.5% in 2026), payroll tax, equipment, software licences, training, recruitment cost amortised over tenure, and the management overhead of adding a direct report, the true all-in cost of a mid-level designer is typically 1.35–1.45× their base salary — and that only covers one person's capacity, which rarely matches demand spikes.
This calculator helps you model the honest comparison. Enter your numbers and see the annual cost side by side.
For a two-designer in-house team in Sydney (mid-level, $85k base each), the true all-in annual cost including super, payroll tax, software, equipment, and management overhead is approximately $268,000–$295,000. A full-service design subscription delivering equivalent or greater output capacity costs $120,000–$180,000 per year.
Includes 5-year cost comparison, capacity analysis, and risk-adjusted modelling — ready for CFO review.
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