Hi and welcome to this exciting Graphic Designer Salary guide!
Our article will explore the average Graphic Designer’s salary by state, city, job title, education level, and the factors that affect their average salaries.
By the end of this comprehensive salary guide, you will be in a position to make intelligent Graphic Designer career decisions.
In particular, we will cover the following key areas:
- What is the average salary for a Graphic Designer by city, state, job title, and education levels
- Factors that affect the Graphic Designer’s salary
- Tips to increase a Graphic Designers Salary
Let’s jump right in!
Introduction
Graphic Designers are among the most in-demand professionals attracting competitive salaries and excellent compensation packages.
The growing marketing landscape coupled with improving technology means that the importance of Graphic Designers is increasing, causing average salaries to rise as well.
Multiple industries now rely on graphic design for their marketing, advertising, brand identity, and user experience.
How much do Graphic Designers make a year?
Continue reading for the answer to this question and much more.
Graphic Designer Salary Overview
Graphic Designer makes a decent living with their average salaries exceeding the national average.
According to the American Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Graphic Designers make an avg annual salary of $50,710.
These are the national average salaries for Graphic Designers:
|
Salary source |
Average annual salary |
|
Payscale.com |
$47,787 |
|
Glassdoor.com |
$51,873 |
|
Indeed.com |
$58,926 |
|
Zippia.com |
$48,000 |
Continue reading as we analyze the average pay for Graphic Designers in different states.
Graphic Designer Salary by State
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the average income for Graphic Designers in different states:
|
State |
Zippia.com |
Glassdoor.com |
|
Alabama |
$57,182 |
$38,810 |
|
Alaska |
$40,381 |
$42,631 |
|
Arkansas |
$53,903 |
$38,922 |
|
Arizona |
$57,234 |
$43,051 |
|
California |
$51, 574 |
$50,959 |
|
Colorado |
$61,358 |
$45,371 |
|
Connecticut |
$48,089 |
$51,694 |
|
Delaware |
$56,489 |
$42,824 |
|
Florida |
$54,469 |
$41,608 |
|
Georgia |
$63,052 |
$42,693 |
|
Hawaii |
$33,656 |
$46,620 |
|
Idaho |
$49,283 |
$43,532 |
|
Illinois |
$60,835 |
$44,976 |
|
Iowa |
$48,846 |
$45,770 |
|
Kansas |
$53,770 |
$41,134 |
|
Kentucky |
$54,154 |
$43,677 |
|
Louisiana |
$44,968 |
$39,529 |
|
Maine |
$45,063 |
$46,840 |
|
Maryland |
$51,474 |
$49,645 |
|
Massachusetts |
$53,800 |
$53,780 |
|
Montana |
$45,476 |
$43,384 |
|
Michigan |
$66,988 |
$43,207 |
|
Minnesota |
$60,466 |
$44,798 |
|
Mississippi |
$48,831 |
$38,457 |
|
Missouri |
$52,466 |
$41,330 |
|
Nebraska |
$56,954 |
$42,799 |
|
New Hampshire |
$47,282 |
$48,241 |
|
New Jersey |
$55,627 |
$52,190 |
|
New Mexico |
$45,699 |
$41,845 |
|
New York |
$56,877 |
$55,284 |
|
Nevada |
$51,239 |
$42,760 |
|
North Carolina |
$57,263 |
$42,980 |
|
North Dakota |
$44,396 |
$42,402 |
|
Oregon |
$49,160 |
$44,613 |
|
Ohio |
$58,880 |
$41,967 |
|
Oklahoma |
$53,822 |
$38,698 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$53,145 |
$44,078 |
|
Rhode Island |
$53,935 |
$51,700 |
|
South Carolina |
$51,532 |
$40,356 |
|
South Dakota |
$38,688 |
$42,022 |
|
Texas |
$56,141 |
$42,281 |
|
Virginia |
$63,978 |
$46,802 |
|
Washington |
$71,692 |
$52,011 |
|
West Virginia |
$46,916 |
$40,077 |
|
Wisconsin |
$56,725 |
$43,903 |
|
Wyoming |
$49,858 |
$42,431 |
|
Utah |
$57,837 |
$42,457 |
|
Vermont |
$45,623 |
$50,862 |
What is a Graphic Designer’s salary in the highest paying cities?
