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Job outlook for graphic design teachers in the United States
Are graphic design teacher jobs in demand?
Graphic design teacher job and salary trends over time
Graphic design teacher jobs over time
Graphic design teacher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 105 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 103 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 111 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 112 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 112 | 0.00% |
Average graphic design teacher salary over time
Graphic design teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,285 | $25.14 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $51,041 | $24.54 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $49,337 | $23.72 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $47,701 | $22.93 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $46,663 | $22.43 | +1.6% |
Graphic design teacher jobs by state
Most common states for graphic design teachers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 262 | 38% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 307 | 23% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,465 | 21% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,070 | 19% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,074 | 18% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,000 | 18% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 756 | 18% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 173 | 18% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,195 | 16% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 172 | 16% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 98 | 16% |
| 12 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,951 | 15% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,360 | 15% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,306 | 15% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 464 | 15% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 406 | 14% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 292 | 14% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 278 | 14% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 147 | 14% |
| 20 | California | 39,536,653 | 5,320 | 13% |
Graphic Design Teacher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of graphic design teacher experts
Arcadia University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Highline College
Bowling Green State University
Belmont University
Eastern Illinois University
Kansas City Art Institute
Art Academy of Cincinnati
University of Oklahoma
University of Findlay
University of Missouri - Columbia
Wilson College
YKMD Visual Communication
Texas A&M University
Villa Maria College
University of Mary Washington
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
College of Central Florida
What general advice would you give to a Graphic Design Teacher?
Christian Patchell: There is a ton of opportunity and burgeoning markets opening up every day. We discuss this in my classes. The landscape of the arts changes at a faster pace than ever, but change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. With each new evolution there comes new opportunities. For example, many of my students find themselves interested in UX/UI. This is an area with a lot of opportunity for a new Designer but only if there is a passion for the Market. Even though this is a field first identified in the early 90s, I’d say that in the last decade or so it really has hit the Design World hard. This doesn’t mean that designing for print has to take a back seat. Print is more popular than ever in terms of designing and creating objects (books, packaging, etc.) that many of us refer to as art objects, interactive objects, or objects of influence. Telling a good story through the design of an object is pushing Graphic Design into wonderful areas and is really starting to connect with audiences on entirely new levels. Don’t let the articles listing the “Top 10 Majors at Universities” or the “25 Most Popular Jobs” fool you, Art and Design are more relevant and more important than ever before.
What will help Graphic Design Teachers increase their earning potential?
Christian Patchell: Oddly, what most people like and dislike are the same thing. Designers many times stand at a starting point, the line where technology and art merge into something beautiful and engaging. We are early adopters, curious where the digital and traditional merge into something new or different. Making something “new” and “different” over and over again can be a difficult climb. But if you are someone with a wealth of ideas and likes to solve problems creatively, the challenge of Graphic Design may be right for you. The other side of that coin is technology. A Graphic Designer needs to stay current on emerging technologies while maintaining an eye on trends and changes in the culture. While in school it is quite easy to stay up to date on programs that are the industry standards (Adobe Publishing Suite, Figma, etc.) it can be more difficult to do this once you have graduated. As a teaching professional I try to keep my skill set current on an annual basis (sometimes shorter) so I can be of service to my students and relevant in my field. As a Graphic Designer if you do your job right, no one may really see it. However, if you do it wrong in even the slightest way, everyone might see it. At the end of the day though there is nothing quite like seeing your design out in the wild. Whether part of a team or as an individual, a Graphic Designer is given an opportunity to share their work, their art, with an extremely large audience and instigate change while creating something personal and telling a good story. That feeling of accomplishment, for me at least, outweighs any cons there might be in this creative field.
What will help Graphic Design Teachers increase their earning potential?
Allen Garcie MFA: On the technical side, software is always evolving so skills related to this are always important. However, I think keeping up with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be most important for designers over the next 3 to 5 years. This is an area that's already changing the design field as companies like Adobe and others continue to integrate AI into their software. On the other hand, being a designer isn't all about developing technology-related skills though. I also think developing non-technical skills like creativity, collaboration, and adaptability are extremely important for any designer.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Graphic Design Teachers?
Diana Boyd: -Adobe Illustrator - Vector drawing skills
-Adobe Photoshop - Working with raster images
-Adobe InDesign - Layout skills
-Adobe Animate - Animation
-Adobe XD - UX/UI prototyping
-Wordpress/Adobe Portfolio/Adobe Dreamweaver - web design/development
-Microsoft Word /PowerPoint
What skills will help Graphic Design Teachers earn the most?
Diana Boyd: -Originality/Creativity
-UX/UI design
-Branding
-Marketing and Advertising
-Illustration
What soft skills should all Graphic Design Teachers possess?
Diana Boyd: -Collaboration/Teamwork
-Interpersonal
-Reliability
-Ethical behavior
-Self-starter
Jenn Stucker
Associate Professor, Chair of The Graphic Design DivisionBowling Green State University
School of Art
What soft skills should all Graphic Design Teachers possess?
