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Job outlook for interactive multimedia designers in the United States
Are interactive multimedia designer jobs in demand?
Interactive multimedia designer job and salary trends over time
Interactive multimedia designer jobs over time
Interactive multimedia designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 25 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 27 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 27 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 27 | 0.00% |
Average interactive multimedia designer salary over time
Interactive multimedia designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,315 | $28.52 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $57,903 | $27.84 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $55,970 | $26.91 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $54,114 | $26.02 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $52,937 | $25.45 | +1.6% |
Interactive multimedia designer jobs by state
Most common states for interactive multimedia designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 203 | 29% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 693 | 9% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 366 | 9% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 644 | 8% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 563 | 8% |
| 6 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,648 | 7% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 202 | 7% |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 658 | 6% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 329 | 6% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 324 | 6% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 80 | 6% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 59 | 6% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,042 | 5% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 640 | 5% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 329 | 5% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 289 | 5% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 163 | 5% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 49 | 5% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 31 | 5% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 551 | 4% |
Interactive Multimedia Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of interactive multimedia designer experts
Merrimack College
Highline College
Marywood University
Texas State University
Bowling Green State University
Belmont University
Eastern Illinois University
Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University
Kansas State University
Montclair State University
AIGA, the professional association for design
University of Toledo
Texas A&M University
Loyola University Chicago
Misericordia University
Methodist University
Southeast Missouri State University
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
College of Central Florida
What will help Interactive Multimedia Designers increase their earning potential?
Nancy Wynn: There are many different ways to intersect the creative field of graphic design or Design. You can enter utilizing production skills centered on working with an Art Director-you produce their designs with various handwork and software platforms. If you enter as a junior graphic designer-you collaborate with an Art Director and brainstorm concepts / designs for projects. You may intersect working in the service industry where you help customers produce their designs. Day-to-day tasks can be specific if you work at a very large company, or more comprehensive if you work at a smaller agency. They can range from meetings with Art Directors or marketing people; collaboration with fellow designers or other team members based on the project components; brainstorming, research, and ideation for projects; learning new technology by producing designs and client presentations; meetings with focus groups or testing of projects; and finally debrief sessions on projects results.
What soft skills should all Interactive Multimedia Designers possess?
Diana Boyd: -Collaboration/Teamwork
-Interpersonal
-Reliability
-Ethical behavior
-Self-starter
Sue Jenkins
Associate ProfessorMarywood University
Art Department
What type of skills will young Interactive Multimedia Designers need?
Sue Jenkins: A strong understanding of the Principles and Elements of Art and Design, killer typography skills, an understanding of color theory, some training in sociology and psychology to gain a better understanding of user experience, creative and critical thinking skills, attention to details, a strong conceptual framework that supports the project goals, the ability to speak up, take critical feedback and be a team player, and above all the courage to be authentic and bring something fresh to the table.
Holly Sterling
Associate Professor of Communication Design, Internship CoordinatorTexas State University
School of Art and Design
What skills stand out on Interactive Multimedia Designer resumes?
Holly Sterling: - For graduates entering the field of design - who have limited professional experience - listing the industry software they know can be important. It gives hiring managers a way to access how they can plug you into their projects while you're getting up to speed on design processes.
- Listing adjudicated work is another way to set yourself apart from other applicants. If a recent graduate has won international, national, or regional design awards, then it's safe to assume they understand "good design."
- The writing is also important. Showing a little bit of personality can break the ice and show that you're someone they'd want to spend their workday with.
Jenn Stucker
Associate Professor, Chair of The Graphic Design DivisionBowling Green State University
School of Art
What skills will help Interactive Multimedia Designers earn the most?
Jenn Stucker: Along with good visual design skills, creative thinking, problem-solving, and strategy will set a designer apart from others. These kinds of designers can understand the big picture of design in relation to context, culture, and meaning.
Doug Regen
Professor of PracticeBelmont University
Graphic Design Department
What skills will help Interactive Multimedia Designers earn the most?
Doug Regen: Brilliant Ideas are executed flawlessly. Team player. Ability to motivate and lead others. Strong communicator and presentation skills.
Samantha Osborne
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Owner, Samantha Osborne DesignEastern Illinois University
Art + Design
What skills stand out on Interactive Multimedia Designer resumes?
Samantha Osborne: Soft skills are equally important to hard skills. Graphic designers are visual communicators. Visual communication is a universal learned skill, vs. a linguistic capability. This means that graphic designers must learn to recognize and effectively utilize mood and tone in their own visual compositions in regard to color theory and psychology, gestalt principles, and font or lettering design. Essentially a well-skilled graphic designer becomes part psychologist in working through design problems and deciphering client direction, part problem-solver in developing an effective solution to the design problem, and part artist in bringing astonishing and original visual communication and graphics to reach a solution.