Read on for the answer to this question.
Graphic Designer Salary by City
Here are annual salary estimates for Graphic Designers in different cities across America:
|
City |
Indeed.com |
Salary.com |
Payscale.com |
|
San Francisco |
$71,885 |
$64,130 |
$68,633 |
|
Washington |
$68,246 |
$54,674 |
$54,963 |
|
Boston |
$67,293 |
$57,804 |
$52,404 |
|
Seattle |
$66,129 |
$61,601 |
$52,277 |
|
Los Angeles |
$64,605 |
$63,681 |
$56,682 |
|
Chicago |
$63,919 |
$54,428 |
$50,186 |
|
New York |
$63,070 |
$61,718 |
$58,351 |
|
Denver |
$62,780 |
$56,933 |
$50,020 |
|
Minneapolis |
$62,357 |
$60,001 |
$46,519 |
|
Portland |
$61,300 |
$58,456 |
$51,059 |
|
Austin |
$61,040 |
$55,401 |
$49,041 |
Continue reading for Graphic Designer income according to job titles.
Graphic Designer Salary by job title
Graphic Designers hold various job titles depending on their experience, education, and industry.
Here are the average annual Graphic Designer pay according to job titles:
|
Job Title |
Payscale.com |
Glassdoor.com |
Indeed.com |
|
Art Director |
$71,140 |
$72,722 |
$68,749 |
|
Visual Designer |
$66,427 |
$77,269 |
$65,815 |
|
UX Designer |
$76, 205 |
$68,958 |
$96,948 |
|
Creative Director |
$91,396 |
$119,250 |
$74,087 |
|
Graphic Artist |
$49,429 |
$44,898 |
$54,171 |
|
Web Designer |
$52,513 |
$62,941 |
$52,727 |
|
3D Designer |
– |
$61,175 |
$53,386 |
|
Industrial Designer |
$61,525 |
$68,215 |
$68,357 |
Read on to learn the average Graphic Designer’s salary by years of experience.
Graphic Designer Salary by experience
Experience is a critical determinant of the average salary for Graphic Designers.
Generally, the salary for Senior Graphic Designers is considerably higher than the average entry-level Graphic Designer Salary.
Check out the average graphic design pay according to years of experience:
|
Experience |
Payscale.com |
Glassdoor.com |
Indeed.com |
|
Entry-level (Junior Graphic Designer) |
$40,228 |
$49,137 |
$53,348 |
|
Mid-level |
$50,644 |
$52,655 |
$56,948 |
|
Experienced |
$52,010 |
$58,842 |
$62,000 |
|
Senior Graphic Designer |
$52,897 |
$66,325 |
$75,848 |
Read on to learn of the highest paying companies for Graphic Designers.
Graphic Designer Salary by the employer
The Graphic Design job salary varies widely depending on the employer.
Even within a similar location, industry, and experience level, some companies will offer their Graphic Designers better salaries than others.
This may be due to the company’s employment policies or bottom lines.
Here is a breakdown of the highest paying companies for Graphic Designers according to different salary sources:
Indeed.com
|
Company |
Average salary (USD) |
|
Control4 |
111,000 |
|
AT&T |
91,261 |
|
Digital People |
76,693 |
|
Voyant Beauty |
71,371 |
|
Core Home |
60,068 |
Payscale.com
|
Company |
Average salary |
|
Nordstrom Inc |
$58,500 |
|
Cushman & Wakefield Inc |
$54,000 |
|
Power Home Remodeling Group |
$51,097 |
Glassdoor.com
|
Company |
Average salary |
|
Apple |
$70,784 |
|
Freelancer |
$58,404 |
|
Gannett |
$54,276 |
|
SelfEmployed.com |
$50,968 |
|
Minuteman Press International |
$48,660 |
|
Fast Signs |
$41,928 |
Zippia.com
|
Company |
Average salary |
|
Microsoft |
$151,954 |
|
|
$142,438 |
|
Adobe |
$127,918 |
|
Seattle Rep |
$127,740 |
|
Mapbox |
$126,287 |
|
NVIDIA |
$121.190 |
How much money do Graphic Designers make in different industries?