Jenn Stucker: A good designer's soft skills include empathy, critical thinking, context, collaboration, leadership, networking, and the ability to present and articulate ideas.
Doug Regen
Professor of PracticeBelmont University
Graphic Design Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Graphic Design Teachers?
Doug Regen: Must know all the Adobe Creative software. Any level of video experience is a big plus.
What skills will help Graphic Design Teachers earn the most?
Doug Regen: Brilliant Ideas are executed flawlessly. Team player. Ability to motivate and lead others. Strong communicator and presentation skills.
Samantha Osborne
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Owner, Samantha Osborne DesignEastern Illinois University
Art + Design
What skills will help Graphic Design Teachers earn the most?
Samantha Osborne: An ability to effectively communicate, navigate creative resources, network, empathize with others, and come up with innovative creative solutions. That said, your work still needs to be stellar and consistently great if you're going to be a big earner.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Graphic Design Teachers?
John Ferry: I believe so - how can we have something this significant happen and not have it affect our lives in a noticeable way. I actually think there are advantages to having this happen . . . If you look for the positives you'll find them . . . if you look for the negatives you'll find them . . . I can't speculate on what that impact will be - but, we'll all be impacted, Professors and Students. At the very least we are all a lot more familiar with how to navigate virtual meetings.
What will help Graphic Design Teachers increase their earning potential?
Mark Thomas: Professor Thomas advises graduates beginning their career in Graphic Design to focus on building a strong portfolio that showcases their skills and creativity. He also recommends networking and seeking out internships or freelance opportunities to gain real-world experience.
What general advice would you give to a Graphic Design Teacher?
Tess Elliot: Stay true to yourself. Be patient and have confidence in yourself and your work. Artists early in their careers often don't make money from their work. This is okay. Find a way to support yourself while continuing to make and share your work and things will fall into place. Seek out that unique path to career fulfillment.
What Graphic Design Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Anne Beekman: Designers with a broad range of skills- technology, creativity, and communication-with a strong aesthetic will continue to find jobs.
Dr. Julia Gaines
Director, Professor, PercussionUniversity of Missouri - Columbia
School of Music
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Graphic Design Teacher job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Julia Gaines: The biggest trends for post-pandemic will be jobs for AV/IT work. The making of videos for just about every profession but including the distribution of music has grown exponentially in the field. I think entrepreneurs who can do this will contract out for music educators/performers everywhere. I think the teaching profession will now be asking, "what is your experience with online instruction delivery?" That will now be a qualification for all teachers, and we, at the university level, will have to do better preparing our teachers for this new education world.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Graphic Design Teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Julia Gaines: Education is still a top market, and that will be needed in every state. Even private studios have evolved to teaching online, all over the world. The location has now become a bit more irrelevant. As long as you can work with a computer well, you should be able to get a job in the education field. Even international opportunities will be more relevant to students, at this point.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Graphic Design Teachers to find work opportunities?
Philip Lindsey: Graphic Design: metropolitan areas. However, graphic design is everywhere, and any company/business that relies on images and text incorporates graphic Design. So the job market is quite broad.
How do you envision technology impacting Graphic Design Teachers in the next 5 years?
Philip Lindsey: Graphic design has become increasingly tech-oriented. Graduates will need to understand industry-standard software and hardware to be competitive.
What type of skills will young Graphic Design Teachers need?
Yanique DaCosta: Young design graduates need to have three simple things: portfolio diversity, critical thinking skills, and humility.
A diverse portfolio of various deliverables (print, web, interactive, experiential, etc.) Will give any recent grad a bigger opportunity to break into the market as a professional. Unlike seasoned professionals, recent grads have not had the opportunity to find their design "voice" or identify their niche. It's best to show a range of styles and deliverables until you have enough professional work experience to discern your path forward.
Critical thinking skills, often referred to as design thinking, is an integral part of elevating the design profession as well as building your reputation within it. The design thinking process consists of observation, empathy, problem formulation, solution deduction, testing, alteration, and reiteration. You must be able to use these skills to create design solutions, so your colleagues understand you are not the "pretty color" "Photoshop fixer" person, but an informed research-based problem solver. In implementing design thinking, new grads must seek to understand how their design solutions affect; environmental sustainability, social equity, cultural diversity, inclusivity, public safety, and accessibility.
Even with a great portfolio, supported by detailed design justifications, there is no room for designers that lack humility. We do not design for ourselves; we create to solve problems for those around us. We must be able to remove our feelings about ourselves and create from a human-centric place. Without this, a new grad may find themselves frustrated before they have even started to run the first race.
Nancy Miller
Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Graphic DesignTexas A&M University
Department of Art & Design
What type of skills will young Graphic Design Teachers need?
