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Best states for a lead designer
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
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Do you want to become a lead designer at Salesforce, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for lead designers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for lead designers. We found that Nevada is the best state in the nation for lead designers, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for lead designers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Nevada is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for lead designers.
10 best states for lead designers in 2026
1. Nevada
Total lead designer jobs: 359 Average annual salary: $128,924 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 2.54
2. California
Total lead designer jobs: 2,986 Average annual salary: $145,015 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
3. Oregon
Total lead designer jobs: 441 Average annual salary: $117,981 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.57
4. Michigan
Total lead designer jobs: 1,420 Average annual salary: $100,630 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 2.71
5. Utah
Total lead designer jobs: 200 Average annual salary: $108,370 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. Alaska
Total lead designer jobs: 127 Average annual salary: $106,962 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 2.25
7. Idaho
Total lead designer jobs: 274 Average annual salary: $101,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 2.47
8. Arizona
Total lead designer jobs: 256 Average annual salary: $124,050 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
9. Maryland
Total lead designer jobs: 339 Average annual salary: $114,541 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
10. Washington
Total lead designer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $125,911 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0
Lead designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $128,924 | $88,000 | 2,998,039 | 359 |
| 2 | California | $145,015 | $101,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,986 |
| 3 | Oregon | $117,981 | $80,000 | 4,142,776 | 441 |
| 4 | Michigan | $100,630 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,420 |
| 5 | Utah | $108,370 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 200 |
| 6 | Alaska | $106,962 | $81,000 | 739,795 | 127 |
| 7 | Idaho | $101,721 | $69,000 | 1,716,943 | 274 |
| 8 | Arizona | $124,050 | $85,000 | 7,016,270 | 256 |
| 9 | Maryland | $114,541 | $81,000 | 6,052,177 | 339 |
| 10 | Washington | $125,911 | $86,000 | 7,405,743 | 0 |
| 11 | Virginia | $105,918 | $75,000 | 8,470,020 | 664 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $105,964 | $75,000 | 6,859,819 | 639 |
| 13 | Kansas | $97,182 | $66,000 | 2,913,123 | 406 |
| 14 | Colorado | $107,474 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 319 |
| 15 | Texas | $100,638 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,133 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $110,194 | $78,000 | 693,972 | 215 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $96,845 | $66,000 | 1,920,076 | 289 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $100,339 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 584 |
| 19 | New York | $103,040 | $73,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,344 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $107,858 | $77,000 | 9,005,644 | 355 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $102,508 | $72,000 | 1,815,857 | 0 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $92,988 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 268 |
| 23 | Missouri | $97,944 | $67,000 | 6,113,532 | 262 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $95,832 | $67,000 | 10,273,419 | 510 |
| 25 | Illinois | $97,504 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 702 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $94,935 | $66,000 | 5,576,606 | 372 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $93,554 | $67,000 | 1,059,639 | 67 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $98,612 | $70,000 | 3,588,184 | 161 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $96,008 | $65,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $91,026 | $63,000 | 5,795,483 | 307 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $84,062 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 342 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $89,903 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 201 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $93,626 | $64,000 | 4,684,333 | 87 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $91,944 | $63,000 | 2,984,100 | 53 |
| 35 | Georgia | $86,304 | $60,000 | 10,429,379 | 701 |
| 36 | Delaware | $92,244 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 44 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $86,997 | $62,000 | 1,342,795 | 91 |
| 38 | Montana | $77,631 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 189 |
| 39 | Iowa | $84,901 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 152 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $87,303 | $61,000 | 5,024,369 | 168 |
| 41 | Alabama | $84,949 | $58,000 | 4,874,747 | 148 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $93,455 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 24 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $73,288 | $49,000 | 3,930,864 | 410 |
| 44 | Vermont | $86,207 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 32 |
| 45 | Florida | $84,969 | $57,000 | 20,984,400 | 641 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $67,756 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 128 |
| 47 | Indiana | $81,756 | $57,000 | 6,666,818 | 260 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $84,080 | $59,000 | 755,393 | 28 |
| 49 | Ohio | $76,219 | $53,000 | 11,658,609 | 457 |
| 50 | Maine | $76,809 | $55,000 | 1,335,907 | 64 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $73,363 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 113 |
Highest paying states for lead designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $128,924 |
| 2 | California | $145,015 |
| 3 | Oregon | $117,981 |
| 4 | Michigan | $100,630 |
| 5 | Utah | $108,370 |
| 6 | Alaska | $106,962 |
| 7 | Idaho | $101,721 |
| 8 | Arizona | $124,050 |
| 9 | Maryland | $114,541 |
| 10 | Washington | $125,911 |
| 11 | Virginia | $105,918 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $105,964 |
| 13 | Kansas | $97,182 |
| 14 | Colorado | $107,474 |
| 15 | Texas | $100,638 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $110,194 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $96,845 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $100,339 |
| 19 | New York | $103,040 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $107,858 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $102,508 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $92,988 |
| 23 | Missouri | $97,944 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $95,832 |
| 25 | Illinois | $97,504 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $94,935 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $93,554 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $98,612 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $96,008 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $91,026 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $84,062 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $89,903 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $93,626 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $91,944 |
| 35 | Georgia | $86,304 |
| 36 | Delaware | $92,244 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $86,997 |
| 38 | Montana | $77,631 |
| 39 | Iowa | $84,901 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $87,303 |
| 41 | Alabama | $84,949 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $93,455 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $73,288 |
| 44 | Vermont | $86,207 |
| 45 | Florida | $84,969 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $67,756 |
| 47 | Indiana | $81,756 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $84,080 |
| 49 | Ohio | $76,219 |
| 50 | Maine | $76,809 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $73,363 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead 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