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Graphic design manager salary
Average graphic design manager salary
$66,975
Average Graphic Design Manager Salary
The average salary for a Graphic Design Manager is approximately $66,975 annually, which translates to around $32 per hour. Salary figures can fluctuate based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry sector. For instance, graphic design managers in tech companies often earn higher wages than those in non-profit organizations.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level graphic design managers typically start with salaries around $50,000, while those with more than five years of experience can earn upwards of $80,000. This salary progression reflects the increasing responsibility and expertise expected at higher levels.
State-by-State Breakdown
States like California and New York offer some of the highest salaries for graphic design managers, often exceeding $75,000 due to the high cost of living and concentration of creative industries. Conversely, states with lower living costs may offer salaries closer to the national average.
Future Outlook
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Where can a Graphic Design Manager earn more?
Graphic design manager salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level graphic design manager | $41,800 | $20.12 |
| Mid-level graphic design manager | $58,700 | $28.20 |
| Senior-level graphic design manager | $91,500 | $43.97 |
Graphic design manager salary estimates from across the web
Average graphic design manager salary by state
The highest-paying states for graphic design managers are New York, California, and Washington. The lowest average graphic design manager salary states are Alabama, Florida, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for graphic design managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $81,807 | $39.33 |
| 2 | Washington | $77,571 | $37.29 |
| 3 | California | $78,419 | $37.70 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $74,674 | $35.90 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $81,721 | $39.29 |
| 6 | Michigan | $67,247 | $32.33 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $70,789 | $34.03 |
| 8 | Oregon | $69,120 | $33.23 |
| 9 | Virginia | $70,667 | $33.97 |
| 10 | Alaska | $75,093 | $36.10 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $66,366 | $31.91 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $73,624 | $35.40 |
| 13 | Illinois | $66,663 | $32.05 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $65,600 | $31.54 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $65,114 | $31.30 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $67,986 | $32.69 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $63,081 | $30.33 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $61,165 | $29.41 |
| 19 | Arizona | $62,096 | $29.85 |
| 20 | Indiana | $64,619 | $31.07 |
| 21 | Colorado | $65,062 | $31.28 |
| 22 | Ohio | $63,286 | $30.43 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $61,793 | $29.71 |
| 24 | Maryland | $65,218 | $31.35 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $61,648 | $29.64 |
| 26 | Texas | $59,189 | $28.46 |
| 27 | Delaware | $62,561 | $30.08 |
| 28 | Vermont | $59,153 | $28.44 |
| 29 | Montana | $59,900 | $28.80 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $59,484 | $28.60 |
| 31 | Utah | $57,436 | $27.61 |
| 32 | Nevada | $59,914 | $28.80 |
| 33 | Maine | $59,622 | $28.66 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $58,227 | $27.99 |
| 35 | Georgia | $57,543 | $27.66 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $57,629 | $27.71 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $61,190 | $29.42 |
| 38 | Idaho | $55,536 | $26.70 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $56,084 | $26.96 |
| 40 | Missouri | $56,614 | $27.22 |
| 41 | Iowa | $54,119 | $26.02 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $55,839 | $26.85 |
| 43 | Alabama | $52,849 | $25.41 |
| 44 | Kansas | $52,527 | $25.25 |
| 45 | Florida | $52,817 | $25.39 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $52,977 | $25.47 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $53,012 | $25.49 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $53,208 | $25.58 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $50,262 | $24.16 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $44,918 | $21.60 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $49,547 | $23.82 |
Highest paying cities for graphic design managers
The highest-paying cities for graphic design managers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $86,317 | $41.50 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $81,980 | $39.41 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $81,770 | $39.31 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $77,895 | $37.45 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $74,718 | $35.92 |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $73,626 | $35.40 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $71,532 | $34.39 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $69,184 | $33.26 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $66,880 | $32.15 |
| 10 | Manchester, CT | $65,571 | $31.52 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $65,324 | $31.41 |
| 12 | Concord, NC | $62,714 | $30.15 |
| 13 | Scottsdale, AZ | $62,200 | $29.90 |
| 14 | Irving, TX | $59,693 | $28.70 |
| 15 | Collierville, TN | $59,082 | $28.40 |
| 16 | Duluth, GA | $58,199 | $27.98 |
| 17 | Kansas City, MO | $56,553 | $27.19 |
| 18 | Orlando, FL | $53,562 | $25.75 |
| 19 | Albuquerque, NM | $53,037 | $25.50 |
Graphic design manager salary details
A graphic design manager's salary ranges from $49,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $91,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a graphic design manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| Average | $66,975 | $5,581 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
Highest paying graphic design manager jobs
The highest paying types of graphic design managers are lead designer, design manager, and senior designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Director | $88,367 | $7,364 | $42.48 | 11,472 |
| Designer/Art Director | $97,448 | $8,121 | $46.85 | 53,314 |
| Graphic Artist | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | 8,752 |
| Design Internship | $45,791 | $3,816 | $22.01 | 97,018 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
Top companies hiring graphic design managers now:
Which companies pay graphic design managers the most?