What soft skills should all Interactive Multimedia Designers possess?
Samantha Osborne: Three soft skills stand out most: an ability to see the big picture, an ability to "read" people, and an ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s).
i. An ability to see big picture: there are an infinite number of details in graphic design, whether you work in website design on the front or back end, or in print media with physical outputs. It's easy to get caught up on the details, especially when clients are making specific demands about things such as paper type. A skilled designer must be able to see beyond the details and look at the big picture for an effective design solution. For example, a client may be asking for an invitation design for an up-coming event. A skilled designer will ask questions and dig in, eventually uncovering that perhaps for a successful event, the client also needs a splash page and social media, either in place of or in addition to an invitation. A skilled designer addresses design problems holistically, rather than minutely.
ii. An ability to "read" people: designers are trained in art-specific vocabulary. Hue, saturation, pixels, gestalt...most non-art folks don't use or speak that language. When clients are describing their goals, they aren't using art-vocabulary. It's a designer's job to translate what the client is saying into an advanced and effective creative solution. They must be able to speak and understand the language of non-creative folks, as well as the language of the broader creative industry.
iii. An ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s): many young and inexperienced designer tend to get their hearts broken when a client smashes one of their [very well thought-out] ideas. Rather than rolling over, a designer must learn to navigate how best to build support for their idea(s). That might mean in some instances you work more fluidly with the client throughout the design process, so that they feel they have ownership in the development of the solution. In other instances it might mean that the designer is presenting options, rather than a single solution, so that the client feels empowered to make choices throughout the design process. And in some instances, it might be a matter of better explaining and presenting your idea to a client; perhaps the designer needs to push back more, perhaps they need to provide more research as to why their solution is best, or maybe they simply need to present it with more excitement and enthusiasm.
What general advice would you give to an Interactive Multimedia Designer?
Abby Guido: We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.
Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.
Barbara Anderson
Professor and HeadKansas State University
Department of Interior Design and Fashion Studies
What experience really stands out on Interactive Multimedia Designer resumes?
Barbara Anderson: The experiences individuals can describe on a resume are meaningful, but soft skills are most impressive in a new hire. My top two soft skills areas are communication (listening, speaking, writing, digital and analog visualization) and being productive in a team (cooperation, constructive conflict, continual personal improvement, taking responsibility, anticipating others' needs).
What type of skills will young Interactive Multimedia Designers need?
Lauren Carr: Most people in the animation/visual effects industry work within a creative team and specialize in particular areas. New graduates applying for positions at studios will typically show their work in reel format, posted on Vimeo, YouTube, or other social media platforms. It is essential for new graduates to continually study their field and stay up to date with technology and software standards.
How do you envision technology impacting Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 5 years?
Bennie F. Johnson: We will likely see the Bureau of Labor Statistics trends cited in the Design Futures research to continue to intensify. "Traditional" design jobs had already been decreasing pre-pandemic, due to technological change, while design jobs in technology fields have been growing rapidly. So if anything, it will be designers who will be making a strong impact on technology. This doesn't necessarily mean that all designers will need to code. It does mean that the need for designers to understand complex systems, business models, and the social/cultural/ethical implications of their designs.
While there are tremendous challenges ahead, the design community has a unique opportunity to show leadership, to do good, and to inspire. Unprecedented times can lead us in new and unexpected directions that allow relationships to be strengthened and provide opportunities for expanding networks and connecting in exciting ways with family, friends, and colleagues. The ability to adapt is what is needed in these times.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Interactive Multimedia Designers to find work opportunities?
Bennie F. Johnson: Traditionally, designers have flocked to big cities on the coasts (LA, SF, NY) for educational and career opportunities, but other big cities and regional centers have been strong as well. There are robust AIGA chapters and design communities across the country. If anything, the pandemic has radically changed employers' thinking about geography, as fully remote and hybrid work situations will likely continue, even after a COVID vaccine is widely available. I think solid advice for graduates would be to seek out places where they have a sense of community and where they would like to live. While most of the growth in design jobs is in the tech industry, which has traditionally been based in the large coastal cities, there are now more opportunities for flexible live/work arrangements. Opportunities are emerging throughout the country for design professionals as businesses expand and adapt to our newest paradigms for work.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Interactive Multimedia Designers to find work opportunities?
Barbara Miner: While many people imagine that students with degrees in the Arts must move to either coast to be successful, it's just not the case. Arts students are, by nature and by training, curious, flexible thinkers, and self-starters. We hear from Arts grads that they find employment in all manner of jobs and communities. Those who want to stay local have often developed networks during school, and the ties that they have established with their faculty members keep them informed about the local job markets. When faculty are national and international scholars, broader opportunities are sometimes available through their connections.
Nancy Miller
Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Graphic DesignTexas A&M University
Department of Art & Design
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Interactive Multimedia Designers to find work opportunities?
