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Best states for a custom designer
Quoted expert
Bennie F. Johnson
- Rank 1 - 10
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and arts, entertainment, sports, and media careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to custom designer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for custom designers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for custom designers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for custom designer jobs.
The median salary for custom designers in California is $75,456. Compare that to the median salary in South Dakota of $40,003, which ranked worst for custom designers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.California is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for custom designers.
10 best states for custom designers in 2025
1. California
Total custom designer jobs: 3,114 Average annual salary: $75,456 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.64
2. Washington
Total custom designer jobs: 823 Average annual salary: $67,330 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
3. New York
Total custom designer jobs: 1,261 Average annual salary: $68,780 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
4. Michigan
Total custom designer jobs: 498 Average annual salary: $65,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
5. Rhode Island
Total custom designer jobs: 78 Average annual salary: $64,850 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. District of Columbia
Total custom designer jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $68,994 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 2.06
7. Illinois
Total custom designer jobs: 774 Average annual salary: $63,923 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. Virginia
Total custom designer jobs: 677 Average annual salary: $62,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
9. Colorado
Total custom designer jobs: 375 Average annual salary: $63,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. Massachusetts
Total custom designer jobs: 735 Average annual salary: $62,156 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
Custom designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a custom designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a custom designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $75,456 | $52,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,114 |
| 2 | Washington | $67,330 | $48,000 | 7,405,743 | 823 |
| 3 | New York | $68,780 | $49,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,261 |
| 4 | Michigan | $65,894 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 498 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $64,850 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 78 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $68,994 | $48,000 | 693,972 | 225 |
| 7 | Illinois | $63,923 | $46,000 | 12,802,023 | 774 |
| 8 | Virginia | $62,575 | $44,000 | 8,470,020 | 677 |
| 9 | Colorado | $63,664 | $46,000 | 5,607,154 | 375 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $62,156 | $45,000 | 6,859,819 | 735 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $59,904 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 622 |
| 12 | Nevada | $60,817 | $42,000 | 2,998,039 | 100 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $59,977 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 213 |
| 14 | Utah | $55,488 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 238 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $55,992 | $41,000 | 1,342,795 | 117 |
| 16 | Oregon | $57,035 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 432 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $62,563 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 46 |
| 18 | Arizona | $57,659 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 302 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $55,028 | $38,000 | 10,273,419 | 597 |
| 20 | Maryland | $59,911 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 386 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $53,764 | $39,000 | 5,576,606 | 440 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $55,939 | $40,000 | 579,315 | 24 |
| 23 | Florida | $55,738 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 772 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $57,593 | $41,000 | 9,005,644 | 401 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $52,019 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 323 |
| 26 | Delaware | $55,901 | $39,000 | 961,939 | 55 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $53,439 | $38,000 | 2,088,070 | 92 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $51,648 | $37,000 | 6,715,984 | 222 |
| 29 | Vermont | $52,624 | $39,000 | 623,657 | 40 |
| 30 | Missouri | $52,394 | $38,000 | 6,113,532 | 265 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $51,209 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 105 |
| 32 | Texas | $51,015 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,202 |
| 33 | Iowa | $50,699 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 156 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $50,331 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 97 |
| 35 | Kansas | $49,745 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 148 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $50,962 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 36 |
| 37 | Georgia | $47,796 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 777 |
| 38 | Alaska | $54,005 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 30 |
| 39 | Indiana | $49,068 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 263 |
| 40 | Ohio | $47,737 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 492 |
| 41 | Maine | $48,452 | $36,000 | 1,335,907 | 75 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $49,943 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 156 |
| 43 | Montana | $50,003 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 46 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $48,460 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 146 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $49,154 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 120 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $52,097 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 28 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $46,532 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 120 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $47,290 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 70 |
| 49 | Idaho | $44,497 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 71 |
| 50 | Alabama | $43,264 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 182 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $40,003 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 36 |
Highest paying states for custom designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Custom Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $75,456 |
| 2 | Washington | $67,330 |
| 3 | New York | $68,780 |
| 4 | Michigan | $65,894 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $64,850 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $68,994 |
| 7 | Illinois | $63,923 |
| 8 | Virginia | $62,575 |
| 9 | Colorado | $63,664 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $62,156 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $59,904 |
| 12 | Nevada | $60,817 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $59,977 |
| 14 | Utah | $55,488 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $55,992 |
| 16 | Oregon | $57,035 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $62,563 |
| 18 | Arizona | $57,659 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $55,028 |
| 20 | Maryland | $59,911 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $53,764 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $55,939 |
| 23 | Florida | $55,738 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $57,593 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $52,019 |
| 26 | Delaware | $55,901 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $53,439 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $51,648 |
| 29 | Vermont | $52,624 |
| 30 | Missouri | $52,394 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $51,209 |
| 32 | Texas | $51,015 |
| 33 | Iowa | $50,699 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $50,331 |
| 35 | Kansas | $49,745 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $50,962 |
| 37 | Georgia | $47,796 |
| 38 | Alaska | $54,005 |
| 39 | Indiana | $49,068 |
| 40 | Ohio | $47,737 |
| 41 | Maine | $48,452 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $49,943 |
| 43 | Montana | $50,003 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $48,460 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $49,154 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $52,097 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $46,532 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $47,290 |
| 49 | Idaho | $44,497 |
| 50 | Alabama | $43,264 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $40,003 |
Expert opinions on the best states for custom designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for custom designers to find work opportunities?
Bennie F. Johnson
Executive Director, AIGA, the professional association for design
Traditionally, designers have flocked to big cities on the coasts (LA, SF, NY) for educational and career opportunities, but other big cities and regional centers have been strong as well. There are robust AIGA chapters and design communities across the country. If anything, the pandemic has radically changed employers' thinking about geography, as fully remote and hybrid work situations will likely continue, even after a COVID vaccine is widely available. I think solid advice for graduates would be to seek out places where they have a sense of community and where they would like to live. While most of the growth in design jobs is in the tech industry, which has traditionally been based in the large coastal cities, there are now more opportunities for flexible live/work arrangements. Opportunities are emerging throughout the country for design professionals as businesses expand and adapt to our newest paradigms for work.
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Updated January 8, 2025