Designer Salary


How Much Does a Designer Make?

On average, a Designer make $75,960 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $36,160, while the top-paid 10 percent made $125,730.

Annually National Average Salary: $75,960

$36K
$46K
$75K
$91K
$125K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Arizona$46,030$48,110$72,800$92,850$113,100
Arkansas$22,880$44,020$48,680$57,900$63,140
California$40,570$54,290$91,340$108,350$153,840
Colorado- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -
Florida$24,960$26,370$43,920$52,930$75,630
Georgia$29,710$40,670$61,370$73,190$98,080
Illinois$47,310$63,600$85,200$103,760$134,740
Iowa- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -
Kentucky$21,080$45,890$56,380$70,830$83,370
Louisiana$27,650$48,040$76,300$89,790$128,690
Maryland$40,720$53,980$71,810$82,160$97,160
Michigan$42,540$44,210$63,200$72,840$107,240
Minnesota$29,710$29,710$62,610$81,530$104,000
Missouri$46,830$48,710$78,650$84,800$166,990
Montana- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -- NA -
Nevada$49,110$65,940$97,770$80,300$125,340
New Jersey$38,790$53,490$80,480$105,090$119,790
New York$52,000$69,990$93,890$109,600$141,890
North Carolina$35,390$47,250$70,910$91,320$105,910
Ohio$42,390$43,770$59,910$71,190$87,080
Oregon$40,000$42,860$66,550$78,040$104,830
Pennsylvania$39,250$45,940$76,340$97,290$144,130
Rhode Island$38,820$38,820$55,810$60,670$83,730
South Carolina$19,390$31,340$73,460$84,580$161,370
Tennessee$36,040$38,210$59,120$82,460$86,670
Texas$31,190$38,330$56,430$71,690$75,310
Utah$29,120$36,690$52,960$66,090$81,080
Vermont$35,410$42,890$60,650$72,180$127,620
Virginia$43,860$55,260$83,770$108,460$115,940
Washington$43,060$48,190$69,310$84,510$108,140
Wisconsin$35,930$45,280$58,590$71,220$74,380
Puerto Rico$28,070$53,990$69,570$66,350$124,800

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is Nevada, where the average salary is $97,770.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

Nevada - $97,770
New York - $93,890
California - $91,340
Illinois - $85,200
Virginia - $83,770

Designers: Salary Overview

The term “designer” is a broad term that may refer to graphic designers, fashion designers, interior designers, floral designers, or industrial designers.

Their role and job description vary depending on specialty and expertise.

For example, graphic designers interpret the client or employer’s marketing needs and use a variety of software to create visuals that will promote the company and inspire the target audience.

Median annual wages also vary depending on the designer’s specialty.

Graphic designers earn $52,110 a year as of May 2019 while fashion designers earn a median annual wage of $73,790 in May 2019.

The median annual wage in the United States was $68,890 for industrial designers, $28,040 for floral designers, and $50,090 for interior designers.

Designer Salary by Industry

Annual salaries for designers, in general, vary widely depending on the industry of employment and their specialty.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of graphic designers (22%) were self-employed while 10% of them worked for companies that provide specialized design services.

The industry of advertising, public relations, and related services hired about 8% of all graphic designers while 7% of them worked in the industry of print and related support activities.

Newspapers, periodical, book, and directory publishers employed around 5% of all graphic designers.

The earnings of salaried graphic designers vary depending on the industry of employment.

Graphic designers who worked in advertising earned a median annual wage of $54,320 as of May 2019 while those who worked for companies that provide specialized design services earned a median annual wage of $54,150.

Graphic designers who worked in the field of printing and related support activities earned significantly less, with a median annual salary set at $41,290.

Those employed by newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers earned around $43,950 a year.

Fashion designers, on the other hand, worked mostly for apparel, piece goods, and notions merchant wholesalers or were self-employed.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, merchant wholesalers hired approximately 28 percent of all fashion designers.

Many fashion designers (about 24%) were self-employed while 13% of them worked for companies that provide management services.

The motion picture and video industry hired 11% of all fashion designers.

Their earnings also varied depending on the field of employment.

For example, the highest median salary of $80,140 a year was reported in the field of motion picture and video industry.

Fashion designers who worked for apparel manufacturers earned a median annual wage of $73,600 while those who worked for apparel wholesalers earned around $73,060 per year.

However, reputation, the level of experience, and the portfolio is another important factor that determines how much a designer makes, regardless of their field of expertise.

If you’re a fashion designer with a great portfolio you can easily make over $150,000 a year but if you’re just a beginner who’s trying to build a portfolio, your should expect to make less than $40,000 a year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most interior designers worked for companies that provide specialized design services (28%) or were self-employed (23%).

The highest median annual wage for interior designers was reported in the industry of architectural, engineering, and related services- a field where designers earned somewhere around $60,910.

Interior designers who worked for furniture stores, on the other hand, earned significantly less; the median annual salary for this industry was $47,340.

However, there are many other factors that impact an interior designer’s earnings and if you’re an experienced designer who works for a furniture store you can make more than a less experienced designer who works for an architectural company, for example.

The region of employment and the size of the company is another factor that influences salaries in the field of interior design.

Many designers also receive commissions, bonuses, and profit-sharing and these can supplement their annual wages with several thousands of dollars a year.

It all depends on the employer, the designer’s role in the company, and the compensation package the designer has negotiated.

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Designers. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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