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Best states for a design manager/senior designer
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Design manager/senior designer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for design managers/senior designer, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for design managers/senior designer.Although there are abundant design manager/senior designer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Washington is the best state in the country for design manager/senior designer jobs.
Washington is the best state for jobs for design managers/senior designer, and South Dakota is the worst. The most common pay in Washington is $173,149, while the median pay in South Dakota is $77,954.If you are currently seeking employment as a design manager/senior designer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for design managers/senior designer in 2025
1. Washington
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 1,275 Average annual salary: $173,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $238,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
2. California
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 5,356 Average annual salary: $168,277 Lowest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $234,000 Location Quotient: 1.7
3. Oregon
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 791 Average annual salary: $138,203 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
4. Arizona
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 614 Average annual salary: $134,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
5. District of Columbia
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 292 Average annual salary: $141,340 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
6. Utah
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 357 Average annual salary: $126,249 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
7. New York
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 1,890 Average annual salary: $127,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
8. Massachusetts
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 1,163 Average annual salary: $123,286 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
9. Virginia
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 1,163 Average annual salary: $124,015 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
10. Rhode Island
Total design manager/senior designer jobs: 120 Average annual salary: $120,847 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
Design manager/senior designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a design manager/senior designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a design manager/senior designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $173,149 | $125,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,275 |
| 2 | California | $168,277 | $120,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,356 |
| 3 | Oregon | $138,203 | $97,000 | 4,142,776 | 791 |
| 4 | Arizona | $134,471 | $93,000 | 7,016,270 | 614 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $141,340 | $101,000 | 693,972 | 292 |
| 6 | Utah | $126,249 | $89,000 | 3,101,833 | 357 |
| 7 | New York | $127,906 | $91,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,890 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $123,286 | $88,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,163 |
| 9 | Virginia | $124,015 | $89,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,163 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $120,847 | $86,000 | 1,059,639 | 120 |
| 11 | Idaho | $125,792 | $88,000 | 1,716,943 | 134 |
| 12 | Nevada | $129,931 | $90,000 | 2,998,039 | 154 |
| 13 | Alaska | $123,038 | $91,000 | 739,795 | 68 |
| 14 | Texas | $113,873 | $78,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,197 |
| 15 | Michigan | $110,735 | $80,000 | 9,962,311 | 888 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $116,358 | $83,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,031 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $117,525 | $84,000 | 3,588,184 | 358 |
| 18 | Colorado | $118,888 | $85,000 | 5,607,154 | 612 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $112,975 | $81,000 | 579,315 | 51 |
| 20 | Illinois | $116,133 | $84,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,153 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $118,385 | $85,000 | 1,815,857 | 73 |
| 22 | Maryland | $117,549 | $84,000 | 6,052,177 | 676 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $107,423 | $78,000 | 5,795,483 | 558 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $110,029 | $79,000 | 1,342,795 | 172 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $112,409 | $79,000 | 2,088,070 | 136 |
| 26 | Montana | $112,123 | $80,000 | 1,050,493 | 92 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $106,504 | $78,000 | 5,576,606 | 687 |
| 28 | Vermont | $105,048 | $76,000 | 623,657 | 75 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $113,805 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 624 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $103,426 | $74,000 | 10,273,419 | 930 |
| 31 | Ohio | $102,892 | $74,000 | 11,658,609 | 836 |
| 32 | Missouri | $106,635 | $77,000 | 6,113,532 | 469 |
| 33 | Delaware | $105,897 | $76,000 | 961,939 | 107 |
| 34 | Iowa | $104,535 | $76,000 | 3,145,711 | 295 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $102,636 | $73,000 | 5,024,369 | 334 |
| 36 | Kansas | $97,693 | $71,000 | 2,913,123 | 252 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $102,101 | $73,000 | 3,004,279 | 151 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $100,737 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 378 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $98,818 | $73,000 | 755,393 | 74 |
| 40 | Maine | $98,330 | $71,000 | 1,335,907 | 109 |
| 41 | Georgia | $94,808 | $67,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,114 |
| 42 | Florida | $96,912 | $65,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,259 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $97,926 | $71,000 | 1,920,076 | 145 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $101,156 | $68,000 | 1,427,538 | 55 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $99,030 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 152 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $94,937 | $69,000 | 4,454,189 | 215 |
| 47 | Indiana | $93,314 | $68,000 | 6,666,818 | 441 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $93,515 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 203 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $94,400 | $66,000 | 2,984,100 | 103 |
| 50 | Alabama | $86,049 | $61,000 | 4,874,747 | 337 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $77,954 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 73 |
Highest paying states for design managers/senior designer
| Rank | State | Avg. Design Manager/Senior Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $173,149 |
| 2 | California | $168,277 |
| 3 | Oregon | $138,203 |
| 4 | Arizona | $134,471 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $141,340 |
| 6 | Utah | $126,249 |
| 7 | New York | $127,906 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $123,286 |
| 9 | Virginia | $124,015 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $120,847 |
| 11 | Idaho | $125,792 |
| 12 | Nevada | $129,931 |
| 13 | Alaska | $123,038 |
| 14 | Texas | $113,873 |
| 15 | Michigan | $110,735 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $116,358 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $117,525 |
| 18 | Colorado | $118,888 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $112,975 |
| 20 | Illinois | $116,133 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $118,385 |
| 22 | Maryland | $117,549 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $107,423 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $110,029 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $112,409 |
| 26 | Montana | $112,123 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $106,504 |
| 28 | Vermont | $105,048 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $113,805 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $103,426 |
| 31 | Ohio | $102,892 |
| 32 | Missouri | $106,635 |
| 33 | Delaware | $105,897 |
| 34 | Iowa | $104,535 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $102,636 |
| 36 | Kansas | $97,693 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $102,101 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $100,737 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $98,818 |
| 40 | Maine | $98,330 |
| 41 | Georgia | $94,808 |
| 42 | Florida | $96,912 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $97,926 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $101,156 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $99,030 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $94,937 |
| 47 | Indiana | $93,314 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $93,515 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $94,400 |
| 50 | Alabama | $86,049 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $77,954 |
Expert opinions on the best states for design managers/senior designer
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for design manager/senior designers to find work opportunities?
Kristy Pennino
Professor of Graphic & Interactive Design, Valencia College
All major cities in the U.S. have been known to offer the most employment opportunities for graphic designers, simply because that is where there's a greater concentration of paying clients. I guess the silver lining - as a result of the pandemic - is that people will be less likely to select their employers, clients, or residences based solely on their location. With our program internship requirement, I have already witnessed students being hired to work remotely for employers who are not local and who are not even located in the same state or country. I helped three graduates get employed in the past 48 hours for companies who are not local and eager to hire our graduates to work remotely.
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Updated January 8, 2025