How to hire a creative designer

How to hire a creative designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step creative designer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a creative designer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new creative designer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a creative designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your creative designer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a creative designer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A creative designer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, creative designers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of creative designer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Creative Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Creative Designer	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$23-48
   Designer/Art Director	An art director collaborates with the design and art staff for books, public relations firms, advertising agencies, or newspaper publishers. Art directors create designs and layouts that embody the organization and send the message they want the audience to get... Show more	$28-75
   Motion Graphics Designer	A motion graphic designer specializes in producing artworks used in television, film, and web. Their responsibilities often revolve around submitting within a deadline, attending creative meetings, collaborating with fellow designers, following directives from clients, producing trial designs, and editing them in adherence to senior designers or clients' recommendations... Show more	$21-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sketch
   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Design Concepts
   • CSS
   • HTML
   • Motion Graphics
   • Photography
   • UI
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • JavaScript
   • PowerPoint
   • Digital Marketing
   • Web Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
   • Design functional and effective website with wide knowledge of UI design, HTML.
   • Implement PHP and JavaScript to make sites dynamic to deliver the best user experience.
   • Design of large scale posters.
   • Create concept design, style frames and animation for channel bumpers.
   • Assist with updating and maintaining social media site such as Facebook.

   More creative designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the creative designer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A creative designer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a creative designer in Louisiana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level creative designer. Additionally, a creative designer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average creative designer salary

   $69,771yearly

   $33.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level creative designer salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average creative designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$94,561	$45
   2	Washington	$85,052	$41
   3	Illinois	$76,754	$37
   4	Virginia	$76,571	$37
   5	Michigan	$74,683	$36
   6	Massachusetts	$74,584	$36
   7	New York	$74,230	$36
   8	Pennsylvania	$72,368	$35
   9	Nevada	$71,444	$34
   10	New Jersey	$69,474	$33
   11	Arizona	$68,267	$33
   12	Colorado	$66,563	$32
   13	Texas	$63,916	$31
   14	North Carolina	$63,280	$30
   15	Wisconsin	$62,929	$30
   16	Missouri	$59,805	$29
   17	Ohio	$58,965	$28
   18	Tennessee	$58,218	$28
   19	Indiana	$57,994	$28
   20	Florida	$56,092	$27

   Average creative designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$137,207	$65.96	650
   2	Apple	$129,226	$62.13	38
   3	Google	$125,820	$60.49	114
   4	Nike	$113,631	$54.63	125
   5	Adobe	$112,755	$54.21	22
   6	Bloomberg	$111,638	$53.67	4
   7	Edelman Financial Engines	$110,440	$53.10	1
   8	Ralph Lauren	$109,545	$52.67	5
   9	Gap Inc.	$109,477	$52.63
   10	Citi	$109,400	$52.60	2
   11	Uber Technologies	$108,614	$52.22
   12	General Motors	$106,092	$51.01	22
   13	MAC Cosmetics	$100,431	$48.28
   14	Seres	$97,263	$46.76
   15	Lucid Motors	$96,722	$46.50	3
   16	Abercrombie & Fitch Co	$96,081	$46.19	18
   17	BlackRock	$95,266	$45.80	4
   18	FCA US LLC	$93,412	$44.91	3
   19	Hanesbrands	$93,406	$44.91
   20	Nordstrom	$86,181	$41.43	48

4. Writing a creative designer job description

   A job description for a creative designer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a creative designer job description:

   Creative designer job description example

   Reporting to the Head of Design, the Designer will work across all of The Washington Post's native advertising solutions platforms including digital, mobile, video, and live events.
   
   In this role, you will elevate and expand our portfolio of offerings, elevating the Creative Group to be steps ahead of competitors, by developing high-quality, informed and best-in-class designs for our client partners across pre-and post-sale processes. You will support the retention and growth of partnerships by telling compelling visual stories across mocks and deck designs for RFPs, and full campaign designs across a variety of formats (social, website, video). The ideal candidate is first and foremost a visual storyteller, believing that great design and ideas are media-agnostic and can be articulated on any platform. In this hands-on role, you will be part of a tight-knit team that is collaborative and nimble, working on multiple projects at a time, and you'll coordinate extensively with Product, Technology, Development, Marketing, Production, and Editorial to execute various visual marketing solutions. We are looking for candidates with refined aesthetics, visual fluency, and a high understanding and aptitude for mobile-first and mobile front-end design.
   Responsibilities
   Identify and develop new mobile-first products, designs and solutions that meet client and market needs and position The Washington Post as a leader in innovative digital advertising Work closely with Marketing & Project Managers to develop custom materials for proposals that promote various Washington Post platforms Participate in creative brainstorms in response to RFPs to generate innovative visual concepts Coordinate with the Marketing team to create promotional materials that drive revenue and maintain brand integrity Collaborate closely with Brand Strategists and Content Creators to make visual concepts come to life Develop and maintain a library of high-quality creative executions across platforms, stock imagery, templates, spec guidelines, demo videos, etc.Present digital advertising solutions to clients/brands/agencies and to internal teams Collaborate with the Head of Design and other Digital Designers to build digital advertising solutions for a wide range of client partners, focusing on mobile-first designs
   
   Requirements
   Knowledge of information architecture, usability, and UX/UI Design, with particular focus on mobile-first best practices Expert in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, XD, Illustrator minimum) and thorough understanding of the mobile front-end and web production process Understanding of user-centered design and development processes across several digital touch points Ability to conceptualize and execute digital campaigns and display advertising including animation and interactivity for desktop and mobile Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts/Graphic Design/Visual Communications or commensurate experience4-7 years as a Digital Designer working with a creative team in Marketing, Advertising, Media or Publishing; agency experience a plus Digital video, animation, and motions graphics experience a plus Social media growth and innovation expertise a plus Experience in print, web and presentation design, including PowerPoint and KeynoteMust be a team player who thrives in a collaborative environment Must be comfortable following design direction and implementing changes, while balancing strong design and meeting tight deadlines Unwavering attention to detail and an acute awareness that everything counts
   
   The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.
   
   The innovation doesn't end in the Newsroom - dozens of teams power The Washington Post. We are now hiring the next innovator - how will you Impact Tomorrow?
   #washpostlife

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right creative designer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your creative designer job on Zippia to find and recruit creative designer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit creative designers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new creative designer

   Once you've selected the best creative designer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new creative designer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a creative designer?