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The average salary for an Assistant Designer is currently $52,475 per year, or $25 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which an individual works. For instance, Assistant Designers in metropolitan areas often earn higher salaries compared to those in rural settings.
Entry-level Assistant Designers typically start at a lower salary, often around $40,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $70,000. This significant difference highlights the value of gaining experience and skill development in the field.
States such as California and New York consistently rank among the highest paying for Assistant Designers, offering salaries that can exceed $60,000. In contrast, regions with a lower cost of living may offer salaries closer to the national average.
As you consider a career as an Assistant Designer, focus on building your portfolio and networking within the industry to maximize your earning potential.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level assistant designer | $32,800 | $15.76 |
| Mid-level assistant designer | $46,000 | $22.10 |
| Senior-level assistant designer | $71,700 | $34.45 |
The highest-paying states for assistant designers are Washington, California, and Alaska. The lowest average assistant designer salary states are Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $73,879 | $35.52 |
| 2 | California | $66,968 | $32.20 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $58,700 | $28.22 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $57,821 | $27.80 |
| 5 | New York | $58,083 | $27.92 |
| 6 | Oregon | $54,551 | $26.23 |
| 7 | Texas | $54,796 | $26.34 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $58,010 | $27.89 |
| 9 | Alaska | $64,532 | $31.02 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $54,029 | $25.98 |
| 11 | Virginia | $53,048 | $25.50 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $51,050 | $24.54 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $56,147 | $26.99 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $50,453 | $24.26 |
| 15 | Nevada | $53,888 | $25.91 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $53,170 | $25.56 |
| 17 | Utah | $48,585 | $23.36 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $50,751 | $24.40 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $52,669 | $25.32 |
| 20 | Michigan | $48,166 | $23.16 |
| 21 | Arizona | $50,313 | $24.19 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $49,007 | $23.56 |
| 23 | Maine | $48,523 | $23.33 |
| 24 | Colorado | $50,932 | $24.49 |
| 25 | Montana | $49,794 | $23.94 |
| 26 | Maryland | $51,766 | $24.89 |
| 27 | Vermont | $48,330 | $23.24 |
| 28 | Illinois | $49,583 | $23.84 |
| 29 | Delaware | $49,378 | $23.74 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $46,922 | $22.56 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $54,573 | $26.24 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $44,584 | $21.43 |
| 33 | Missouri | $47,418 | $22.80 |
| 34 | Florida | $47,475 | $22.82 |
| 35 | Idaho | $45,972 | $22.10 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $44,876 | $21.57 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $44,602 | $21.44 |
| 38 | Georgia | $44,012 | $21.16 |
| 39 | Ohio | $43,847 | $21.08 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $44,846 | $21.56 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $44,019 | $21.16 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $44,958 | $21.61 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $43,681 | $21.00 |
| 44 | Iowa | $42,958 | $20.65 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $44,136 | $21.22 |
| 46 | Kansas | $42,124 | $20.25 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $42,641 | $20.50 |
| 48 | Alabama | $42,125 | $20.25 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $36,200 | $17.40 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $41,556 | $19.98 |
| 51 | Indiana | $38,233 | $18.38 |
The highest-paying cities for assistant designers are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Albany, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $74,292 | $35.72 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $71,296 | $34.28 |
| 3 | Albany, NY | $58,404 | $28.08 |
| 4 | Bergenfield, NJ | $56,392 | $27.11 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $55,202 | $26.54 |
| 6 | New Haven, CT | $54,087 | $26.00 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $51,982 | $24.99 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $50,936 | $24.49 |
| 9 | Des Plaines, IL | $49,833 | $23.96 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $49,315 | $23.71 |
| 11 | Fort Myers, FL | $47,650 | $22.91 |
| 12 | Saint Louis, MO | $47,331 | $22.76 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $47,146 | $22.67 |
| 14 | Menomonee Falls, WI | $44,584 | $21.43 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $44,081 | $21.19 |
| 16 | Reynoldsburg, OH | $43,574 | $20.95 |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | $42,169 | $20.27 |
An assistant designer's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $73,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $52,475 | $4,373 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
The highest paying types of assistant designers are lead designer, senior designer, and interactive designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer Internship | $35,800 | $2,983 | $17.21 | 93,292 |
| Graphic Designer/Production | $48,619 | $4,052 | $23.37 | 95,831 |
| Graphic Designer, Marketing | $48,763 | $4,064 | $23.44 | 115,113 |
| Design Internship | $45,791 | $3,816 | $22.01 | 97,018 |
| Motion Graphics Designer | $62,558 | $5,213 | $30.08 | 44,960 |
| Web Graphic Designer | $52,574 | $4,381 | $25.28 | 51,462 |
Top companies hiring assistant designers now:
Assistant designer salaries at PVH and City of Anaheim are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant designer salary at companies like VF and Gap Inc. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PVH | $69,836 | $33.58 |
| 2 | City of Anaheim | $66,506 | $31.97 |
| 3 | VF | $66,483 | $31.96 |
| 4 | Gap Inc. | $65,749 | $31.61 |
| 5 | Mortenson | $64,913 | $31.21 |
| 6 | American Eagle Outfitters | $64,106 | $30.82 |
| 7 | Lands' End | $63,614 | $30.58 |
| 8 | Hanesbrands | $63,256 | $30.41 |
| 9 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $63,211 | $30.39 |
| 10 | Ralph Lauren | $63,032 | $30.30 |
| 11 | Levi Strauss & Co. | $62,533 | $30.06 |
| 12 | Calvin Klein | $61,983 | $29.80 |
| 13 | Talbots | $61,491 | $29.56 |
| 14 | Under Armour | $60,342 | $29.01 |
| 15 | HHCP Architects | $59,452 | $28.58 |
| 16 | Michael Kors | $59,350 | $28.53 |
| 17 | Macy's | $59,193 | $28.46 |
| 18 | Hanes Companies, Inc. | $58,937 | $28.34 |
| 19 | Williams Sonoma | $58,485 | $28.12 |
| 20 | Burns & McDonnell | $58,430 | $28.09 |
The average assistant designer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $57,526 | $27.66 |
| 2 | Technology | $55,728 | $26.79 |
| 3 | Retail | $55,030 | $26.46 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $53,044 | $25.50 |
The average assistant designer salary has risen by $9,211 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant designer earned $43,264 annually, but today, they earn $52,475 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for assistant designers over the last decade.
Compare assistant designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare assistant designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,500 | $25.23 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $51,200 | $24.63 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $49,500 | $23.81 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $47,900 | $23.02 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $46,800 | $22.52 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centric Brands | Assistant Designer-Sleepwear | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $55,000 |
| Centric Brands Inc. | Assistant Designer-Favorite Daughter | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $48,800 |
| Concept One Accessories | Assistant Designer | New York, NY | 06/20/2025 | $50,000 |
| Fung Group | Assistant Knitwear Designer | New York, NY | 06/20/2025 | $50,000 |
| Ralsey Group | Assistant Knitwear Designer | Fine, NY | 06/19/2025 | $50,000 |
| Jc Penney | Assistant Designer | Dallas, TX | 06/18/2025 | $42,500 |
| The New School | Student Assistant Specialist-Front End Designer-Ui/Ux Developer-Parsons Dean's Office (Hybrid) | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $41,740 |
| J Crew | Assistant Designer-Men's Accessories and Footwear | New York, NY | 06/16/2025 | $57,500 |
| Fig | Assistant Designer | Santa Monica, CA | 06/09/2025 | $52,175 |
| Alo | Assistant Designer | Beverly Hills, CA | 06/09/2025 | $68,640 |
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