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Best states for a head graphic designer
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for head graphic designers in the United States. Head graphic designer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for head graphic designers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for head graphic designers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for head graphic designer jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for head graphic designers.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for head graphic designer jobs, whereas South Dakota is the worst.
10 best states for head graphic designers in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total head graphic designer jobs: 214 Average annual salary: $86,063 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
2. Washington
Total head graphic designer jobs: 857 Average annual salary: $81,733 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.69
3. Massachusetts
Total head graphic designer jobs: 790 Average annual salary: $77,737 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
4. New York
Total head graphic designer jobs: 1,507 Average annual salary: $75,204 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.69
5. Virginia
Total head graphic designer jobs: 734 Average annual salary: $74,826 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. Pennsylvania
Total head graphic designer jobs: 732 Average annual salary: $76,080 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Rhode Island
Total head graphic designer jobs: 99 Average annual salary: $72,297 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
8. Oregon
Total head graphic designer jobs: 465 Average annual salary: $72,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
9. California
Total head graphic designer jobs: 3,110 Average annual salary: $74,135 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
10. Connecticut
Total head graphic designer jobs: 228 Average annual salary: $70,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
Head graphic designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a head graphic designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a head graphic designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $86,063 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 214 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,733 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 857 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $77,737 | $53,000 | 6,859,819 | 790 |
| 4 | New York | $75,204 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,507 |
| 5 | Virginia | $74,826 | $46,000 | 8,470,020 | 734 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $76,080 | $50,000 | 12,805,537 | 732 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $72,297 | $49,000 | 1,059,639 | 99 |
| 8 | Oregon | $72,708 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 465 |
| 9 | California | $74,135 | $36,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,110 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $70,754 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 228 |
| 11 | Maryland | $71,560 | $46,000 | 6,052,177 | 405 |
| 12 | Michigan | $65,678 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 495 |
| 13 | Illinois | $65,537 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 795 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $63,214 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 122 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $63,580 | $41,000 | 5,795,483 | 335 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $69,802 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 44 |
| 17 | Texas | $59,724 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,369 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $66,387 | $44,000 | 9,005,644 | 432 |
| 19 | Ohio | $60,417 | $39,000 | 11,658,609 | 547 |
| 20 | Delaware | $64,389 | $42,000 | 961,939 | 66 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $56,895 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 617 |
| 22 | Arizona | $60,127 | $29,000 | 7,016,270 | 311 |
| 23 | Nevada | $62,880 | $30,000 | 2,998,039 | 88 |
| 24 | Utah | $55,680 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 237 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $59,614 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 414 |
| 26 | Georgia | $55,243 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 779 |
| 27 | Florida | $56,919 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 773 |
| 28 | Indiana | $58,258 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 272 |
| 29 | Iowa | $54,567 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 179 |
| 30 | Idaho | $56,328 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 70 |
| 31 | Maine | $53,832 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 82 |
| 32 | Vermont | $58,306 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 35 |
| 33 | Missouri | $51,846 | $31,000 | 6,113,532 | 347 |
| 34 | Colorado | $51,174 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 411 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $52,231 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 224 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $49,260 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 326 |
| 37 | Montana | $51,264 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 57 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $51,115 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 160 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $58,927 | $29,000 | 1,427,538 | 24 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $53,358 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 32 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $48,938 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 96 |
| 42 | Alaska | $53,412 | $30,000 | 739,795 | 31 |
| 43 | Kansas | $45,180 | $26,000 | 2,913,123 | 159 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $49,492 | $27,000 | 579,315 | 20 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $46,567 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 95 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $46,652 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 99 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $44,764 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 120 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $41,310 | $23,000 | 3,930,864 | 134 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $43,078 | $24,000 | 2,984,100 | 84 |
| 50 | Alabama | $40,159 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 175 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $38,472 | $23,000 | 869,666 | 39 |
Highest paying states for head graphic designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Head Graphic Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $86,063 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,733 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $77,737 |
| 4 | New York | $75,204 |
| 5 | Virginia | $74,826 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $76,080 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $72,297 |
| 8 | Oregon | $72,708 |
| 9 | California | $74,135 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $70,754 |
| 11 | Maryland | $71,560 |
| 12 | Michigan | $65,678 |
| 13 | Illinois | $65,537 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $63,214 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $63,580 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $69,802 |
| 17 | Texas | $59,724 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $66,387 |
| 19 | Ohio | $60,417 |
| 20 | Delaware | $64,389 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $56,895 |
| 22 | Arizona | $60,127 |
| 23 | Nevada | $62,880 |
| 24 | Utah | $55,680 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $59,614 |
| 26 | Georgia | $55,243 |
| 27 | Florida | $56,919 |
| 28 | Indiana | $58,258 |
| 29 | Iowa | $54,567 |
| 30 | Idaho | $56,328 |
| 31 | Maine | $53,832 |
| 32 | Vermont | $58,306 |
| 33 | Missouri | $51,846 |
| 34 | Colorado | $51,174 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $52,231 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $49,260 |
| 37 | Montana | $51,264 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $51,115 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $58,927 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $53,358 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $48,938 |
| 42 | Alaska | $53,412 |
| 43 | Kansas | $45,180 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $49,492 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $46,567 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $46,652 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $44,764 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $41,310 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $43,078 |
| 50 | Alabama | $40,159 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $38,472 |
Expert opinions on the best states for head graphic designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for head graphic designers 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025