Nancy Miller: Typically, there are more opportunities in the creative field in or near larger cities or metropolitan areas. Major coastal states like California and New York have the highest rate of employment for graphic designers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020). Most large cities, throughout the nation, host a higher concentration of companies or organizations using in-house creatives for full-time and part-time Employment.
Many of these areas are also home to creative staffing companies like Aquent and Creative Circle. These companies place marketing and creative talent in a variety of positions, from full-time direct hire to remote freelance. With the pandemic, it appears that more employers are offering the opportunity for creative employees to work remotely. If this trend continues, graduates may have more flexibility in choosing their home-base location now and in the future.
How do you envision technology impacting Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 5 years?
Michel Balasis: With the constant tech evolution trend continuing to accelerate, Graphic Designers must be even more diligent in keeping up with how their audience (amongst even wider demographics) receives and shares their information. The number and variety of hand-held devices with screens of all sizes, and higher resolution for graphic information, has increased to a point where it is difficult to keep up in just the last five years. We can only imagine the next wave of innovations, all of which are tied to tightened economic forecasts. It is both challenging and unfortunate that the next wave of designers will be in an almost constant catch-up mode.
Melissa Sgroi
Associate Professor and ChairMisericordia University
Department of Mass Communications and Design
How do you envision technology impacting Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 5 years?
Melissa Sgroi: Certainly, we are seeing an explosion of technology-driven work styles right now, and workers have found myriad ways to leverage technology to enable them to perform specialized work tasks from almost anywhere. Some of that will almost certainly continue over the long term. I know some media leaders who were skeptical of distance working, before the pandemic, which have come to believe that workers may increase their productivity in work-from-home arrangements. I also believe technology will cause job titles and descriptions to continue to blur. For example, teams of television journalists and videographers have consolidated into MMJs, multimedia journalists. Another example is social media management. One should be a decent photographer and graphic designer as well as a marketing/public relations strategist to work as a social media strategist or manager. I think these types of position consolidations will continue.
Tori Jordan Hord
Assistant Professor of Graphic DesignMethodist University
Department of Art
How do you envision technology impacting Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 5 years?
Tori Jordan Hord: In the graphic design field, the majority of what we do revolves around technology. Software and tools are updated daily, so we always need to be aware of, and adapting to, new technology and approaches in order to stay relevant. Remote work is not a new concept for graphic designers; however, I do think we will continue to see a rise in remote work opportunities. Because of this, I envision there to be an invigorating focus on creating and improving technology that fosters collaboration in the next few years, which is a wonderful thing for designers.
Louise Bodenheimer
Professor of Graphic Design/IllustrationSoutheast Missouri State University
Fine Arts
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 3-5 years?
Louise Bodenheimer: It's always hard to predict the future, but trends are being seen. The multimedia field has gained traction in the last few years and will continue to need designers with excellent aesthetic skills. While the paper is still being used for public outreach, the immediacy of communication through digital apps, social media, digital marketing/advertising on the web, and the environment will expand their usage and need for sound designers. Expertise in photography, digital video, animation, and motion graphics will make one more marketable. Understanding how to work well within a team framework with marketing professionals is also vital. While software changes, it's helpful to be familiar with industry standards and those available as Open Source programs.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 3-5 years?
Michelle Lockwood: A year ago, even six months ago, we would never have expected our lives to have taken the turns they have, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that same sense, we cannot know what obstacles we will encounter in the next year, six months, or even next week. The aspect of technology that seems most important now is software that can bring the human experience of connection into our individual and separated lives. Technology has enabled those of us in design and applied arts, to continue creating and communicating. As always has been, technology is a tool, but it is not usually the entire idea. Yes, every message is altered and influenced by the medium with which it was created. Still, those beginning in this field need to remember that their uniqueness comes from the union of what is in their mind and their heart, and how they articulate and communicate that union.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Interactive Multimedia Designers?
Michelle Lockwood: Oh, yes! There will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates, and all of us. It has already changed so much about how we interact, do business, socialize, learn, love, and just plain live. There is no way that it could not impact the future of this field, or any area, in my opinion. I think the job market will look very different in the months and years to come. We will adapt, and there will be more opportunities for creativity, more problems to solve, and more chances to engage and inform. But those practicing will need to remain flexible, adapt gracefully to changing circumstances, and find pockets where they can solve problems, and use their unique skillset to illuminate, inform, and delight -- just as we have always done -- only differently.
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.
Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and HumanitiesCollege of Central Florida
Engineering Technology
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Interactive Multimedia Designers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: Technology is constantly evolving and changing the way we experience the arts, generally for the better. I anticipate great strides in the fields of digital media and digital music. Technology affords us the opportunity to connect with a larger, more global audience on the one hand, and also kindle, in a younger generation, an interest in the arts.