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Best states for a principal designer
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like principal designers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for principal designers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for principal designers. We found that Oregon is the best state in the nation for principal designers, and people in Longview earn the most in the field.
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 principal designers.We found that the South is best for principal designers, and the West is the worst. Olympia, WA is the best city in the country for principal designer jobs, where as Oregon is the best state in the country.
10 best states for principal designers in 2026
1. Oregon
Total principal designer jobs: 928 Average annual salary: $128,613 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 2.28
2. Nevada
Total principal designer jobs: 247 Average annual salary: $129,671 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. Illinois
Total principal designer jobs: 1,676 Average annual salary: $126,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
4. California
Total principal designer jobs: 3,067 Average annual salary: $150,333 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $229,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. Colorado
Total principal designer jobs: 845 Average annual salary: $127,672 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
6. Arizona
Total principal designer jobs: 799 Average annual salary: $119,242 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
7. Washington
Total principal designer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $181,984 Lowest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $257,000 Location Quotient: 0
8. Massachusetts
Total principal designer jobs: 674 Average annual salary: $131,074 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
9. Utah
Total principal designer jobs: 241 Average annual salary: $122,519 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
10. New York
Total principal designer jobs: 2,289 Average annual salary: $113,034 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
Principal designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $128,613 | $83,000 | 4,142,776 | 928 |
| 2 | Nevada | $129,671 | $82,000 | 2,998,039 | 247 |
| 3 | Illinois | $126,897 | $86,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,676 |
| 4 | California | $150,333 | $98,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,067 |
| 5 | Colorado | $127,672 | $82,000 | 5,607,154 | 845 |
| 6 | Arizona | $119,242 | $74,000 | 7,016,270 | 799 |
| 7 | Washington | $181,984 | $128,000 | 7,405,743 | 0 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $131,074 | $88,000 | 6,859,819 | 674 |
| 9 | Utah | $122,519 | $78,000 | 3,101,833 | 241 |
| 10 | New York | $113,034 | $75,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,289 |
| 11 | Alaska | $126,484 | $85,000 | 739,795 | 53 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $106,237 | $71,000 | 1,342,795 | 269 |
| 13 | Montana | $107,026 | $68,000 | 1,050,493 | 177 |
| 14 | Texas | $120,082 | $75,000 | 28,304,596 | 0 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $118,739 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 218 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $109,466 | $68,000 | 2,088,070 | 226 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $104,418 | $69,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,590 |
| 18 | Virginia | $107,108 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,690 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $108,249 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 406 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $105,585 | $71,000 | 5,795,483 | 620 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $114,041 | $73,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $119,156 | $79,000 | 9,005,644 | 398 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $115,276 | $77,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $108,923 | $72,000 | 1,815,857 | 0 |
| 25 | Michigan | $103,081 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 707 |
| 26 | Idaho | $98,156 | $61,000 | 1,716,943 | 211 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $98,164 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 981 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $95,317 | $62,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,231 |
| 29 | Maryland | $103,093 | $68,000 | 6,052,177 | 794 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $93,609 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 253 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $96,058 | $66,000 | 755,393 | 66 |
| 32 | Vermont | $101,143 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 33 | Maine | $96,004 | $65,000 | 1,335,907 | 105 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $90,743 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 251 |
| 35 | Delaware | $96,879 | $64,000 | 961,939 | 107 |
| 36 | Missouri | $93,542 | $61,000 | 6,113,532 | 489 |
| 37 | Kansas | $89,843 | $59,000 | 2,913,123 | 310 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $92,233 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 0 |
| 39 | Iowa | $89,983 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 216 |
| 40 | Ohio | $83,605 | $56,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,052 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $85,647 | $56,000 | 4,454,189 | 296 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $88,231 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 177 |
| 43 | Georgia | $83,977 | $53,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,151 |
| 44 | Indiana | $86,765 | $58,000 | 6,666,818 | 456 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $86,732 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 355 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $88,129 | $54,000 | 4,684,333 | 157 |
| 47 | Florida | $77,807 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,792 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $88,707 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 46 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $85,384 | $53,000 | 2,984,100 | 100 |
| 50 | Alabama | $76,859 | $48,000 | 4,874,747 | 310 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,572 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
Highest paying states for principal designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $128,613 |
| 2 | Nevada | $129,671 |
| 3 | Illinois | $126,897 |
| 4 | California | $150,333 |
| 5 | Colorado | $127,672 |
| 6 | Arizona | $119,242 |
| 7 | Washington | $181,984 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $131,074 |
| 9 | Utah | $122,519 |
| 10 | New York | $113,034 |
| 11 | Alaska | $126,484 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $106,237 |
| 13 | Montana | $107,026 |
| 14 | Texas | $120,082 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $118,739 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $109,466 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $104,418 |
| 18 | Virginia | $107,108 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $108,249 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $105,585 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $114,041 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $119,156 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $115,276 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $108,923 |
| 25 | Michigan | $103,081 |
| 26 | Idaho | $98,156 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $98,164 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $95,317 |
| 29 | Maryland | $103,093 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $93,609 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $96,058 |
| 32 | Vermont | $101,143 |
| 33 | Maine | $96,004 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $90,743 |
| 35 | Delaware | $96,879 |
| 36 | Missouri | $93,542 |
| 37 | Kansas | $89,843 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $92,233 |
| 39 | Iowa | $89,983 |
| 40 | Ohio | $83,605 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $85,647 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $88,231 |
| 43 | Georgia | $83,977 |
| 44 | Indiana | $86,765 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $86,732 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $88,129 |
| 47 | Florida | $77,807 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $88,707 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $85,384 |
| 50 | Alabama | $76,859 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,572 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principal designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principal 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