Graphic designers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,520 | $19.00 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $62,960 | $30.27 |
| Mean (average) | $70,560 | $33.92 |
| 90th percentile | $104,910 | $50.44 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Graphic designers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $51,070 | $33,050 | $89,130 | 1,760 | 0.65 |
| Alaska | $62,570 | $39,380 | $103,440 | 180 | 0.45 |
| Arizona | $58,510 | $43,780 | $88,590 | 3,560 | 0.86 |
| Arkansas | $46,220 | $31,570 | $79,730 | 1,390 | 0.84 |
| California | $75,130 | $46,190 | $129,560 | 27,390 | 1.18 |
| Colorado | $66,330 | $47,030 | $118,560 | 4,200 | 1.15 |
| Connecticut | $72,700 | $47,420 | $106,830 | 1,930 | 0.89 |
| Delaware | $60,130 | $41,040 | $92,920 | 360 | 0.58 |
| District of Columbia | $87,920 | $62,240 | $136,660 | 1,150 | 1.29 |
| Florida | $61,660 | $39,810 | $101,860 | 12,660 | 1 |
| Georgia | $60,250 | $34,860 | $100,110 | 5,920 | 0.95 |
| Guam | $33,800 | $26,880 | $46,120 | 70 | 0.88 |
| Hawaii | $58,070 | $31,890 | $91,080 | 520 | 0.65 |
| Idaho | $50,350 | $32,900 | $82,140 | 920 | 0.84 |
| Illinois | $62,560 | $36,060 | $98,750 | 8,960 | 1.15 |
| Indiana | $55,480 | $38,520 | $98,020 | 3,450 | 0.85 |
| Iowa | $50,310 | $36,970 | $75,510 | 2,100 | 1.06 |
| Kansas | $53,630 | $37,440 | $86,260 | 1,730 | 0.94 |
| Kentucky | $52,960 | $32,620 | $81,690 | 2,060 | 0.81 |
| Louisiana | $49,910 | $35,910 | $76,300 | 1,750 | 0.71 |
| Maine | $60,030 | $39,160 | $79,000 | 560 | 0.69 |
| Maryland | $75,120 | $44,810 | $109,630 | 3,050 | 0.87 |
| Massachusetts | $76,710 | $47,830 | $108,970 | 4,450 | 0.96 |
| Michigan | $57,350 | $38,770 | $86,320 | 6,070 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | $63,860 | $42,690 | $96,960 | 5,570 | 1.48 |
| Mississippi | $45,640 | $32,260 | $75,480 | 830 | 0.56 |
| Missouri | $56,750 | $36,950 | $83,270 | 4,500 | 1.2 |
| Montana | $56,890 | $37,790 | $104,780 | 610 | 0.93 |
| Nebraska | $56,700 | $37,440 | $78,840 | 1,670 | 1.28 |
| Nevada | $62,890 | $39,470 | $88,890 | 1,570 | 0.8 |
| New Hampshire | $60,490 | $47,030 | $95,680 | 790 | 0.91 |
| New Jersey | $73,790 | $47,490 | $122,940 | 5,670 | 1.04 |
| New Mexico | $56,730 | $35,400 | $75,680 | 850 | 0.77 |
| New York | $77,340 | $43,680 | $131,250 | 14,530 | 1.18 |
| North Carolina | $58,450 | $37,680 | $95,380 | 5,660 | 0.9 |
| North Dakota | $56,470 | $37,610 | $75,700 | 460 | 0.85 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | $39,050 | $99,370 | 7,280 | 1.03 |
| Oklahoma | $53,630 | $27,310 | $80,980 | 2,040 | 0.94 |
| Oregon | $66,040 | $45,260 | $170,680 | 4,140 | 1.66 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,730 | $39,430 | $102,090 | 8,150 | 1.06 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,180 | $25,640 | $65,920 | 1,280 | 1.07 |
| Rhode Island | $78,220 | $49,330 | $107,580 | 750 | 1.17 |
| South Carolina | $57,170 | $37,190 | $90,000 | 1,930 | 0.66 |
| South Dakota | $48,390 | $36,290 | $66,620 | 470 | 0.81 |
| Tennessee | $57,270 | $37,910 | $92,540 | 3,880 | 0.93 |
| Texas | $60,150 | $36,340 | $92,910 | 13,670 | 0.76 |
| Utah | $62,310 | $39,170 | $96,810 | 2,720 | 1.23 |
| Vermont | $65,690 | $42,640 | $123,500 | 410 | 1.06 |
| Virginia | $72,310 | $39,020 | $121,680 | 4,740 | 0.91 |
| Washington | $72,710 | $47,780 | $115,210 | 3,960 | 0.88 |
| West Virginia | $40,350 | $29,530 | $61,640 | 520 | 0.58 |
| Wisconsin | $59,900 | $42,680 | $85,050 | 4,130 | 1.1 |
| Wyoming | $45,150 | $32,820 | $82,990 | 240 | 0.67 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for graphic designers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 16,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 20.5%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for graphic designers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design CIP 11.0801
- Computer Graphics CIP 11.0803
- Digital Arts CIP 50.0102
- Design and Visual Communications, General CIP 50.0401
- Commercial and Advertising Art CIP 50.0402
- Industrial and Product Design CIP 50.0404
- Graphic Design CIP 50.0409
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Use computer software to generate new images.
- Prepare digital files for printing.
- Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
Technology skills
- Adobe After Effects (in demand)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (in demand)
- Adobe Illustrator (in demand)
- Adobe InDesign (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (in demand)
- Canva (in demand)
- Cascading style sheets CSS (in demand)
- Figma (in demand)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (in demand)
- AJAX (hot technology)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Artist, Brand Designer, Designer, Graphic Artist, Graphic Design Coordinator, Graphic Designer, Online Producer, Production Artist, Publications Designer, Technical Illustrator.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do graphic designers make?
The national median annual wage for graphic designers was $62,960 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $39,520 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $104,910. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do graphic designers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is graphic designers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of graphic designers to change -1.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 16,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay graphic designers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($87,920), Rhode Island ($78,220), New York ($77,340). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.