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Graphic designer salary
Average graphic designer salary
$49,450
Understanding Graphic Designer Salaries
The average salary for a graphic designer as of October 2025 stands at $49,450 annually, translating to approximately $24 per hour. This figure can differ significantly depending on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which a designer works.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level graphic designers typically start at lower salaries, while those with advanced skills and extensive portfolios may earn substantially more. For example, designers with 5-10 years of experience can command higher wages, ranging from $55,000 to $70,000 annually.
Highest Paying States
Geographically, states such as California and New York often offer the highest salaries for graphic designers, reflecting the cost of living and demand for creative talent in major urban areas. In contrast, designers in states with lower living costs may find more modest salary ranges.
Opportunities for Growth
As the demand for digital content continues to rise, opportunities in graphic design are expected to grow. Specializations in areas like UX/UI design, motion graphics, or branding can further enhance earning potential and career advancement.
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Where can a Graphic Designer earn more?
Graphic designer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level graphic designer | $30,900 | $14.85 |
| Mid-level graphic designer | $43,300 | $20.82 |
| Senior-level graphic designer | $67,500 | $32.47 |
Graphic designer salary estimates from across the web
Average graphic designer salary by state
The average graphic designer salary in Massachusetts, Washington, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average graphic designer salary states are New Mexico, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for graphic designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $62,988 | $30.28 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $58,553 | $28.15 |
| 3 | Washington | $57,422 | $27.61 |
| 4 | New York | $57,176 | $27.49 |
| 5 | Virginia | $56,436 | $27.13 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $54,484 | $26.19 |
| 7 | Maine | $56,874 | $27.34 |
| 8 | Michigan | $50,070 | $24.07 |
| 9 | Maryland | $54,398 | $26.15 |
| 10 | Oregon | $49,537 | $23.82 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $51,256 | $24.64 |
| 12 | California | $52,089 | $25.04 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $54,188 | $26.05 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $48,310 | $23.23 |
| 15 | Illinois | $47,696 | $22.93 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $48,408 | $23.27 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $51,299 | $24.66 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $45,469 | $21.86 |
| 19 | Colorado | $47,544 | $22.86 |
| 20 | Ohio | $45,369 | $21.81 |
| 21 | Delaware | $47,750 | $22.96 |
| 22 | Alaska | $51,987 | $24.99 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $45,284 | $21.77 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $43,383 | $20.86 |
| 25 | Arizona | $44,674 | $21.48 |
| 26 | Nevada | $45,211 | $21.74 |
| 27 | Texas | $42,171 | $20.27 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $44,841 | $21.56 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $43,186 | $20.76 |
| 30 | Utah | $39,836 | $19.15 |
| 31 | Indiana | $42,939 | $20.64 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $47,448 | $22.81 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $41,164 | $19.79 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $41,779 | $20.09 |
| 35 | Kansas | $40,358 | $19.40 |
| 36 | Missouri | $41,835 | $20.11 |
| 37 | Vermont | $40,874 | $19.65 |
| 38 | Georgia | $38,707 | $18.61 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $40,414 | $19.43 |
| 40 | Florida | $40,800 | $19.62 |
| 41 | Idaho | $40,829 | $19.63 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $39,452 | $18.97 |
| 43 | Alabama | $39,021 | $18.76 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $38,567 | $18.54 |
| 45 | Iowa | $36,695 | $17.64 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $36,290 | $17.45 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $34,887 | $16.77 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $33,740 | $16.22 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $36,021 | $17.32 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $35,488 | $17.06 |
| 51 | Montana | $33,534 | $16.12 |
Highest paying cities for graphic designers
The highest-paying cities for graphic designers are Washington, DC, Boston, MA, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $63,052 | $30.31 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $58,402 | $28.08 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $57,758 | $27.77 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $57,449 | $27.62 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $55,717 | $26.79 |
| 6 | Fort Lee, NJ | $54,141 | $26.03 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $51,554 | $24.79 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $48,012 | $23.08 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $47,544 | $22.86 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $47,530 | $22.85 |
| 11 | Charlotte, NC | $47,336 | $22.76 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $45,147 | $21.71 |
| 13 | Duluth, MN | $44,841 | $21.56 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $44,824 | $21.55 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $42,702 | $20.53 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $42,259 | $20.32 |
| 17 | Orlando, FL | $40,715 | $19.57 |
| 18 | Duluth, GA | $38,805 | $18.66 |
Graphic Designers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Graphic designer salary details
A graphic designer's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $69,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a graphic designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,450 | $4,121 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying graphic designer jobs
The highest paying types of graphic designers are lead designer, interactive designer, and user experience designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Artist | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | 8,752 |
| Web Designer | $63,842 | $5,320 | $30.69 | 50,899 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
| User Experience Designer | $91,159 | $7,597 | $43.83 | 52,582 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Interactive Designer | $97,929 | $8,161 | $47.08 | 48,136 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for graphic designers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Abby Guido
Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University
Top companies hiring graphic designers now:
Which companies pay graphic designers the most?
