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2026 Big Survey Signshop Owner-Manager Earnings and Retirement

Actual and expected earnings, exit strategies, biggest fears about retirement and more.

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Earnings & Retirement Plans

OTHER PROFESSIONS MAY be higher paying, but most sign pros are managing well given their earnings and retirement financial plans. Their goals are varied, but 97% feel their ultimate business goals have likely or better odds, while boredom tops their retirement fears.

20. How much do you expect to earn this year?

21. How much did you earn last year from being a sign-business professional (including salary and share of profit)?

LOW END. 57% of those earning less than $50K are at companies with sales under $250K, but there is no gender or regional skew. No surprise that the combined 8% earning $500K or more work for companies at or over $1M in sales.

22. What’s the current state of your retirement plan?

Dire
3%
It needs a modest boost
32%
On track
43%
I could retire today
13%
I don’t plan to retire
9%

23. How well have your earnings kept up with the recent cost of living?

Very well — no problems here
23%
Fine — tighter but only small adjustments
28%
OK — made a few adjustments
38%
Not so well — a lot of adjustments
11%

THRIFTY. The 11% responding “not so well” is down sharply from 19% last year and 13% reported in 2024. Impressive, given that nearly half of all respondents earn less than $100K.

24. What is your ultimate business goal?

MORE GOALS. All of the above. Getting the hell out with my sanity. Making sure employees are well taken care of and we can all feed our families. Retiring in comfort.

25. How likely are you to achieve your ultimate business goal?

26. In what age range do you plan to retire?

Before 40
0%
40-49
0%
50-54
4%
55-59
8%
60-64
17%
65-69
26%
70-75
21%
After 75
9%
Never
15%

SO CLOSE — AND FAR. Nine of the 13 respondents who plan to retire after 75 are already over 70. One is in her 30’s: only 40-plus years to go!

27. What is your exit strategy?

Go out of business/close the company
3%
Pass it/sell it to someone in the family
30%
Sell it on the market
20%
Sell the business to an employee
9%
Hire a professional manager but go hands-off
6%
Sell a portion and keep a stake as an income generator
2%
I have no exit plan but still plan to exit
15%
I have no exit plan
6%
Other (don’t know, not an owner)
9%

NOT FADE AWAY. However they leave or whether they leave or not, as in the song originally by Buddy Holly, a sign pro’s love of their work will never fade away.

 

28. If you (had to) retire today, what would happen at your sign company?

Wouldn’t miss a beat — I’m fully replaceable
11%
Would cause a hiccup — I’m mostly replaceable
34%
Would be a speed bump — I’m not really replaceable
32%
Would cause chaos — I’m irreplaceable
16%
Other (would close)
7%

TO THE LEFT. No owner or manager should ever want to find themselves, as Beyoncé sang, “thinking you’re irreplaceable,” so delegate, mentor, train a backup: “another you tomorrow.”

29. What, if anything, do you fear most about retirement?

Boredom (17%), nothing (12%), not enough money (4%) and death (3%) lead, with loss of purpose, worrying about family or business also mentioned more than once. One sign pro fears “the transition from 60-hour defined work weeks to zero,” while another has “zero chance of ever retiring.”

Go to part 4 2026 Big Survey on Signs & AI.

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