Nancy Miller: As faculty teaching graphic design, keeping up with the ever-evolving shifts in technology, and forecasting occupational trends in professional practice can be overwhelming. When predicting post-graduation employability for graphic design students, I'm obligated to recognize that there is an over-saturation of entry-level designers in the applicant pool. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), "Employment of graphic designers is projected to decline 4 percent from 2019 to 2029. Graphic designers are expected to face strong competition for available positions." Despite this statistic, a degree in Graphic Design can kick off a creative career with many exciting professional roles available. Students can become tomorrow's fulfilled and accomplished professionals, with a better understanding of the workforce that they are entering into. No matter what the market conditions, to be competitive job candidates, students must possess relevant technical skills and developed creative and strategic competencies.
At a minimum, technical proficiency in industry-standard software applications like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat are expected for new graduates. They should be able to use these applications for composition and layout in creating various print and digital touchpoints. As social media continues to rise in importance to companies, students will need to stay abreast of changes with popular social networking sites to constantly appeal to users and engage audiences across the board. Behind social media design, knowledge of marketing fundamentals (research, tactics, media, copywriting), interactive user design (websites, apps, interactive displays), and motion design (animated graphics, videos, ads) are also critical to applicants in setting them apart and making them more competitive in the candidate pool. Strategic competencies such as creative problem solving, visual communication, and the ability to parse information uniquely and originally will allow candidates to seize career opportunities and stand out in the current labor market. In addition to successful coursework and projects, students should aspire to showcase work done for clients, in order to establish a record of imaginative, creative strategy in response to client needs and/or business goals.
Many of the aforementioned skills should be evident in the curated work shown and supported in the new graduate's professionally-vetted portfolio website. In her book, "Stand Out: Design a personal brand. Build a killer portfolio. Find a great design job.," author and Assistant Professor, Denise Anderson (2016, viii) declares, "In the field of professional design, your portfolio is the single most important apparatus you have for demonstrating your talents, skills, and body of work." The visual portfolio is a critical and non-negotiable part of a job application for new graduates. Students should support their polished works with concise and reflective contextual statements to give potential employers insight into their challenges, process, and solutions for each project. In the typical hiring process, the portfolio is the apparatus that allows the student to be vetted for the ensuing in-person or virtual interview. It is in this more intimate opportunity that the student will sell their interpersonal skills in collaborative dialogues with professionals. They are establishing a level of comfort talking with professionals and clients before this juncture that will prepare students for exceptional performance in this defining employment situation.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Graphic Design Teachers?
Robert Grizanti: From my perspective as an educator, I don't believe there will be an enduring impact, but an impact nonetheless. From an academic perspective, most students I engage with have transitioned nicely to an online or hybrid model of learning. Their ability to quickly adapt and utilize online learning management systems and virtual classroom software will definitely be an advantage in the new workplace of the future.
On the flip side, some students may look back at this time in history and feel they missed out on many of the social aspects of their college experience. Our institution, as have many around the country, has made every effort to create a safe environment for students to engage in social activities. I'm hopeful graduates will look back with a sense of pride and accomplishment in their ability to meet and overcome any and all challenges faced during this historic moment in time.
Janine Davis Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Mary Washington
College of Education
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Graphic Design Teachers?
Janine Davis Ph.D.: For our teacher education graduates, the impact of the pandemic will most likely work in their favor when it comes to finding jobs-the pandemic has led to many retirements, which will mean that we will need even more teachers to fill those empty positions. At the same time, the advent of increased virtual learning means that it will no longer be an option that teachers know and use technology, including teaching online and using learning management and data analysis systems-those skills will almost certainly be a non-negotiable for future teaching positions. Finally, I think that this event has highlighted the importance of working as part of a team of teachers and other school leaders.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Graphic Design Teachers in the next 3-5 years?
Michelle Lockwood: A year ago, even six months ago, we would never have expected our lives to have taken the turns they have, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that same sense, we cannot know what obstacles we will encounter in the next year, six months, or even next week. The aspect of technology that seems most important now is software that can bring the human experience of connection into our individual and separated lives. Technology has enabled those of us in design and applied arts, to continue creating and communicating. As always has been, technology is a tool, but it is not usually the entire idea. Yes, every message is altered and influenced by the medium with which it was created. Still, those beginning in this field need to remember that their uniqueness comes from the union of what is in their mind and their heart, and how they articulate and communicate that union.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Graphic Design Teachers?
Michelle Lockwood: Oh, yes! There will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates, and all of us. It has already changed so much about how we interact, do business, socialize, learn, love, and just plain live. There is no way that it could not impact the future of this field, or any area, in my opinion. I think the job market will look very different in the months and years to come. We will adapt, and there will be more opportunities for creativity, more problems to solve, and more chances to engage and inform. But those practicing will need to remain flexible, adapt gracefully to changing circumstances, and find pockets where they can solve problems, and use their unique skillset to illuminate, inform, and delight -- just as we have always done -- only differently.
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.
Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and HumanitiesCollege of Central Florida
Engineering Technology
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Graphic Design Teachers?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: A positive result of COVID-19 is a "coming together" of the academic community to embrace and adapt to the "new normal" - from instructors, to publishers, to instrument manufacturers. Each of the above has taken a difficult challenge and used it to push the arts forward, offering for example, livestreams when the concept of a live audience is not feasible. We have approached the challenge with creativity because that is what we do.