Continue reading for the answer to this question.
Top paying Graphic Designer industries
Graphic Designers offer their services in multiple industries, from advertising to video games.
The salary range for Graphic Designers in each of these ranges varies widely.
Here is a breakdown of the average base salary for Graphic Designers in different industries:
|
Industry |
Zippia.com |
|
Technology |
$61,857 |
|
Media |
$59,238 |
|
Manufacturing |
$57,961 |
|
Finance |
$56,693 |
|
Professional |
$56,386 |
|
Retail |
$55,525 |
Read on for a breakdown of the average Graphic Designer salary by education level.
Graphic Designer pay by education level
Graphic Designers with higher education credentials like Masters or Ph.D. make more money than those with lower education credentials.
For instance, a Graphic Design Major salary will earn about $10,000 more than a Graphics Designer with a high school diploma.
Check out the salary breakdown for Graphic Designers by education level:
|
Certification |
Payscale |
Zippia.com |
|
High school |
$46,863 |
– |
|
Associate Degree |
$51,000 |
$46,544 |
|
Bachelor’s Degree |
$58,000 |
$49,963 |
|
Masters Degree |
$68,000 |
$53,731 |
What factors affect the salary of a Graphics Designer?
Read on for the answer to this question.
Factors affecting Graphic Designer’s Salary
The graphic design job market is competitive, and Graphic Designers earn a broad range of salaries depending on several factors.
These are the top factors that affect the average Graphic Designer’s salary:
1. Location
Location is a critical factor affecting the average Graphic Designer’s salary.
Generally, high-paying jobs for Graphic Designers are usually in major cities and urban areas.
Graphic Design jobs in cities pay better due to the high cost of living and higher demand for graphic design services.
Some of the best-paying cities for Graphic Designers include San Francisco, Washington, Boston, and Seattle.
2. Education level
Graphic design education directly affects the earnings of Graphic Design professionals.
On average, the graphic design degree salary ranges from $49,000 to $60,000, while a master’s Graphic Designer earns between $50,000 to 70,000 USD annually.
Graphic Designers with additional education in programming, web designing, animation, and illustration also have the potential to earn higher salaries.
3. Experience
As with most professional careers, experience plays a critical role in determining the average salary of Graphic Designers.
Graphic Designers with several years of experience will generally earn a higher graphic design jobs salary than entry-level Graphic Designers.
The biggest reason experience is a significant salary determinant boils down to the quality of work.
Experienced Graphic Designers usually produce higher quality work faster and with fewer errors compared to a newbie.
Graphic Designers with 15+ years tend to earn the highest salary.
The starting salary for a Graphic Designer often ranges from $35,000 to $50,000 compared to Senior Graphic Designers who earn between $60,000 to $80,000 annually.
4. Industry
Graphic Designers work in various industries, including manufacturing, marketing, gaming, advertising, and web designing, with each sector offering different salary ranges.
Consider working in high-paying industries like web designing, gaming, and manufacturing to earn higher.
5. Skills
Every Graphic Designer has some form of graphic design skills, but some skills are more valuable than others.
Typical graphic design hard and soft skills that directly the earning potential of a Graphic Designer include:
- Programming
- Branding
- Graphic design software (Adobe creative apps)
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Typography
- Multimedia interaction
6. Specialization
The graphic design career is diverse and hosts several different graphic design specialties, each with a varying salary range.
Graphic design specializations in motion graphics, web designing, and User Experience (UX) design tend to pay higher salaries than other graphic design specialties.
7. Work format
The graphic design career offers you the chance to be self-employed, formally employed, part-time or full-time professional, and each of these work formats provides a different pay range.
