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Best states for a graphic designer/illustrator
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to graphic designer/illustrator jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state in the country for graphic designer/illustrators.
In order to get you the best states for graphic designer/illustrators, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a graphic designer/illustrator, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for graphic designer/illustrators in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 209 Average annual salary: $53,398 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
2. California
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 3,081 Average annual salary: $51,306 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.67
3. Virginia
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 641 Average annual salary: $49,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
4. Illinois
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 705 Average annual salary: $47,716 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
5. Pennsylvania
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 597 Average annual salary: $48,131 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
6. Massachusetts
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 684 Average annual salary: $46,228 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
7. Washington
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 794 Average annual salary: $45,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
8. Rhode Island
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 75 Average annual salary: $45,568 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
9. New York
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 1,265 Average annual salary: $46,647 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.57
10. New Jersey
Total graphic designer/illustrator jobs: 356 Average annual salary: $50,416 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
Graphic designer/illustrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a graphic designer/illustrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a graphic designer/illustrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $53,398 | $36,000 | 693,972 | 209 |
| 2 | California | $51,306 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,081 |
| 3 | Virginia | $49,093 | $33,000 | 8,470,020 | 641 |
| 4 | Illinois | $47,716 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 705 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $48,131 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 597 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $46,228 | $33,000 | 6,859,819 | 684 |
| 7 | Washington | $45,366 | $33,000 | 7,405,743 | 794 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $45,568 | $32,000 | 1,059,639 | 75 |
| 9 | New York | $46,647 | $32,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,265 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $50,416 | $34,000 | 9,005,644 | 356 |
| 11 | Michigan | $43,053 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 482 |
| 12 | Maryland | $47,170 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 382 |
| 13 | Ohio | $41,340 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 486 |
| 14 | Arizona | $43,043 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 283 |
| 15 | Delaware | $45,770 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 50 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $40,870 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 559 |
| 17 | Oregon | $40,775 | $29,000 | 4,142,776 | 431 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $45,117 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 45 |
| 19 | Texas | $40,469 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,152 |
| 20 | Alaska | $47,610 | $41,000 | 739,795 | 24 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $37,995 | $28,000 | 5,795,483 | 365 |
| 22 | Indiana | $40,922 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 253 |
| 23 | Utah | $36,583 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 229 |
| 24 | Nevada | $40,053 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 87 |
| 25 | Colorado | $39,318 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 353 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $38,983 | $27,000 | 3,588,184 | 187 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $36,065 | $27,000 | 1,342,795 | 116 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $38,635 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 33 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $38,009 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 20 |
| 30 | Georgia | $35,396 | $25,000 | 10,429,379 | 753 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $36,044 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 88 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $36,477 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 139 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $36,668 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 98 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $36,222 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 221 |
| 35 | Missouri | $35,948 | $26,000 | 6,113,532 | 246 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $41,839 | $31,000 | 1,427,538 | 27 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $36,492 | $26,000 | 4,684,333 | 117 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $34,617 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 401 |
| 39 | Alabama | $34,946 | $25,000 | 4,874,747 | 185 |
| 40 | Florida | $35,765 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 730 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $34,657 | $25,000 | 1,920,076 | 98 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $34,852 | $25,000 | 3,930,864 | 125 |
| 43 | Montana | $35,933 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 41 |
| 44 | Kansas | $33,526 | $24,000 | 2,913,123 | 145 |
| 45 | Maine | $32,710 | $25,000 | 1,335,907 | 68 |
| 46 | Iowa | $33,279 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 162 |
| 47 | Vermont | $33,069 | $25,000 | 623,657 | 32 |
| 48 | Idaho | $33,734 | $24,000 | 1,716,943 | 64 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $32,596 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 184 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $33,067 | $24,000 | 2,984,100 | 67 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $27,128 | $20,000 | 869,666 | 38 |
Highest paying states for graphic designer/illustrators
| Rank | State | Avg. Graphic Designer/Illustrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $53,398 |
| 2 | California | $51,306 |
| 3 | Virginia | $49,093 |
| 4 | Illinois | $47,716 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $48,131 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $46,228 |
| 7 | Washington | $45,366 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $45,568 |
| 9 | New York | $46,647 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $50,416 |
| 11 | Michigan | $43,053 |
| 12 | Maryland | $47,170 |
| 13 | Ohio | $41,340 |
| 14 | Arizona | $43,043 |
| 15 | Delaware | $45,770 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $40,870 |
| 17 | Oregon | $40,775 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $45,117 |
| 19 | Texas | $40,469 |
| 20 | Alaska | $47,610 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $37,995 |
| 22 | Indiana | $40,922 |
| 23 | Utah | $36,583 |
| 24 | Nevada | $40,053 |
| 25 | Colorado | $39,318 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $38,983 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $36,065 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $38,635 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $38,009 |
| 30 | Georgia | $35,396 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $36,044 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $36,477 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $36,668 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $36,222 |
| 35 | Missouri | $35,948 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $41,839 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $36,492 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $34,617 |
| 39 | Alabama | $34,946 |
| 40 | Florida | $35,765 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $34,657 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $34,852 |
| 43 | Montana | $35,933 |
| 44 | Kansas | $33,526 |
| 45 | Maine | $32,710 |
| 46 | Iowa | $33,279 |
| 47 | Vermont | $33,069 |
| 48 | Idaho | $33,734 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $32,596 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $33,067 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $27,128 |
Expert opinions on the best states for graphic designer/illustrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for graphic designer/illustrators 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.
Graphic designer/illustrator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025