Graphic Designers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for graphic designerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $70,560 ≈ $34/hr
National median salary $62,960
Total employment 197,830 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +2.1%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 20,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 265,900 → 271,500 (+5,700)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$94,630
- California$86,800
- Oregon$85,140
- New York$82,410
- Massachusetts$79,690
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$45,600
- South Dakota$50,880
- Wyoming$51,110
- Mississippi$52,280
- Arkansas$52,670
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $94,630 | $87,920 | $46 | +34.1% | 1,150 |
| 2 | California | $86,800 | $75,130 | $42 | +23% | 27,390 |
| 3 | Oregon | $85,140 | $66,040 | $41 | +20.7% | 4,140 |
| 4 | New York | $82,410 | $77,340 | $40 | +16.8% | 14,530 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $79,690 | $76,710 | $38 | +12.9% | 4,450 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $79,430 | $73,790 | $38 | +12.6% | 5,670 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $78,900 | $78,220 | $38 | +11.8% | 750 |
| 8 | Washington | $77,910 | $72,710 | $37 | +10.4% | 3,960 |
| 9 | Maryland | $77,770 | $75,120 | $37 | +10.2% | 3,050 |
| 10 | Virginia | $76,670 | $72,310 | $37 | +8.7% | 4,740 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $75,420 | $72,700 | $36 | +6.9% | 1,930 |
| 12 | Colorado | $74,460 | $66,330 | $36 | +5.5% | 4,200 |
| 13 | Vermont | $72,420 | $65,690 | $35 | +2.6% | 410 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $68,280 | $63,860 | $33 | -3.2% | 5,570 |
| 15 | Florida | $68,070 | $61,660 | $33 | -3.5% | 12,660 |
| 16 | Utah | $67,600 | $62,310 | $33 | -4.2% | 2,720 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $67,240 | $60,490 | $32 | -4.7% | 790 |
| 18 | Alaska | $67,140 | $62,570 | $32 | -4.8% | 180 |
| 19 | Illinois | $66,980 | $62,560 | $32 | -5.1% | 8,960 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $66,620 | $60,730 | $32 | -5.6% | 8,150 |
| 21 | Ohio | $65,130 | $60,080 | $31 | -7.7% | 7,280 |
| 22 | Nevada | $64,700 | $62,890 | $31 | -8.3% | 1,570 |
| 23 | Delaware | $64,420 | $60,130 | $31 | -8.7% | 360 |
| 24 | Georgia | $64,240 | $60,250 | $31 | -9% | 5,920 |
| 25 | Arizona | $63,570 | $58,510 | $31 | -9.9% | 3,560 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $63,250 | $58,450 | $30 | -10.4% | 5,660 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $62,670 | $57,270 | $30 | -11.2% | 3,880 |
| 28 | Texas | $62,570 | $60,150 | $30 | -11.3% | 13,670 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $62,410 | $59,900 | $30 | -11.6% | 4,130 |
| 30 | Indiana | $61,990 | $55,480 | $30 | -12.1% | 3,450 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $61,870 | $58,070 | $30 | -12.3% | 520 |
| 32 | Maine | $61,780 | $60,030 | $30 | -12.4% | 560 |
| 33 | Montana | $61,670 | $56,890 | $30 | -12.6% | 610 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $60,610 | $57,170 | $29 | -14.1% | 1,930 |
| 35 | Michigan | $60,250 | $57,350 | $29 | -14.6% | 6,070 |
| 36 | Missouri | $59,660 | $56,750 | $29 | -15.4% | 4,500 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $58,000 | $56,700 | $28 | -17.8% | 1,670 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $57,870 | $56,730 | $28 | -18% | 850 |
| 39 | Kansas | $57,850 | $53,630 | $28 | -18% | 1,730 |
| 40 | Alabama | $57,010 | $51,070 | $27 | -19.2% | 1,760 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $56,160 | $56,470 | $27 | -20.4% | 460 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $56,050 | $52,960 | $27 | -20.6% | 2,060 |
| 43 | Idaho | $55,780 | $50,350 | $27 | -20.9% | 920 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $55,570 | $53,630 | $27 | -21.2% | 2,040 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $54,850 | $49,910 | $26 | -22.3% | 1,750 |
| 46 | Iowa | $54,820 | $50,310 | $26 | -22.3% | 2,100 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $52,670 | $46,220 | $25 | -25.4% | 1,390 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $52,280 | $45,640 | $25 | -25.9% | 830 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $51,110 | $45,150 | $25 | -27.6% | 240 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $50,880 | $48,390 | $24 | -27.9% | 470 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $45,600 | $40,350 | $22 | -35.4% | 520 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 467 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $97,360 | $107,360 | 1,280 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $92,050 | $102,130 | 3,870 |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $85,420 | $89,540 | 4,420 |
| 4 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $81,800 | $79,040 | 650 |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $79,280 | $85,950 | 15,160 |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $79,090 | $79,990 | 60 |
| 7 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $78,500 | $84,370 | 210 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,270 | $82,350 | 3,560 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $76,720 | $82,290 | 2,710 |
| 10 | Barnstable Town, MA | $76,140 | $77,340 | 60 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing graphic designerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Personal Services | $143,990 | $105,290 | 350 |
| 2 | Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles | $111,310 | $113,690 | 50 |
| 3 | Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds | $111,310 | $118,290 | 40 |
| 4 | Natural Gas Distribution | $104,910 | $103,880 | 50 |
| 5 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $101,400 | $103,660 | 1,510 |
| 6 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $101,400 | $103,660 | 1,520 |
| 7 | Utilities | $100,350 | $96,550 | 130 |
| 8 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $100,350 | $96,550 | 130 |
| 9 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $95,950 | $90,530 | 60 |
| 10 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $93,950 | $95,680 | 970 |
| 11 | Personal and Laundry Services | $92,560 | $96,620 | 450 |
| 12 | Drycleaning and Laundry Services | $92,390 | $87,540 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do graphic designers make in the U.S.?
The median graphic designers salary in the United States is $62,960 per year (mean $70,560), and about 80% earn between $39,520 and $104,910.
How much do graphic designers make per hour?
Roughly $34 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $70,560 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays graphic designers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for graphic designers at $94,630 per year (median $87,920).
What is the job outlook for graphic designers?
Employment is projected to change +2.1% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 20,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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