Generally, full-time, formally employed Graphic Designers enjoy higher salaries than other graphic design formats.
Read on to learn a few nifty tricks that will help you increase your Graphic Designer Salary:
Tips to Increase Graphic Design Salary
The graphics design career offers an excellent career path that is both exciting and highly satisfying.
But what can you do if you wish to earn more as a Graphics Designer?
Here are a few tips to help you scale your average Graphics Design Salary:
1. Specialize
One of the best ways to increase your earnings as a Graphics Designer is to specialize in a high-paying graphics design field.
The most in-demand graphic design specialties currently include motion graphics, web design, video graphics, animation, and illustration.
Majoring in these fields will ensure high annual salaries and stable job prospects.
2. Excellent negotiating skills
Consider improving your negotiation skills to earn a better rate in your next graphic design job.
Excellent negotiating skills will allow the employer to understand your true worth and the value you bring to their organization.
Also, consider creating an excellent graphic design portfolio.
An excellent graphic design portfolio with samples of your graphic design work is a great way of convincing the employer to pay you a premium rate.
3. Gain experience
Experience is king in graphic design, and having enough of it will ensure you command high rates in your different designer roles.
As an entry-level Graphic Designer, you can gain vital graphic design experience by:
- Volunteering your designing services
- Interning at major graphic designing firms
- Taking up entry-level graphic designing positions
Additionally, consider gaining relevant work experience in other graphic designing skills like programming and graphic art.
4. Earn more certifications
An excellent way of improving your earning potential as a Graphics Designer is to earn relevant graphic design educational certifications.
Ensure you enroll in a graphic designer course from an accredited graphic design school.
Popular graphic design courses that improve your earning potential include certifications in Graphic design, fine art, visual design, programming, and animation.
5. Start a graphic design side hustle
Consider starting a graphic design side hustle from your regular graphic design job.
Your graphic design side hustle will allow you to earn extra money while keeping you busy and sharpening your graphic design skills.
Typical graphic design side hustles include:
- Creating advertising materials like brochures and fliers
- Setting up a custom graphic design clothing business
- Creating digital graphic products
- Start a graphic design blog
- Offering graphic design classes
- Offering paid consulting services
6. Relocate
It’s a fact that some cities or states generally offer higher graphic design salaries than others.
Consider relocating to a higher-paying town, city, or state to earn better graphic design wages.
States which generally offer higher salaries for Graphic Designers include Newyork, California, Connecticut, and Maryland.
7. Target high-paying clients
If you want to succeed as a Graphic Designer and earn premium rates, you should only target high-paying clients.
Consider offering your graphic design services to corporate clients and large organizations with a big enough budget for their design projects.
Enrolling in professional graphic design job boards is an excellent way to bag premium rate clients.
Another way of getting high-paying clients is by growing your professional network to include big graphic design players who can refer you to high-paying jobs.
8. Grow your skill set
Growing your graphic design skill set is sure to increase your earning potential.
Popular graphic design skills you can learn include:
- Adobe
- Adobe photoshop
- Coding
- Branding
- Cinema 4D
- Sketch
- Multimedia design
- Illustrator and Indesign
- UI/UX design
Let’s look at how the Graphic Designer’s salary fares against other related careers.
Graphic Designer Salary vs. related careers
The design space features various professionals who help clients achieve their design targets.
Here is a comprehensive comparison of the salary estimates for graphic design-related careers:
|
Profession |
Zippia.com |
Glassdoor.com |
Ziprecruiter |
|
Logo Designer salary |
$49,967 |
$42,325 |
$54,190 |
|
Graphic Artist salary |
$62,736 |
$44,895 |
$43,377 |
|
Brand Designer salary |
$61,412 |
$64,970 | |
|
Interactive Designer salary |
$99,638 |
$80,451 |
$88,853 |
|
Motion Graphic Designer salary |
$59,628 |
$66,466 |
$91,202 |
|
Visual Designer |
$86,902 |
$68,948 |
$89,249 |
Graphic Design Salary outlook
The graphic design industry is thriving as more companies allocate additional resources to their product packaging, marketing, advertising, and branding departments.
