Graphic Designers pay in the U.S.
$70,560avg. a year
$33.92 an hour · 197,830 employed
Graphic Designers in the U.S. earn an average of $70,560 a year and a median of $62,960. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($94,630) and lowest in West Virginia ($45,600).
$62,960Median pay
$33.92Average hourly
+21%Avg. pay since 2020
197,830Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for graphic designers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,150 jobs
District of Columbia
$94,630
$45.49 an hour
227,390 jobs
California
$86,800
$41.73 an hour
34,140 jobs
Oregon
$85,140
$40.93 an hour
414,530 jobs
New York
$82,410
$39.62 an hour
54,450 jobs
Massachusetts
$79,690
$38.31 an hour
65,670 jobs
New Jersey
$79,430
$38.19 an hour
7750 jobs
Rhode Island
$78,900
$37.93 an hour
83,960 jobs
Washington
$77,910
$37.46 an hour
93,050 jobs
Maryland
$77,770
$37.39 an hour
104,740 jobs
Virginia
$76,670
$36.86 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Graphic Designers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $58k$58k–$63k$63k–$72k$72k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $107,360 | $51.62 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,130 | $49.10 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $92,530 | $44.49 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $89,540 | $43.05 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $85,950 | $41.32 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $84,370 | $40.56 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $82,350 | $39.59 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $82,320 | $39.58 |
Related jobs
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$42,830
- Interior Designers$74,540
- Art Directors$129,440
- Floral Designers$39,520
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$93,260
- Fashion Designers$91,230
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Graphic Designers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,010 | $51,070 | 1,760 |
| Alaska | $67,140 | $62,570 | 180 |
| Arizona | $63,570 | $58,510 | 3,560 |
| Arkansas | $52,670 | $46,220 | 1,390 |
| California | $86,800 | $75,130 | 27,390 |
| Colorado | $74,460 | $66,330 | 4,200 |
| Connecticut | $75,420 | $72,700 | 1,930 |
| Delaware | $64,420 | $60,130 | 360 |
| District of Columbia | $94,630 | $87,920 | 1,150 |
| Florida | $68,070 | $61,660 | 12,660 |
| Georgia | $64,240 | $60,250 | 5,920 |
| Hawaii | $61,870 | $58,070 | 520 |
| Idaho | $55,780 | $50,350 | 920 |
| Illinois | $66,980 | $62,560 | 8,960 |
| Indiana | $61,990 | $55,480 | 3,450 |
| Iowa | $54,820 | $50,310 | 2,100 |
| Kansas | $57,850 | $53,630 | 1,730 |
| Kentucky | $56,050 | $52,960 | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $54,850 | $49,910 | 1,750 |
| Maine | $61,780 | $60,030 | 560 |
| Maryland | $77,770 | $75,120 | 3,050 |
| Massachusetts | $79,690 | $76,710 | 4,450 |
| Michigan | $60,250 | $57,350 | 6,070 |
| Minnesota | $68,280 | $63,860 | 5,570 |
| Mississippi | $52,280 | $45,640 | 830 |
| Missouri | $59,660 | $56,750 | 4,500 |
| Montana | $61,670 | $56,890 | 610 |
| Nebraska | $58,000 | $56,700 | 1,670 |
| Nevada | $64,700 | $62,890 | 1,570 |
| New Hampshire | $67,240 | $60,490 | 790 |
| New Jersey | $79,430 | $73,790 | 5,670 |
| New Mexico | $57,870 | $56,730 | 850 |
| New York | $82,410 | $77,340 | 14,530 |
| North Carolina | $63,250 | $58,450 | 5,660 |
| North Dakota | $56,160 | $56,470 | 460 |
| Ohio | $65,130 | $60,080 | 7,280 |
| Oklahoma | $55,570 | $53,630 | 2,040 |
| Oregon | $85,140 | $66,040 | 4,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,620 | $60,730 | 8,150 |
| Rhode Island | $78,900 | $78,220 | 750 |
| South Carolina | $60,610 | $57,170 | 1,930 |
| South Dakota | $50,880 | $48,390 | 470 |
| Tennessee | $62,670 | $57,270 | 3,880 |
| Texas | $62,570 | $60,150 | 13,670 |
| Utah | $67,600 | $62,310 | 2,720 |
| Vermont | $72,420 | $65,690 | 410 |
| Virginia | $76,670 | $72,310 | 4,740 |
| Washington | $77,910 | $72,710 | 3,960 |
| West Virginia | $45,600 | $40,350 | 520 |
| Wisconsin | $62,410 | $59,900 | 4,130 |
| Wyoming | $51,110 | $45,150 | 240 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$85,950
15,160 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$81,680
13,810 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$71,470
6,590 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$65,930
4,790 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$89,540
4,420 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$67,650
4,060 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$71,980
3,950 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$102,130
3,870 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do graphic designers make?
The average is $70,560 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $62,960 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $33.92, and the median is $30.27 an hour.
Which state pays graphic designers the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $94,630 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $107,360.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,520 a year, and the top 10% earn over $104,910.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-1024. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.