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Best states for a lead graphic designer
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Lead graphic designer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for lead graphic designers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for lead graphic designers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for lead graphic designers. We found that California is the best state in the nation for lead graphic designers, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
California is the best state for jobs for lead graphic designers, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in California is $92,671, while the median pay in Mississippi is $34,823.If you are currently seeking employment as a lead graphic designer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for lead graphic designers in 2025
1. California
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 2,957 Average annual salary: $92,671 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.472. New York
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 1,369 Average annual salary: $85,114 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.563. Washington
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 816 Average annual salary: $81,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.634. Massachusetts
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 653 Average annual salary: $76,286 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.045. District of Columbia
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 218 Average annual salary: $77,861 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.896. Nevada
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 376 Average annual salary: $64,453 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 2.627. Rhode Island
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $75,337 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.828. Pennsylvania
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 609 Average annual salary: $72,079 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.769. Virginia
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 658 Average annual salary: $69,246 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.0210. Alaska
Total lead graphic designer jobs: 128 Average annual salary: $63,949 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 2.23
Lead graphic designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead graphic designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead graphic designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $92,671 | $47,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,957 |
| 2 | New York | $85,114 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,369 |
| 3 | Washington | $81,325 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 816 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $76,286 | $46,000 | 6,859,819 | 653 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $77,861 | $45,000 | 693,972 | 218 |
| 6 | Nevada | $64,453 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 376 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $75,337 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 68 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $72,079 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 609 |
| 9 | Virginia | $69,246 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 658 |
| 10 | Alaska | $63,949 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 128 |
| 11 | Michigan | $65,073 | $39,000 | 9,962,311 | 461 |
| 12 | Oregon | $64,896 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 450 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $87,145 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 25 |
| 14 | Maryland | $69,201 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 362 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $71,192 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 357 |
| 16 | Delaware | $67,748 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 49 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $61,495 | $37,000 | 1,342,795 | 92 |
| 18 | Ohio | $59,430 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 474 |
| 19 | Arizona | $62,213 | $29,000 | 7,016,270 | 274 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $62,019 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 175 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $63,154 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 41 |
| 22 | Illinois | $55,241 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 718 |
| 23 | Idaho | $48,032 | $24,000 | 1,716,943 | 283 |
| 24 | Utah | $50,187 | $25,000 | 3,101,833 | 207 |
| 25 | Montana | $46,777 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 189 |
| 26 | Maine | $53,475 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 64 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $45,643 | $22,000 | 2,088,070 | 277 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $51,229 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 304 |
| 29 | Colorado | $51,553 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 338 |
| 30 | Indiana | $55,191 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 230 |
| 31 | Vermont | $53,109 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 35 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $51,032 | $30,000 | 5,576,606 | 385 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $52,921 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 33 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $46,211 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 536 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $42,045 | $23,000 | 1,920,076 | 306 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $40,357 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 354 |
| 37 | Texas | $43,993 | $20,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,150 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $47,244 | $26,000 | 579,315 | 23 |
| 39 | Kansas | $39,030 | $21,000 | 2,913,123 | 432 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $38,923 | $20,000 | 3,930,864 | 422 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $45,762 | $25,000 | 4,454,189 | 123 |
| 42 | Missouri | $44,867 | $24,000 | 6,113,532 | 231 |
| 43 | Georgia | $38,753 | $20,000 | 10,429,379 | 702 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $34,587 | $20,000 | 869,666 | 140 |
| 45 | Iowa | $42,731 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 135 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $41,150 | $21,000 | 6,715,984 | 215 |
| 47 | Florida | $35,670 | $17,000 | 20,984,400 | 674 |
| 48 | Alabama | $37,231 | $19,000 | 4,874,747 | 162 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $38,472 | $18,000 | 4,684,333 | 93 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $37,091 | $19,000 | 5,024,369 | 174 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $34,823 | $17,000 | 2,984,100 | 57 |
Highest paying states for lead graphic designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Graphic Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $92,671 |
| 2 | New York | $85,114 |
| 3 | Washington | $81,325 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $76,286 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $77,861 |
| 6 | Nevada | $64,453 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $75,337 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $72,079 |
| 9 | Virginia | $69,246 |
| 10 | Alaska | $63,949 |
| 11 | Michigan | $65,073 |
| 12 | Oregon | $64,896 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $87,145 |
| 14 | Maryland | $69,201 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $71,192 |
| 16 | Delaware | $67,748 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $61,495 |
| 18 | Ohio | $59,430 |
| 19 | Arizona | $62,213 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $62,019 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $63,154 |
| 22 | Illinois | $55,241 |
| 23 | Idaho | $48,032 |
| 24 | Utah | $50,187 |
| 25 | Montana | $46,777 |
| 26 | Maine | $53,475 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $45,643 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $51,229 |
| 29 | Colorado | $51,553 |
| 30 | Indiana | $55,191 |
| 31 | Vermont | $53,109 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $51,032 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $52,921 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $46,211 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $42,045 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $40,357 |
| 37 | Texas | $43,993 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $47,244 |
| 39 | Kansas | $39,030 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $38,923 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $45,762 |
| 42 | Missouri | $44,867 |
| 43 | Georgia | $38,753 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $34,587 |
| 45 | Iowa | $42,731 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $41,150 |
| 47 | Florida | $35,670 |
| 48 | Alabama | $37,231 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $38,472 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $37,091 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $34,823 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead graphic designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead 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