Additionally, the rapid growth of the gaming and web designing sectors means that the demand for graphic designing services will only increase with time.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the graphic design sector will grow by 3% between 2020 and 2030.
As a Graphic Design professional, you should expect a constant and stable increase in your base salary and perks.
To ensure that you benefit from the surge in demand for graphic design services, ensure that you position yourself as an expert in the visual design space.
Conclusion
Joining the Graphic Design career path is fascinating and fulfilling as you will enjoy above-average salaries, a great work environment, and stable career growth.
With further experience and training, you will be able to earn even higher salaries than most other Graphic Designers.
We hope that after reading this comprehensive graphic design article, you now better understand the graphic design salary estimates and tips to improve your graphic design salary.
Please continue reading for our expert answers to our reader’s frequently asked questions.
Good luck!
FAQs
How much do Graphic Designers make?
The average salary for a Graphic Designer varies greatly depending on experience, industry, and specialization.
Generally, Graphic Designers earn the following salaries:
– Payscale.com – $47,787 per year
– Glassdoor.com – $51,873 per year
– Indeed.com – $58,926 per year
– Zippia.com – $48,000 per year
What is the starting salary of a Graphic Designer?
Entry-level Graphic Designers earn lower salaries than their more experienced colleagues.
Check out the average starting salary for Graphic Designers:
Glassdoor.com – $38,323 p.a
Salary.com – $56,401 p.a
Indeed.com – $41,508 p.a
Payscale.com – $47,787 p.a
Zippia.com – $49,185 p.a
Do Graphics Designers make good money?
Graphic Designers make a pretty decent living due to the rapid growth of the graphic design sector and the ever-rising demand for graphic design services.
Most salary sites put the 50th percentile for most Graphic designers at between $40,000 to $60,000, which is relatively high.
What is the salary of a Graphic Designer per month?
Check out the average Graphic Designer Salary estimates in the US:
– Comparably.com – $4,427 per month
– Indeed.com – $4,172 per month
– Glassdoor.com – $4,179 per month
– Payscale.com – $3,982.25 per month
– Talent.com – $4,063.7 per month
– BLS – $4,225.83 per month
What is the highest-paid job in graphic design?
The top-paying graphic design jobs include:
– Art Director – $80,000 – $100,000 p.a
– Creative Services Manager – $85,000 – $115,000 p.a
– User Experience Director – $100,000 – $130,000 p.a
– Multimedia Designer – $55,000 – $80,000 p.a
– Product Designer – $90,000 – $115,000 p.a
How much does a Graphic Designer make an hour?
The hourly salary for a Graphic Designer varies depending on their skill, experience, and location.
On average Graphic Designers earn the following hourly wages:
– Salary.com – $27
– Zippia.com – $23.46
– Glassdoor.com – $18
– Indeed.com – $19.97
– Payscale.com – $19.45
– Talent.com – $25.01
How much do Graphics Designers make?
The average annual salaries for Designers vary depending on their design specialty.
The salary estimates for design jobs are:
– Video Game Designer – $67,806 p.a
– Product Designer – $76,075 p.a
– Web Designer – $52,561 p.a
– Visual Designer – $65,815 p.a
– UX Designer – $81,105 p.a
What are the top cities to find a graphics design job?
Top Cities for Graphic Designers offer high average annual salaries with a relatively low cost of living and access to everyday conveniences.
The top cities for Graphic Designers in America include:
– New York
– San Francisco
– Austin
– Los Angeles
– Chicago
– Minneapolis
– Dallas
– Seattle
– Kansas
– San Jose
What is the annual salary for a Graphic Designer?
Graphic Designers earn between $45,000 to $60,000 annually, depending on their skills, education, experience, and location.
Here are Graphic Designer Salary estimates according to different salary sites:
– Payscale.com – $47,787
– Glassdoor.com – $51,873
– Indeed.com – $58,926
– Zippia.com – $48,000
