Best cities for an associate designer
The best cities for associate designers are San Francisco, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Detroit, MI, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for associate designers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for associate designers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as an associate designer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for associate designers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for associate designers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as an associate designer. While the absolute best city for associate designers is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for associate designers in 2024.
If you're looking for an associate designer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for associate designers in 2026
1. San Francisco, CA
Associate designer jobs in San FranciscoTotal associate designer jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $74,671 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location quotient: 6.25 2. Philadelphia, PA
Associate designer jobs in PhiladelphiaTotal associate designer jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $53,913 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location quotient: 15.34 3. Detroit, MI
Associate designer jobs in DetroitTotal associate designer jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $56,818 Lowest 10 percent warn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location quotient: 4.62 4. Durham, NC
Associate designer jobs in DurhamTotal associate designer jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $55,085 Lowest 10 percent warn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location quotient: 4.20 5. Cleveland, OH
Associate designer jobs in ClevelandTotal associate designer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $54,051 Lowest 10 percent warn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location quotient: 3.69 6. Columbus, OH
Associate designer jobs in ColumbusTotal associate designer jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $52,891 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location quotient: 3.94 7. Seattle, WA
Associate designer jobs in SeattleTotal associate designer jobs: 30 Average annual salary: $71,912 Lowest 10 percent warn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location quotient: 3.47 8. Boston, MA
Associate designer jobs in BostonTotal associate designer jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $63,626 Lowest 10 percent warn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location quotient: 4.37 9. Chandler, AZ
Associate designer jobs in ChandlerTotal associate designer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $55,299 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location quotient: 7.87 10. New York, NY
Associate designer jobs in New YorkTotal associate designer jobs: 223 Average annual salary: $62,383 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location quotient: 21.91
Choose from 10+ customizable associate designer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use associate designer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your associate designer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for associate designers
- San Francisco, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Detroit, MI
- Durham, NC
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Seattle, WA
- Boston, MA
- Chandler, AZ
- New York, NY
Detailed list of the best cities for an associate designer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $74,671 | $46,000 | 870,887 | 64 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $53,913 | $36,000 | 1,567,872 | 76 |
| 3 | Detroit, MI | $56,818 | $39,000 | 672,795 | 10 |
| 4 | Durham, NC | $55,085 | $37,000 | 263,016 | 7 |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | $54,051 | $37,000 | 385,809 | 6 |
| 6 | Columbus, OH | $52,891 | $36,000 | 860,090 | 18 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $71,912 | $45,000 | 704,352 | 30 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $63,626 | $43,000 | 673,184 | 32 |
| 9 | Chandler, AZ | $55,299 | $36,000 | 247,477 | 8 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $62,383 | $42,000 | 8,537,673 | 223 |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA | $66,355 | $42,000 | 3,976,322 | 53 |
| 12 | Anchorage, AK | $65,210 | $49,000 | 298,192 | 1 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $59,073 | $37,000 | 639,863 | 11 |
| 14 | Scottsdale, AZ | $55,436 | $36,000 | 246,645 | 4 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $54,555 | $37,000 | 855,164 | 3 |
| 16 | Irvine, CA | $65,591 | $42,000 | 266,122 | 11 |
| 17 | Oakland, CA | $74,529 | $46,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 18 | Sacramento, CA | $73,864 | $46,000 | 495,234 | 1 |
| 19 | Fremont, CA | $74,194 | $46,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 20 | San Jose, CA | $73,942 | $46,000 | 1,025,350 | 2 |
| 21 | Toledo, OH | $53,689 | $37,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 22 | Stockton, CA | $74,023 | $46,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 23 | Phoenix, AZ | $55,471 | $36,000 | 1,615,017 | 11 |
| 24 | Buffalo, NY | $61,602 | $42,000 | 256,902 | 4 |
| 25 | Charlotte, NC | $54,240 | $37,000 | 842,051 | 5 |
| 26 | Reno, NV | $56,290 | $35,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 27 | Greensboro, NC | $54,983 | $37,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 28 | Fresno, CA | $72,194 | $45,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 29 | Raleigh, NC | $54,977 | $37,000 | 458,880 | - |
| 30 | Cincinnati, OH | $52,003 | $35,000 | 298,800 | 1 |
| 31 | Fort Wayne, IN | $55,451 | $38,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 32 | Winston-Salem, NC | $54,921 | $37,000 | 242,203 | - |
| 33 | Las Vegas, NV | $52,870 | $33,000 | 632,912 | 6 |
| 34 | El Paso, TX | $54,822 | $36,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 35 | Bakersfield, CA | $69,268 | $44,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 36 | Pittsburgh, PA | $52,385 | $36,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 37 | Glendale, AZ | $55,490 | $36,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 38 | Newark, NJ | $59,403 | $40,000 | 281,764 | 7 |
| 39 | Brookhaven, NY | $62,658 | $42,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 40 | Islip, NY | $62,577 | $42,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 41 | Mesa, AZ | $55,291 | $36,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 42 | Gilbert, AZ | $55,270 | $36,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 43 | Oyster Bay, NY | $62,525 | $42,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 44 | Hempstead, NY | $62,458 | $42,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 45 | Austin, TX | $52,588 | $34,000 | 947,890 | 13 |
| 46 | Long Beach, CA | $65,912 | $42,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 47 | Anaheim, CA | $65,837 | $42,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 48 | Santa Ana, CA | $65,712 | $42,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 49 | San Diego, CA | $64,482 | $42,000 | 1,406,630 | 6 |
| 50 | Tucson, AZ | $54,706 | $36,000 | 530,706 | - |
Highest paying cities for associate designers
| Rank | City | Avg. associate designer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $74,671 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $71,912 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $63,626 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $62,383 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $61,999 |
| 6 | Fort Lee, NJ | $59,484 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $59,272 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $59,073 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $56,818 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $55,471 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $55,216 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $55,085 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $54,949 |
| 14 | Columbus, IN | $54,192 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $54,177 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $53,913 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $52,891 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $52,588 |
| 19 | Minneapolis, MN | $49,342 |
| 20 | Jacksonville, FL | $46,459 |
Associate designer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for associate designer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025