How to hire a head designer

How to hire a head designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step head designer hiring guide:

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

What does a head designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a head designer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   The following list breaks down different types of head designers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Head Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Head Designer	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.	$34-91
   Graphic Designer, Marketing	A graphic designer of marketing specializes in developing creative imagery as part of a company's marketing efforts. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with the marketing team to share insights and strategies, conceptualizing designs in adherence to objectives and deadlines, and preparing presentations... Show more	$16-33
   Graphic Designer/Production	A Graphics Designer in production is the person in charge of designing and interpreting ideas pointed out by the client or the company. The graphics designer must use market standard applications and techniques to produce attention-grabbing designs intended to market a product, service, or company... Show more	$16-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Design
   • UI
   • Sketch
   • User Experience
   • Product Development
   • Lead Design
   • Prototyping
   • Market Trends
   • Graphic Design
   • Design Process
   • Facebook
   • Design Direction
   • Creative Direction
   • Market Research

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help manage e-commerce website with adding new product to the site and uploading of website banners, and photography.
   • Create HTML files and CSS style sheets for integration with JavaScript.
   • Create interface mock-ups out of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for integration into the broader, web-base application.
   • Sketch, design artwork, develop tech packs and communicate overseas to assure the understanding of the details of garment.
   • Provide production level UI design tweaks need for development.
   • Produce video cassette labels, brochures, newsletters and advertisements.

   More head designer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, head designers' average salary in hawaii is 57% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level head designers 63% less than senior-level head designers.
   • Certifications. A head designer 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 head designer's salary.

   Average head designer salary

   $116,986yearly

   $56.24 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level head designer salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average head designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$166,493	$80
   2	Washington	$134,090	$64
   3	Colorado	$124,346	$60
   4	District of Columbia	$121,760	$59
   5	Arizona	$118,242	$57
   6	New York	$115,118	$55
   7	Massachusetts	$113,942	$55
   8	Virginia	$110,416	$53
   9	Utah	$108,829	$52
   10	Maryland	$106,965	$51
   11	New Jersey	$102,366	$49
   12	Illinois	$101,406	$49
   13	Texas	$98,993	$48
   14	Minnesota	$94,165	$45
   15	North Carolina	$91,401	$44
   16	Ohio	$84,553	$41
   17	Georgia	$80,867	$39
   18	Florida	$64,358	$31

   Average head designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Airbnb	$188,580	$90.66
   2	eBay	$171,643	$82.52	4
   3	Google	$171,396	$82.40	118
   4	DoorDash	$167,017	$80.30	26
   5	PayPal	$164,012	$78.85	5
   6	Asana	$163,873	$78.79	2
   7	Apple	$162,106	$77.94	33
   8	TripActions	$156,680	$75.33
   9	Citi	$150,361	$72.29	9
   10	Warby Parker	$147,431	$70.88
   11	Williams Sonoma	$147,149	$70.74	37
   12	Robinhood	$145,948	$70.17	11
   13	Western Digital	$143,615	$69.05	4
   14	Silicon Valley Bank	$140,846	$67.71
   15	Ralph Lauren	$139,757	$67.19	7
   16	Goldman Sachs	$139,064	$66.86
   17	Velodyne Lidar	$137,314	$66.02
   18	DISCO	$136,378	$65.57
   19	Amazon	$135,608	$65.20	242
   20	Likewise Software	$135,566	$65.18

4. Writing a head designer job description

   A head designer 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a head designer job description:

   Head designer job description example

   GoodRx is America's healthcare marketplace. Each month, millions of people visit goodrx.com to find reliable health information and discounts for their healthcare - and we've helped people save $35 billion since 2011. We provide prescription discounts that are accepted at more than 70,000 pharmacies in the U.S., as well as telehealth services including doctor visits and lab tests. Our services have been positively reviewed by Good Morning America, The New York Times, NBC News, AARP, and many others.
   
   Our goal is to help Americans find convenient and affordable healthcare. We offer solutions for consumers, employers, health plans, and anyone else who shares our desire to provide affordable prescriptions to all Americans.
   
   We're committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company and industry. That's why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of the best and brightest from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has a seat at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunities to excel.
   
   With that said, research shows that women and other underrepresented groups apply only if they meet 100% of the criteria. GoodRx is committed to leveling the playing field, and we encourage women, people of color, those in the LGBTQ+ communities, and Veterans to apply for positions even if they don't necessarily check every box outlined in the job description. Please still get in touch - we'd love to connect and see if you could be good for the role!
   
   GoodRx is on the hunt for a design-focused operations leader that can help increase and improve our performance and our commitment to excellence. Our goal is to up-level how we work, communicate, and execute within Design, and with our cross functional partners. This role will shepherd how we set goals, on-board new hires, run design workshops, showcase design externally and much more. This is a high impact role, and you will have a hand in shaping what it is and could be
   
   What you will be doing Refine, implement and evangelize the design process across all areas Oversee design team communication, all-hands, workshops, and external presence Aid in the creation and implementation of design team goals and OKRsNormalize how teams review work with Design Leadership and ExecsOversee creating budgets for, headcount allocations, tools, team-outings, etc… Identify and create opportunities for design to communicate work company wide Aid in team allocations, and staffing
   
   What you should have8+ years of Design Ops / Producer / Program or Project Management experience on a design or creative team Real world understanding and experience with Product organizations Frameworks and/or well articulated points of view on process, research, iteration, execution and organization The ability to build meaningful relationships and partnerships with Designers Product Managers, Engineers and StakeholdersExperience developing OKRs, processes, critiques, and Executive reviews Polished written skills, oral communication, and great story-telling are a must
   GoodRx is America's healthcare marketplace. The company offers the most comprehensive and accurate resource for affordable prescription medications in the U.S., gathering pricing information from thousands of pharmacies coast to coast, as well as a telehealth marketplace for online doctor visits and lab tests. Since 2011, Americans with and without health insurance have saved $35 billion using GoodRx and million consumers visit goodrx.com each month to find discounts and information related to their healthcare. GoodRx is the #1 most downloaded medical app on the iOS and Android app stores. For more information, visit www.goodrx.com.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find head designers 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 head designers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level head designers 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 head designer job on Zippia to find and attract quality head designer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting head designers 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 head designer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the head designer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new head designer. 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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