Best cities for a design internship
The best cities for design interns are Oakland, CA, Sacramento, CA, and Seattle, WA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for design interns vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for design interns in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a design internship or considering a move, this list of the best cities for design interns to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for design interns. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a design internship. While the absolute best city for design interns is Oakland, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for design interns in 2024.
If you're looking for a design internship job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for design interns in 2025
1. Oakland, CA
Design internship jobs in OaklandTotal design internship jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $64,075 Lowest 10 percent warn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location quotient: 2.67 2. Sacramento, CA
Design internship jobs in SacramentoTotal design internship jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $63,064 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location quotient: 1.96 3. Seattle, WA
Design internship jobs in SeattleTotal design internship jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $63,846 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location quotient: 1.51 4. Cleveland, OH
Design internship jobs in ClevelandTotal design internship jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $45,800 Lowest 10 percent warn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location quotient: 1.93 5. Anaheim, CA
Design internship jobs in AnaheimTotal design internship jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $58,995 Lowest 10 percent warn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location quotient: 4.02 6. Austin, TX
Design internship jobs in AustinTotal design internship jobs: 22 Average annual salary: $48,588 Lowest 10 percent warn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location quotient: 1.68 7. San Francisco, CA
Design internship jobs in San FranciscoTotal design internship jobs: 26 Average annual salary: $64,253 Lowest 10 percent warn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location quotient: 1.33 8. Irvine, CA
Design internship jobs in IrvineTotal design internship jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $58,767 Lowest 10 percent warn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location quotient: 2.80 9. Los Angeles, CA
Design internship jobs in Los AngelesTotal design internship jobs: 39 Average annual salary: $59,532 Lowest 10 percent warn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location quotient: 2.32 10. San Jose, CA
Design internship jobs in San JoseTotal design internship jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $63,913 Lowest 10 percent warn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location quotient: 1.01
Choose from 10+ customizable design internship resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use design internship 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 internship resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for design interns
- Oakland, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Cleveland, OH
- Anaheim, CA
- Austin, TX
- San Francisco, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Jose, CA
Detailed list of the best cities for a design internship
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | $64,075 | $43,000 | 420,005 | 5 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | $63,064 | $42,000 | 495,234 | 8 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $63,846 | $46,000 | 704,352 | 25 |
| 4 | Cleveland, OH | $45,800 | $31,000 | 385,809 | 6 |
| 5 | Anaheim, CA | $58,995 | $40,000 | 351,043 | 4 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $48,588 | $33,000 | 947,890 | 22 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $64,253 | $43,000 | 870,887 | 26 |
| 8 | Irvine, CA | $58,767 | $40,000 | 266,122 | 15 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $59,532 | $41,000 | 3,976,322 | 39 |
| 10 | San Jose, CA | $63,913 | $42,000 | 1,025,350 | 14 |
| 11 | Boston, MA | $57,490 | $39,000 | 673,184 | 14 |
| 12 | Reno, NV | $52,227 | $35,000 | 245,255 | 1 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $53,766 | $38,000 | 639,863 | 8 |
| 14 | El Paso, TX | $49,473 | $35,000 | 683,080 | 1 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $57,124 | $38,000 | 614,664 | 8 |
| 16 | Houston, TX | $48,361 | $33,000 | 2,303,482 | 13 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $49,879 | $34,000 | 632,912 | 1 |
| 18 | Fremont, CA | $63,929 | $42,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 19 | Anchorage, AK | $56,682 | $48,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 20 | North Las Vegas, NV | $49,760 | $34,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 21 | San Antonio, TX | $48,966 | $33,000 | 1,492,510 | 2 |
| 22 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $60,464 | $44,000 | 351,792 | 4 |
| 23 | Henderson, NV | $49,707 | $34,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 24 | Laredo, TX | $49,672 | $33,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 25 | Stockton, CA | $63,185 | $42,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 26 | Fresno, CA | $62,173 | $42,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 27 | Columbus, OH | $44,455 | $31,000 | 860,090 | 6 |
| 28 | Greensboro, NC | $43,078 | $30,000 | 287,027 | 4 |
| 29 | San Diego, CA | $57,810 | $40,000 | 1,406,630 | 11 |
| 30 | Corpus Christi, TX | $49,220 | $33,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 31 | New York, NY | $51,743 | $35,000 | 8,537,673 | 120 |
| 32 | Bakersfield, CA | $61,122 | $41,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 33 | Washington, DC | $57,035 | $38,000 | 681,170 | 21 |
| 34 | Lubbock, TX | $48,154 | $34,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 35 | Dallas, TX | $47,331 | $34,000 | 1,317,929 | 6 |
| 36 | Toledo, OH | $45,201 | $31,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 37 | Raleigh, NC | $43,120 | $30,000 | 458,880 | 8 |
| 38 | Long Beach, CA | $59,145 | $40,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 39 | Minneapolis, MN | $44,554 | $32,000 | 413,651 | 13 |
| 40 | Philadelphia, PA | $44,910 | $30,000 | 1,567,872 | 5 |
| 41 | Fort Worth, TX | $47,441 | $34,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 42 | Plano, TX | $47,258 | $34,000 | 286,057 | 2 |
| 43 | Santa Ana, CA | $58,891 | $40,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 44 | Arlington, TX | $47,405 | $34,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 45 | Irving, TX | $47,344 | $34,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 46 | Durham, NC | $43,267 | $30,000 | 263,016 | 4 |
| 47 | Riverside, CA | $58,674 | $40,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 48 | Cincinnati, OH | $43,373 | $30,000 | 298,800 | 2 |
| 49 | Garland, TX | $47,268 | $34,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 50 | Madison, WI | $43,626 | $31,000 | 252,551 | 3 |
Highest paying cities for design interns
| Rank | City | Avg. design internship salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $64,253 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $63,846 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $57,490 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $57,124 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $57,035 |
| 6 | Fairbanks, AK | $56,380 |
| 7 | Salem, OR | $53,985 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $51,743 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $48,588 |
| 10 | Richmond, VA | $47,067 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $46,667 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $45,942 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $44,554 |
| 14 | Harrisburg, PA | $44,507 |
| 15 | Fort Collins, CO | $44,326 |
| 16 | Charlotte, NC | $41,976 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $41,276 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $39,694 |
| 19 | Detroit, MI | $39,540 |
| 20 | Portland, ME | $37,084 |
Design internship best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for design internship jobs
Updated January 8, 2025