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Best states for a product designer
Quoted expert
Bennie F. Johnson
- 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 product designers in the United States. Product 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 product designers.We wanted to look at the best states for product designers -- where there are plenty of product designer jobs to go around and product designers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
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 product designers.We found that the South is best for product designers, and the West is the worst. Sacramento, CA is the best city in the country for product designer jobs, where as Arizona is the best state in the country.
10 best states for product designers in 2026
1. Arizona
Total product designer jobs: 993 Average annual salary: $104,632 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
2. New Mexico
Total product designer jobs: 261 Average annual salary: $114,585 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
3. Nevada
Total product designer jobs: 304 Average annual salary: $103,385 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
4. Washington
Total product designer jobs: 791 Average annual salary: $117,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
5. California
Total product designer jobs: 3,257 Average annual salary: $117,529 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
6. Oregon
Total product designer jobs: 441 Average annual salary: $113,102 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
7. Wyoming
Total product designer jobs: 91 Average annual salary: $93,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
8. Arkansas
Total product designer jobs: 357 Average annual salary: $95,183 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
9. Iowa
Total product designer jobs: 461 Average annual salary: $91,681 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. North Dakota
Total product designer jobs: 124 Average annual salary: $89,507 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
Product designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a product designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a product designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $104,632 | $67,000 | 7,016,270 | 993 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $114,585 | $72,000 | 2,088,070 | 261 |
| 3 | Nevada | $103,385 | $66,000 | 2,998,039 | 304 |
| 4 | Washington | $117,991 | $78,000 | 7,405,743 | 791 |
| 5 | California | $117,529 | $76,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,257 |
| 6 | Oregon | $113,102 | $74,000 | 4,142,776 | 441 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $93,166 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 91 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $95,183 | $58,000 | 3,004,279 | 357 |
| 9 | Iowa | $91,681 | $61,000 | 3,145,711 | 461 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $89,507 | $62,000 | 755,393 | 124 |
| 11 | Idaho | $107,259 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 82 |
| 12 | Maine | $86,417 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 208 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $98,209 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 221 |
| 14 | Michigan | $82,458 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,253 |
| 15 | Texas | $82,380 | $49,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,356 |
| 16 | Vermont | $94,565 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 48 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $90,615 | $62,000 | 6,859,819 | 751 |
| 18 | Kansas | $79,972 | $51,000 | 2,913,123 | 434 |
| 19 | Colorado | $81,563 | $52,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,137 |
| 20 | Utah | $86,979 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 248 |
| 21 | Virginia | $81,472 | $52,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,690 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $88,630 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 599 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $81,229 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 131 |
| 24 | Montana | $87,507 | $58,000 | 1,050,493 | 54 |
| 25 | New York | $86,638 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,248 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $76,161 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,842 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $83,925 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 124 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $76,128 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 445 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $76,693 | $52,000 | 869,666 | 120 |
| 30 | Missouri | $77,262 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 756 |
| 31 | Alabama | $76,441 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 390 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $78,069 | $45,000 | 4,684,333 | 281 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $82,013 | $56,000 | 5,576,606 | 438 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $79,183 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 82 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $83,103 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 390 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $71,095 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 310 |
| 37 | Alaska | $75,185 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 106 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $74,249 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 254 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $72,209 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 656 |
| 40 | Indiana | $71,726 | $47,000 | 6,666,818 | 770 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $65,963 | $45,000 | 5,795,483 | 975 |
| 42 | Florida | $67,689 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,187 |
| 43 | Ohio | $68,771 | $45,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,294 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $77,633 | $52,000 | 3,588,184 | 227 |
| 45 | Georgia | $58,221 | $34,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,916 |
| 46 | Maryland | $67,521 | $44,000 | 6,052,177 | 986 |
| 47 | Delaware | $77,824 | $51,000 | 961,939 | 64 |
| 48 | Illinois | $74,262 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 771 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $67,716 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 171 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $62,142 | $36,000 | 5,024,369 | 511 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $63,447 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 92 |
Highest paying states for product designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Product Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $104,632 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $114,585 |
| 3 | Nevada | $103,385 |
| 4 | Washington | $117,991 |
| 5 | California | $117,529 |
| 6 | Oregon | $113,102 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $93,166 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $95,183 |
| 9 | Iowa | $91,681 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $89,507 |
| 11 | Idaho | $107,259 |
| 12 | Maine | $86,417 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $98,209 |
| 14 | Michigan | $82,458 |
| 15 | Texas | $82,380 |
| 16 | Vermont | $94,565 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $90,615 |
| 18 | Kansas | $79,972 |
| 19 | Colorado | $81,563 |
| 20 | Utah | $86,979 |
| 21 | Virginia | $81,472 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $88,630 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $81,229 |
| 24 | Montana | $87,507 |
| 25 | New York | $86,638 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $76,161 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $83,925 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $76,128 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $76,693 |
| 30 | Missouri | $77,262 |
| 31 | Alabama | $76,441 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $78,069 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $82,013 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $79,183 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $83,103 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $71,095 |
| 37 | Alaska | $75,185 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $74,249 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $72,209 |
| 40 | Indiana | $71,726 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $65,963 |
| 42 | Florida | $67,689 |
| 43 | Ohio | $68,771 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $77,633 |
| 45 | Georgia | $58,221 |
| 46 | Maryland | $67,521 |
| 47 | Delaware | $77,824 |
| 48 | Illinois | $74,262 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $67,716 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $62,142 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $63,447 |
Expert opinions on the best states for product designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for product designers to find work opportunities?
Bennie F. Johnson
Executive Director, AIGA, the professional association for design
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.
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Updated January 8, 2025