Best cities for a design director
The best cities for design directors are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Boston, MA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for design directors vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for design directors in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a design director or considering a move, this list of the best cities for design directors to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for design directors. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a design director. While the absolute best city for design directors is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for design directors in 2024.
If you're looking for a design director job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for design directors in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Total design director jobs: 124 Average annual salary: $159,007 Lowest 10 percent warn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $271,000 Location quotient: 5.90 2. Seattle, WA
Total design director jobs: 38 Average annual salary: $167,444 Lowest 10 percent warn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $278,000 Location quotient: 2.14 3. Boston, MA
Total design director jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $143,443 Lowest 10 percent warn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location quotient: 2.73 4. Los Angeles, CA
Total design director jobs: 113 Average annual salary: $155,146 Lowest 10 percent warn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $267,000 Location quotient: 6.27 5. San Jose, CA
Total design director jobs: 30 Average annual salary: $159,073 Lowest 10 percent warn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $271,000 Location quotient: 2.01 6. Phoenix, AZ
Total design director jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $134,441 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $233,000 Location quotient: 1.53 7. Sacramento, CA
Total design director jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $155,035 Lowest 10 percent warn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $264,000 Location quotient: 2.97 8. Long Beach, CA
Total design director jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $154,488 Lowest 10 percent warn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $266,000 Location quotient: 4.67 9. Corpus Christi, TX
Total design director jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $124,354 Lowest 10 percent warn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location quotient: 4.17 10. Reno, NV
Total design director jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $120,961 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location quotient: 5.69
Choose from 10+ customizable design director resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use design director 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 design director resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for design directors
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Boston, MA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Sacramento, CA
- Long Beach, CA
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Reno, NV
- (124 design director jobs)
- (38 design director jobs)
- (41 design director jobs)
- (113 design director jobs)
- (30 design director jobs)
- (20 design director jobs)
- (13 design director jobs)
- (6 design director jobs)
- (2 design director jobs)
- (9 design director jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a design director
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $159,007 | $93,000 | 870,887 | 124 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $167,444 | $100,000 | 704,352 | 38 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $143,443 | $90,000 | 673,184 | 41 |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | $155,146 | $89,000 | 3,976,322 | 113 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $159,073 | $93,000 | 1,025,350 | 30 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $134,441 | $77,000 | 1,615,017 | 20 |
| 7 | Sacramento, CA | $155,035 | $91,000 | 495,234 | 13 |
| 8 | Long Beach, CA | $154,488 | $89,000 | 470,130 | 6 |
| 9 | Corpus Christi, TX | $124,354 | $70,000 | 325,733 | 2 |
| 10 | Reno, NV | $120,961 | $71,000 | 245,255 | 9 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $125,694 | $71,000 | 1,492,510 | 11 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $124,926 | $71,000 | 947,890 | 26 |
| 13 | Fresno, CA | $157,064 | $91,000 | 522,053 | 2 |
| 14 | Scottsdale, AZ | $134,205 | $77,000 | 246,645 | 2 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $120,687 | $76,000 | 1,567,872 | 14 |
| 16 | Glendale, AZ | $134,538 | $77,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 17 | New York, NY | $128,756 | $81,000 | 8,537,673 | 177 |
| 18 | San Diego, CA | $151,920 | $87,000 | 1,406,630 | 22 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $128,249 | $76,000 | 639,863 | 14 |
| 20 | Chandler, AZ | $134,236 | $77,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 21 | Las Vegas, NV | $122,753 | $71,000 | 632,912 | 5 |
| 22 | Gilbert, AZ | $134,151 | $77,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 23 | Irvine, CA | $153,741 | $88,000 | 266,122 | 6 |
| 24 | Mesa, AZ | $134,108 | $77,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 25 | Anaheim, CA | $154,161 | $89,000 | 351,043 | 1 |
| 26 | Raleigh, NC | $112,765 | $69,000 | 458,880 | 10 |
| 27 | Tucson, AZ | $133,985 | $76,000 | 530,706 | - |
| 28 | Chicago, IL | $113,786 | $71,000 | 2,704,958 | 49 |
| 29 | Winston-Salem, NC | $111,066 | $68,000 | 242,203 | 2 |
| 30 | Oakland, CA | $158,710 | $92,000 | 420,005 | 1 |
| 31 | Fremont, CA | $158,806 | $92,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 32 | Bakersfield, CA | $157,157 | $91,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 33 | El Paso, TX | $128,580 | $73,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 34 | Laredo, TX | $125,375 | $71,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 35 | Detroit, MI | $113,178 | $71,000 | 672,795 | 4 |
| 36 | Columbus, OH | $101,496 | $63,000 | 860,090 | 20 |
| 37 | Stockton, CA | $156,756 | $91,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 38 | Anchorage, AK | $137,442 | $84,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 39 | Dallas, TX | $116,089 | $67,000 | 1,317,929 | 12 |
| 40 | Houston, TX | $123,694 | $70,000 | 2,303,482 | 12 |
| 41 | Washington, DC | $129,868 | $81,000 | 681,170 | 28 |
| 42 | Santa Ana, CA | $153,978 | $89,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 43 | Henderson, NV | $122,556 | $71,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 44 | Newark, NJ | $123,120 | $77,000 | 281,764 | 3 |
| 45 | North Las Vegas, NV | $122,466 | $71,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 46 | Riverside, CA | $153,469 | $88,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 47 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $126,008 | $69,000 | 351,792 | 9 |
| 48 | Plano, TX | $114,613 | $66,000 | 286,057 | 6 |
| 49 | Charlotte, NC | $110,107 | $67,000 | 842,051 | 11 |
| 50 | Chula Vista, CA | $151,699 | $87,000 | 267,172 | - |
Highest paying cities for design directors
| Rank | City | Avg. design director salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $167,444 |
| 2 | Redwood City, CA | $159,310 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $143,443 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $134,441 |
| 5 | Providence, RI | $130,712 |
| 6 | Albany, NY | $129,926 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $129,868 |
| 8 | Beaverton, OR | $128,488 |
| 9 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $126,008 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $125,694 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $120,687 |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $114,246 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $113,786 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $113,178 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $112,765 |
| 16 | Hartford, CT | $111,880 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | $109,339 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $107,520 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $101,496 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $100,694 |
Design director best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for design director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025