How to hire a graphic artist

How to hire a graphic artist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graphic artist hiring guide:

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

What does a graphic artist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The graphic artist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A graphic artist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, graphic artists 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of graphic artists.

   Type of Graphic Artist	Description	Hourly rate
   Graphic Artist	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.	$16-40
   Visual Merchandiser	A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more	$12-25
   Visual Designer	A visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working... Show more	$24-68

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • Art Direction
   • Photography
   • Brochures
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • PowerPoint
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Posters
   • Mac
   • Design Concepts
   • Sample Layouts
   • Business Cards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage external communications such as brochures and other sales collateral for direct mail from inception to circulation.
   • Develop, debug, and maintain client websites using HTML & CSS, WordPress, and basic use of JavaScript.
   • Flash & Dreamweaver software assisting in production of the company website.
   • Create custom graphic art for cars, windows, store fronts, business signs.
   • Design and implement the company's first Facebook app and engages in designing everything encompassing pixels and print.
   • Design, develop and maintain websites as projects present themselves with the use of HTML and WYSIWYG web development tools.

   More graphic artist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the graphic artist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A graphic artist 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 graphic artist in New Mexico may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level graphic artist. Additionally, a graphic artist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average graphic artist salary

   $54,900yearly

   $26.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level graphic artist salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2026

   Average graphic artist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$94,756	$46
   2	California	$81,960	$39
   3	Nevada	$68,906	$33
   4	Massachusetts	$67,682	$33
   5	New York	$67,501	$32
   6	Virginia	$64,557	$31
   7	Arizona	$61,511	$30
   8	Hawaii	$61,227	$29
   9	Maryland	$56,410	$27
   10	Illinois	$55,026	$26
   11	Wisconsin	$54,777	$26
   12	Pennsylvania	$53,533	$26
   13	Texas	$53,224	$26
   14	Arkansas	$51,916	$25
   15	Michigan	$50,957	$25
   16	Missouri	$50,585	$24
   17	Louisiana	$49,470	$24
   18	South Carolina	$49,269	$24
   19	Georgia	$47,842	$23
   20	Florida	$46,732	$22

   Average graphic artist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Parsons	$105,656	$50.80
   2	Marcus & Millichap	$104,774	$50.37
   3	Bloomberg	$95,649	$45.99
   4	Gaia Online	$89,297	$42.93
   5	Gap Inc.	$83,937	$40.35
   6	Fox News	$83,242	$40.02
   7	Cohen & Company	$81,443	$39.16
   8	Warner Bros.	$77,870	$37.44	20
   9	Industrial Light & Magic	$77,202	$37.12	2
   10	Magic Leap	$77,098	$37.07
   11	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$75,423	$36.26	5
   12	Elizabeth River Ferry	$72,920	$35.06
   13	Cenergy International Services	$72,862	$35.03
   14	SPIE	$72,843	$35.02
   15	Psyop	$71,688	$34.47
   16	Intergraph	$71,501	$34.38
   17	Crunchyroll	$71,432	$34.34
   18	Technicolor	$71,024	$34.15
   19	495 Productions	$70,411	$33.85
   20	Intertek	$70,354	$33.82	2

4. Writing a graphic artist job description

   A good graphic artist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a graphic artist job description:

   Graphic artist job description example

   Job DescriptionHoly Innocents’ Episcopal School offers an educational program encompassing academics, arts, athletics, and spiritual formation. Through opportunities to grow intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, students develop their individual worth and dignity. The challenging academic program prepares students for higher education and emphasizes learning as a pathway toward ethical leadership and a commitment to the common good.
   
   We're now hiring a Graphic/Web Designer to join our team. We’re looking for somebody with great skills. Someone who can create and implement design solutions for everything from print, web outdoor and social media. This individual protects the integrity of the brand by delivering product that fulfills the Merchandising strategies and meets the customers’ expectations in quality, design, and functionality. The preferred candidate is proactive, solution-oriented and comfortable working in a deadline-driven environment.
   You will:
   * Create and design various materials for print and digital collateral
   * Work with several departments, including marketing, sales, and the executive team to create assets like sales decks, flyer designs, conference designs, swag, and other digital assets
   * Ensure projects are completed with high quality and on schedule
   * Work with the Art Director to establish creative direction for the company as well as brand guidelines
   * Prioritize and manage multiple projects within design specifications
   * Perform retouching and manipulation of images
   * Work with a wide range of media and use graphic design software
   
   You have:
   * The foundational training to create refined designs with a focus on layout, image composition, and typography
   * Experience creating and optimizing graphics for the web
   * Strong self-motivation and drive to succeed
   * Excellent attention to detail
   * Great, positive attitude – we are a highly collaborative and collegial team.
   * 1 year of relevant work experience as a junior designer or as a designer in an agency or in-house creative group.
   * Self-starter with strong work ethic and ability to manage own time and take initiative
   
   Desired Skills:
   * Print design: magazine, marketing, and reports
   * Ability to apply design concepts, practices and procedures, color theory, typography, and other elements of design
   * Ability to design vector and raster-based graphics and logos as well as visually appealing infographics from complex data
   
   What you will get from us:
   * You will be given resources to help grow your personal brand and to position yourself as a thought leader in areas relevant to Design
   * An inclusive company culture that is being built intentionally to foster an environment that supports and engages talent in their current and future endeavours.
   * Stipend to invest in alternative assets
   * 401K and Wellness Stipends
   * Unlimited vacation policy
   * Generous paid parental leave
   
   We care deeply about fairness (it's our mission) so you can be ensured that your application will never be judged based on your religious belief, age, color, race, creed, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnic origin, family status or disability.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right graphic artist 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 graphic artist job on Zippia to find and recruit graphic artist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting graphic artists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 graphic artist

   Once you've found the graphic artist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new graphic artist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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