Graphic design manager salaries at Meta and Citi are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average graphic design manager salary at companies like Chewy and The Children's Place are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $125,606 | $60.39 |
| 2 | Citi | $105,810 | $50.87 |
| 3 | Chewy | $94,597 | $45.48 |
| 4 | The Children's Place | $81,439 | $39.15 |
| 5 | Gap Inc. | $80,284 | $38.60 |
| 6 | The Walt Disney Company | $79,952 | $38.44 |
| 7 | Russell Investments | $75,560 | $36.33 |
| 8 | Bloomingdale's | $74,574 | $35.85 |
| 9 | Medical Billing | $73,663 | $35.41 |
| 10 | ABC Imaging | $70,217 | $33.76 |
| 11 | FP1 Strategies | $69,735 | $33.53 |
| 12 | Arcserve | $69,108 | $33.23 |
| 13 | Cognizant | $68,785 | $33.07 |
| 14 | Globus Medical | $68,189 | $32.78 |
| 15 | Bodden Partners | $68,029 | $32.71 |
| 16 | DLR Group | $67,090 | $32.25 |
| 17 | University of Washington | $65,581 | $31.53 |
| 18 | Victorious | $64,975 | $31.24 |
| 19 | Gls Corp | $64,926 | $31.21 |
| 20 | Lemon Perfect | $64,926 | $31.21 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Graphic Design Manager salary by industry
The average graphic design manager salary varies across industries:
- The average graphic design manager salary in the finance industry is $82,776, the highest of any industry.
- The average graphic design manager salary in the finance industry is $68,364.
- Graphic design managers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $56,950, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for graphic design managers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $82,776 | $39.80 |
| 2 | Technology | $68,364 | $32.87 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $66,918 | $32.17 |
| 4 | Professional | $66,344 | $31.90 |
| 5 | Insurance | $65,024 | $31.26 |
| 6 | Health Care | $64,953 | $31.23 |
| 7 | Media | $60,206 | $28.95 |
| 8 | Hospitality | $56,950 | $27.38 |
High paying graphic design manager jobs
Graphic design manager salary trends
The average graphic design manager salary has risen by $11,757 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average graphic design manager earned $55,218 annually, but today, they earn $66,975 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for graphic design managers over the last decade.
Compare graphic design manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average graphic design manager salary over time
Compare graphic design manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Graphic design manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $67,000 | $32.20 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $65,400 | $31.43 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $63,200 | $30.38 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $61,100 | $29.38 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $59,800 | $28.74 | +1.6% |
Recently added graphic design manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Gaitherburg, Md | Graphic Design Manager | Gaithersburg, MD | 06/28/2025 | $86,000 |
| Givaudan | Job Opportunities Graphic Design Manager-Fragrance Creation | East Hanover, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $90,000 |
| Toole Design Group | Graphic Design Manager | Portland, OR | 06/21/2025 | $80,000 |
| Toole Design Group | Graphic Design Manager | Philadelphia, PA | 06/21/2025 | $80,000 |
| Toole Design | Graphic Design Manager | Silver Spring, MD | 06/19/2025 | $90,000 |
| Fig | Manager, Graphic Design (International) | Santa Monica, CA | 06/16/2025 | $84,000 |
| Thuma | Manager of Graphic Design | San Francisco, CA | 06/09/2025 | $120,000 |
| Brad Hall Companies | Event & Graphic Design Manager | Idaho Falls, ID | 06/05/2025 | $65,000 |
| Syndicatebleu | Graphic Design Manager | Los Angeles, CA | 05/30/2025 | $104,350 |
| Great Northern Corp | Graphics Design Manager | Des Plaines, IL | 05/20/2025 | $85,000 |
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