Graphic designer salaries at Meta and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average graphic designer salary at companies like ResMed and Apple are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $103,821 | $49.91 |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $103,376 | $49.70 |
| 3 | ResMed | $100,562 | $48.35 |
| 4 | Apple | $99,520 | $47.85 |
| 5 | Visa | $96,998 | $46.63 |
| 6 | Microsoft | $96,718 | $46.50 |
| 7 | PayPal | $94,799 | $45.58 |
| 8 | $94,014 | $45.20 | |
| 9 | Houzz | $93,168 | $44.79 |
| 10 | Xilinx | $92,093 | $44.28 |
| 11 | Shopkick | $91,435 | $43.96 |
| 12 | Cisco | $91,336 | $43.91 |
| 13 | Western Digital | $89,840 | $43.19 |
| 14 | Slalom | $89,037 | $42.81 |
| 15 | eBay | $88,920 | $42.75 |
| 16 | Edelman Financial Engines | $88,383 | $42.49 |
| 17 | Jacob Realty Boston | $88,203 | $42.41 |
| 18 | ChyronHego | $87,208 | $41.93 |
| 19 | Yahoo | $86,756 | $41.71 |
| 20 | CIT Group | $86,260 | $41.47 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Graphic Designer salary by industry
The average graphic designer salary varies across industries:
- The average graphic designer salary in the technology industry is $59,067, the highest of any industry.
- The average graphic designer salary in the finance industry is $54,488.
- Graphic designers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $50,927, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for graphic designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $59,067 | $28.40 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $54,488 | $26.20 |
| 3 | Finance | $54,139 | $26.03 |
| 4 | Professional | $52,691 | $25.33 |
| 5 | Media | $52,206 | $25.10 |
| 6 | Education | $51,763 | $24.89 |
| 7 | Retail | $50,927 | $24.48 |
High paying graphic designer jobs
Graphic designer salary trends
The average graphic designer salary has risen by $8,680 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average graphic designer earned $40,770 annually, but today, they earn $49,450 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for graphic designers over the last decade.
Compare graphic designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average graphic designer salary over time
Compare graphic designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Graphic designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,400 | $23.77 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $48,300 | $23.21 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $46,700 | $22.43 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $45,100 | $21.69 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $44,100 | $21.22 | +1.6% |
Recently added graphic designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maritz Global Events | Remote Graphic Designer | Dallas, TX | 06/29/2025 | $73,045 |
| YRC Freight Inc. | Design Graphic Designer-Remote | Overland Park, KS | 06/29/2025 | $73,045 |
| Computer Core | Graphic Designer | Lumberton, MS | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Evoke Consulting | Graphic Designer-Business Analysis and Training Support (Adobe) (Afrc5) | Aurora, CO | 06/29/2025 | $60,000 |
| Clearwater Analytics, Ltd. | Graphic Designer | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Anova Care | Graphics Designer (Remote) | Bantry, ND | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Knitwellgroup | Graphic Designer | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $64,000 |
| Anova Care | Graphics Designer (Remote) | Birmingham, AL | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Anova Care | Graphics Designer | Pope, MS | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton | Graphic Designer | Arlington, VA | 06/28/2025 | $69,400 |
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