Graphic Designers Salary
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 198K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$62,960
Median hourly
$30
Average annual
$70,560
Typical range
$39,520–$104,910
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Graphic Designers is $62,960 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $30 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects..
Most earn between $39,520 and $104,910 a year. There are roughly 198K people employed as graphic designers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Graphic Designers.
- Hourly
- $30.27
- Daily
- $242
- Weekly
- $1,211
- Bi-weekly
- $2,422
- Monthly
- $5,247
- Annual
- $62,960
$62,960 a year is around the 50th percentile for Graphic Designerss. The median is $62,960.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$87,920
- 2Rhode Island$78,220
- 3New York$77,340
- 4Massachusetts$76,710
- 5California$75,130
- 6Maryland$75,120
- 7New Jersey$73,790
- 8Washington$72,710
- 9Connecticut$72,700
- 10Virginia$72,310
- 11Colorado$66,330
- 12Oregon$66,040
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$97,360
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$92,050
- 3Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$85,420
- 4Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$81,800
- 5New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$79,280
- 6Napa, CA$79,090
- 7Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,500
- 8Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,270
- 9Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,720
- 10Barnstable Town, MA$76,140
- 11Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$75,790
- 12Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$75,750
Related job titles
Employers advertise Graphic Designers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Special Effects Artists and Animators$102,030
- Art Directors$114,850
- Web and Digital Interface Designers$104,000
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators$55,490
- Desktop Publishers$55,290
- Set and Exhibit Designers$75,240
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$83,910
- Interior Designers$67,190
What a Graphic Designers does
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Prepare digital files for printing.
- Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
- Research the target audience of projects.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Graphic Designers make?
- The median annual wage for Graphic Designers is $62,960 ($30 per hour). Pay ranges from about $39,520 at the 10th percentile to $104,910 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Graphic Designers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $70,560, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Graphic Designerss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $87,920.
- Is Graphic Designers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 198K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Graphic Designers do?
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.; Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.; Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type..