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Best states for a production artist
Quoted expert
Kristy Pennino
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for production artists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for production artist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of production artists in America is $94,000.
The median salary for production artists in Washington is $84,379. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $41,692, which ranked worst for production artists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the South is best for production artists, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for production artist jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for production artists in 2025
1. Washington
Total production artist jobs: 804 Average annual salary: $84,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
2. California
Total production artist jobs: 3,496 Average annual salary: $77,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. Oregon
Total production artist jobs: 529 Average annual salary: $68,138 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
4. Utah
Total production artist jobs: 389 Average annual salary: $67,312 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
5. Nevada
Total production artist jobs: 198 Average annual salary: $74,622 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
6. Michigan
Total production artist jobs: 948 Average annual salary: $63,412 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
7. Wisconsin
Total production artist jobs: 890 Average annual salary: $60,181 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
8. New York
Total production artist jobs: 1,315 Average annual salary: $69,535 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. Idaho
Total production artist jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $66,211 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
10. Massachusetts
Total production artist jobs: 797 Average annual salary: $68,779 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
Production artist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a production artist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a production artist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $84,379 | $51,000 | 7,405,743 | 804 |
| 2 | California | $77,575 | $48,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,496 |
| 3 | Oregon | $68,138 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 529 |
| 4 | Utah | $67,312 | $43,000 | 3,101,833 | 389 |
| 5 | Nevada | $74,622 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 198 |
| 6 | Michigan | $63,412 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 948 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $60,181 | $40,000 | 5,795,483 | 890 |
| 8 | New York | $69,535 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,315 |
| 9 | Idaho | $66,211 | $41,000 | 1,716,943 | 157 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $68,779 | $45,000 | 6,859,819 | 797 |
| 11 | Illinois | $63,234 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,336 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $79,791 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 123 |
| 13 | Maryland | $72,455 | $47,000 | 6,052,177 | 500 |
| 14 | Ohio | $57,976 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,373 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $62,207 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 115 |
| 16 | Florida | $64,542 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,161 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $61,289 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 102 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $57,234 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 903 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $56,820 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 218 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $57,410 | $39,000 | 1,920,076 | 234 |
| 21 | Kansas | $57,133 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 343 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $57,310 | $37,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,180 |
| 23 | Colorado | $60,193 | $40,000 | 5,607,154 | 499 |
| 24 | Alaska | $62,522 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 27 |
| 25 | Virginia | $59,780 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 801 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $61,689 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 545 |
| 27 | Arizona | $56,945 | $37,000 | 7,016,270 | 532 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $58,451 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 38 |
| 29 | Vermont | $55,874 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 82 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $56,985 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 804 |
| 31 | Delaware | $59,040 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 85 |
| 32 | Iowa | $50,826 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 544 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $52,398 | $35,000 | 6,715,984 | 524 |
| 34 | Georgia | $53,688 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,021 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $56,069 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 287 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $51,588 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 203 |
| 37 | Texas | $53,965 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,599 |
| 38 | Indiana | $48,778 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 931 |
| 39 | Maine | $50,049 | $34,000 | 1,335,907 | 162 |
| 40 | Missouri | $50,035 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 610 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $43,001 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 561 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $50,499 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 67 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $50,005 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 361 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $51,944 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 164 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $52,482 | $40,000 | 1,427,538 | 33 |
| 46 | Alabama | $48,582 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 344 |
| 47 | Montana | $50,061 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 80 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $50,494 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 109 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $48,772 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 177 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $40,508 | $27,000 | 869,666 | 72 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $41,692 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 194 |
Highest paying states for production artists
| Rank | State | Avg. Production Artist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $84,379 |
| 2 | California | $77,575 |
| 3 | Oregon | $68,138 |
| 4 | Utah | $67,312 |
| 5 | Nevada | $74,622 |
| 6 | Michigan | $63,412 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $60,181 |
| 8 | New York | $69,535 |
| 9 | Idaho | $66,211 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $68,779 |
| 11 | Illinois | $63,234 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $79,791 |
| 13 | Maryland | $72,455 |
| 14 | Ohio | $57,976 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $62,207 |
| 16 | Florida | $64,542 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $61,289 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $57,234 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $56,820 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $57,410 |
| 21 | Kansas | $57,133 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $57,310 |
| 23 | Colorado | $60,193 |
| 24 | Alaska | $62,522 |
| 25 | Virginia | $59,780 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $61,689 |
| 27 | Arizona | $56,945 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $58,451 |
| 29 | Vermont | $55,874 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $56,985 |
| 31 | Delaware | $59,040 |
| 32 | Iowa | $50,826 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $52,398 |
| 34 | Georgia | $53,688 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $56,069 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $51,588 |
| 37 | Texas | $53,965 |
| 38 | Indiana | $48,778 |
| 39 | Maine | $50,049 |
| 40 | Missouri | $50,035 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $43,001 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $50,499 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $50,005 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $51,944 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $52,482 |
| 46 | Alabama | $48,582 |
| 47 | Montana | $50,061 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $50,494 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $48,772 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $40,508 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $41,692 |
Expert opinions on the best states for production artists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for production artists 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