How to hire a graphic designer/production

How to hire a graphic designer/production, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graphic designer/production 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 designer/production job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new graphic designer/production
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a graphic designer/production do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your graphic designer/production job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a graphic designer/production for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   Type of Graphic Designer/Production	Description	Hourly rate
   Graphic Designer/Production	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.	$16-32
   Production Designer	A production designer is responsible for monitoring the visual presentation of a media or theatre production, ensuring the set's adherence to the theme, and presenting visual elements according to the production requirements. Production designers research the current industry trends for creative ideas that would attract the audience, creating outstanding visual pictures throughout the production... Show more	$17-39
   Production Artist	A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts... Show more	$19-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • Art Direction
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Signage
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Brochures
   • Design Concepts
   • Product Photography
   • Posters
   • Logo Design
   • Mac
   • Business Cards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage production of products; custom banners, t-shirts, satin flags, from concept to final product.
   • Manage various publications including catalogs, catalog inserts, brochures, mailers and advertising material.
   • Develop and update conference materials, including PowerPoint presentations, posters, handouts, badges, table tents, and folders.
   • Produce corporate identity systems and collateral print materials, print advertising, product/capabilities brochures, direct mail and newsletters.
   • Produce daily, weekly and monthly newsletters in both print and HTML.
   • Create cleaner HTML email templates and help others within the group improve their HTML skills.

   More graphic designer/production duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your graphic designer/production job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A graphic designer/production can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, graphic designer/productions' average salary in south dakota is 50% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level graphic designer/productions 48% less than senior-level graphic designer/productions.
   • Certifications. A graphic designer/production with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a graphic designer/production's salary.

   Average graphic designer/production salary

   $48,619yearly

   $23.37 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level graphic designer/production salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2026

   Average graphic designer/production salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$58,858	$28
   2	New York	$54,880	$26
   3	New Jersey	$53,896	$26
   4	Nevada	$52,400	$25
   5	Arizona	$52,228	$25
   6	Washington	$50,699	$24
   7	Pennsylvania	$49,110	$24
   8	Michigan	$46,706	$22
   9	Colorado	$46,630	$22
   10	North Carolina	$45,418	$22
   11	Missouri	$44,645	$21
   12	Illinois	$44,435	$21
   13	Texas	$43,439	$21
   14	Mississippi	$41,109	$20
   15	Wisconsin	$40,148	$19
   16	Florida	$36,922	$18
   17	Ohio	$36,430	$18
   18	Oklahoma	$32,676	$16

   Average graphic designer/production salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Optimum Nutrition	$65,459	$31.47	5
   2	Zgf Architects	$64,110	$30.82	5
   3	La Comunidad Hispana	$63,095	$30.33
   4	SS&C Technologies	$62,725	$30.16
   5	Yerba Buena Center for the Arts	$59,712	$28.71	2
   6	Globe Life	$59,503	$28.61	1
   7	Yext	$59,272	$28.50
   8	Toastmasters International	$55,909	$26.88	1
   9	Fastsigns International	$53,988	$25.96	351
   10	North Oaks Health System	$51,965	$24.98
   11	Robert Half	$49,717	$23.90	57
   12	Viad	$49,313	$23.71
   13	University of Mississippi Medical Center	$49,020	$23.57

4. Writing a graphic designer/production job description

   A graphic designer/production job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a graphic designer/production job description:

   Graphic designer/production job description example

   Minuteman Press, the world's largest and top-rated digital print, marketing and design franchise is seeking candidates for a position with our Houston, TX location as a Digital Print Production Associate and Graphic Designer. This position will be responsible for assisting our customers via telephone, email, and in person at our office with their print, promotional and design projects.
   
   Experience with digital printers such as Xerox, Konica Minolta or similar using a Command Workstation is a must. Large format printing experience is a plus, but not required.
   Requirements:
   * Experience with Graphic Design (Adobe Creative Cloud)
   * Understand, set-up and operate digital print equipment.
   * Must know how to set-up files for printing, color calibrating, imposition.
   * Preparing files for print production; checking fonts, links and colors, creating bleeds, crops and imposing art when required.
   * Communicate courteously with clients to assist them with the creation of jobs. Review job specification from work orders and ensure that client files are accurate to produce job.
   * This position WILL assist with bindery, cutting, folding and large format. Actual production of finished product, from digital presses to wide-format printers.
   * Excellent time-management skills. You should be able to juggle multiple tasks and aggressive daily deadlines with minimal supervision and extraordinary attention to detail.
   * Work both independently and as a member of a team, from concept to completion.
   * Working with and manipulating PDF files.
   * Excellent organizational & communication skills (written & verbal)
   * General shop cleaning
   
   If you are enthusiastic, enjoy working with people and you are looking for a great opportunity in an exciting industry, please submit your resume along with a cover letter.
   
   Please note: We are unable to consider candidates currently residing outside of TEXAS.
   
   Job Type: Full-time
   
   Pay: From $16.00 per hour
   
   Schedule:
   * Day shift
   * Monday to Friday
   
   Ability to commute/relocate:
   * Houston, TX 77087: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find graphic designer/productions for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any graphic designer/productions they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level graphic designer/productions with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your graphic designer/production job on Zippia to find and attract quality graphic designer/production candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit graphic designer/productions, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 designer/production

   Once you've selected the best graphic designer/production candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new graphic designer/production. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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