Graphic Designer Salary


How Much Does a Graphic Designer Make?

On average, a Graphic Designer make $59,970 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $31,310, while the top-paid 10 percent made $98,260.

Annually National Average Salary: $59,970

$31K
$39K
$59K
$74K
$98K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2021 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
Alabama$29,010$36,130$52,150$62,560$80,090
Alaska$35,720$38,470$52,940$62,730$78,050
Arizona$35,930$39,090$56,090$63,370$84,140
Arkansas$29,980$32,130$46,950$57,450$73,260
California$37,600$47,870$70,090$81,120$106,260
Colorado$38,490$47,230$63,690$76,920$96,680
Connecticut$36,940$47,230$61,410$74,280$88,130
Delaware$35,190$39,270$57,280$72,230$80,060
District of Columbia$60,590$61,930$85,070$102,230$125,810
Florida$30,810$38,870$53,720$62,390$79,710
Georgia$30,410$38,230$57,630$76,710$90,440
Hawaii$33,150$40,400$56,510$71,160$79,470
Idaho$17,820$24,440$45,390$49,700$77,680
Illinois$33,630$42,760$57,550$63,370$80,580
Indiana$30,640$37,770$48,540$58,030$66,110
Iowa$29,070$31,500$44,450$49,300$62,840
Kansas$30,160$37,790$48,340$59,360$69,310
Kentucky$30,060$36,900$49,010$60,110$66,790
Louisiana$26,850$33,350$42,630$48,890$61,730
Maine$30,230$37,070$49,930$61,700$76,920
Maryland$30,390$43,240$64,600$80,080$101,630
Massachusetts$39,270$49,290$71,770$80,860$102,480
Michigan$30,850$38,590$59,620$63,920$98,070
Minnesota$38,340$47,300$60,950$66,030$98,070
Mississippi$24,060$30,150$41,560$47,500$63,370
Missouri$26,360$35,470$47,430$59,560$70,140
Montana$30,140$36,670$45,840$49,700$63,100
Nebraska$30,640$38,490$52,170$62,030$77,700
Nevada$37,680$45,760$52,930$61,700$79,200
New Hampshire$36,750$42,450$55,320$62,840$79,510
New Jersey$38,670$49,110$67,810$79,650$98,750
New Mexico$29,580$32,840$44,100$49,280$63,370
New York$38,470$49,130$74,510$97,120$125,250
North Carolina$30,550$38,490$53,770$62,510$79,960
North Dakota$29,490$36,220$44,130$49,140$61,930
Ohio$30,480$38,470$55,230$62,700$80,180
Oklahoma$29,010$36,770$48,010$60,110$76,320
Oregon$30,500$38,670$56,830$64,170$83,220
Pennsylvania$30,140$38,550$53,890$63,370$80,140
Rhode Island$38,600$48,930$65,100$78,050$98,750
South Carolina$29,090$37,300$51,120$60,010$77,680
South Dakota$30,100$31,220$40,120$47,040$49,640
Tennessee$30,050$38,170$49,810$61,700$76,610
Texas$28,880$36,390$50,920$61,600$77,820
Utah$30,060$38,350$53,370$62,560$79,760
Vermont$30,140$37,020$55,250$62,800$78,050
Virginia$37,170$46,180$64,490$79,730$101,380
Washington$41,670$49,450$75,420$81,120$124,690
West Virginia$24,370$30,550$43,820$48,890$62,510
Wisconsin$33,060$38,670$54,910$62,800$80,080
Wyoming$26,720$34,010$45,770$49,950$62,340
Guam$22,510$24,130$31,980$38,130$48,400
Puerto Rico$18,060$22,540$31,660$36,650$48,070

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is District of Columbia, where the average salary is $85,070.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

District of Columbia - $85,070
Washington - $75,420
New York - $74,510
Massachusetts - $71,770
California - $70,090

Graphic Designers: Salary Overview

Graphic designers create visual concepts by hand or using computer software.

Through their creations, they want to communicate ideas and captivate customers.

A graphic designer typically meets with clients to understand the scope of the project, create the designs, present their concepts to clients, incorporate changes, and review designs for errors.

Graphic designers may create illustrations, logos, or other visual elements.

As a graphic designer, you will combine art and technology to effectively communicate ideas through images.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly rate for a graphic designer in the United States is $25.05 which means that half the workers in this profession charged more than this while half charged more.

Hourly rates usually range between $15-$40 but graphic designers who have an impressive portfolio and many years of experience can make more than $50 per hour.

Annual salaries vary depending on the rate and on how many hours the graphic designer works.

The median annual wage for this profession was $52,110 as of May 2019 with salaries typically ranging from about $30,000 to $90,000 per year.

Graphic Designer Salary by Industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, graphic designers held approximately 290,000 jobs in the United States in 2018.

Out of all graphic designers, 22 percent were self-employed workers.

Most salaried graphic designers worked in the field of specialized design services, in advertising, or for companies that provide printing and related support activities or for newspapers, periodical, book, and directory publishers.

Salaries vary depending on the industry of employment.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for graphic designers who worked in the field of specialized design services was $58,830.

Graphic designers who worked in advertising earned, on average, $58,270 per year.

Lower salaries were reported by graphic designers who worked for companies that provide printing and related support activities.

In this sector, the mean annual wage was $45,490, lower than the average across all industries.

Graphic designers who worked for newspaper, periodical, book, or directory publishers made, on average, $48,770 per year while those who were employed by companies that provide management, scientific, and technical consulting services made, on average, $61,650 per year.

Higher salaries were reported by graphic designers in the federal executive branch, in aerospace product and parts manufacturing, and by those employed by software publishers.

The mean annual wage reported by graphic designers who worked in the federal executive branch was $83,680 while those who worked for aerospace products and parts manufacturers earned, on average, $81,770 per year.

Graphic designers who worked for software publishers earned, on average, $78,690, and those who worked in the field of legal services were paid, on average, with $75,910.

The above statistics applied only to salaried graphic designers.

A self-employed graphic designer’s salary depends upon his/her skills and portfolio but also on the software they use.

Keeping up with the technical advances, being able to use multiple software, and learning how to do different things can increase your earnings as a graphic designer.

As a beginner, your hourly rates will be lower but after building a portfolio your rates will most likely grow.

According to payscale.com, the average hourly rate for self-employed graphic designers was $45 but rates range between $14-$88, depending on the designer’s level of experience and the region.

There are many other factors that determine a graphic designer’s wage, including the region of employment.

The report published by BLS shows that the highest average annual wage was reported by graphic designers in the District of Columbia.

Other states with higher-than-average wages were Washington, Massachusetts, New York, and California.

Lower annual wages were reported by graphic designers in Oklahoma, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Indiana.

* Based on information from the May 2021 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Graphic 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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