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Graphic designer internship salary
Average graphic designer internship salary
$35,800
Average Graphic Designer Internship Salary
The average salary for graphic design interns is approximately $35,800 per year, translating to about $17 per hour. This compensation can vary based on several factors, including location, industry, and the intern's level of experience. For example, interns in metropolitan areas often see higher salaries compared to those in smaller towns.
Where Can Graphic Designer Interns Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Washington typically offer the highest salaries for graphic design internships. Additionally, industries such as advertising and tech tend to provide better compensation compared to non-profit organizations or educational institutions.
Skills That Impact Salary
Proficiency in software such as Adobe Creative Suite, strong portfolio presentation, and effective communication skills can significantly affect salary potential. Interns with specialized skills may find themselves in higher-paying roles sooner.
Conclusion
As a graphic design intern, understanding salary expectations and opportunities can empower your career decisions. Investing time in developing your skills and seeking internships in lucrative industries can pay off in the long run.
Let Zippia find your next graphic designer internship job
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Where can a Graphic Designer Internship earn more?
Graphic designer internship salary estimates from across the web
Average graphic designer internship salary by state
The average graphic designer internship salary in Washington, Alaska, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average graphic designer internship salary states are Florida, Utah, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for graphic designer interns
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $49,683 | $23.89 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $40,063 | $19.26 |
| 3 | Oregon | $38,120 | $18.33 |
| 4 | New York | $39,954 | $19.21 |
| 5 | California | $39,537 | $19.01 |
| 6 | Michigan | $37,946 | $18.24 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $39,681 | $19.08 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $37,345 | $17.95 |
| 9 | Virginia | $36,541 | $17.57 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $34,725 | $16.69 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $35,072 | $16.86 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $33,571 | $16.14 |
| 13 | Alaska | $40,733 | $19.58 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $39,482 | $18.98 |
| 15 | Colorado | $35,455 | $17.05 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $34,857 | $16.76 |
| 17 | Illinois | $34,902 | $16.78 |
| 18 | Delaware | $34,227 | $16.46 |
| 19 | Ohio | $33,893 | $16.29 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $32,824 | $15.78 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $34,977 | $16.82 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $31,313 | $15.05 |
| 23 | Iowa | $32,320 | $15.54 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $38,678 | $18.60 |
| 25 | Maryland | $34,579 | $16.62 |
| 26 | Vermont | $31,229 | $15.01 |
| 27 | Idaho | $31,069 | $14.94 |
| 28 | Indiana | $31,670 | $15.23 |
| 29 | Georgia | $29,305 | $14.09 |
| 30 | Maine | $29,210 | $14.04 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $29,534 | $14.20 |
| 32 | Arizona | $29,489 | $14.18 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $29,109 | $13.99 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $29,522 | $14.19 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $29,249 | $14.06 |
| 36 | Texas | $28,309 | $13.61 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $28,777 | $13.84 |
| 38 | Kansas | $28,554 | $13.73 |
| 39 | Alabama | $28,412 | $13.66 |
| 40 | Nevada | $28,966 | $13.93 |
| 41 | Utah | $26,015 | $12.51 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $26,899 | $12.93 |
| 43 | Missouri | $28,541 | $13.72 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $27,915 | $13.42 |
| 45 | Montana | $25,991 | $12.50 |
| 46 | Florida | $26,251 | $12.62 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $26,778 | $12.87 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $23,336 | $11.22 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $25,357 | $12.19 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $27,332 | $13.14 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $24,136 | $11.60 |
Highest paying cities for graphic designer interns
The highest-paying cities for graphic designer interns are Seattle, WA, San Mateo, CA, and Amherst, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $49,819 | $23.95 |
| 2 | San Mateo, CA | $41,712 | $20.05 |
| 3 | Amherst, MA | $40,164 | $19.31 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $40,120 | $19.29 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $39,662 | $19.07 |
| 6 | Bridgewater, NJ | $39,497 | $18.99 |
| 7 | McLean, VA | $38,413 | $18.47 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $37,575 | $18.06 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids, MI | $37,557 | $18.06 |
| 10 | Westminster, CO | $35,481 | $17.06 |
| 11 | Stamford, CT | $34,957 | $16.81 |
| 12 | Milwaukee, WI | $33,605 | $16.16 |
| 13 | Dublin, OH | $33,440 | $16.08 |
| 14 | Iowa City, IA | $32,341 | $15.55 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $31,414 | $15.10 |
| 16 | Omaha, NE | $29,197 | $14.04 |
| 17 | Statesboro, GA | $29,077 | $13.98 |
| 18 | Coppell, TX | $28,404 | $13.66 |
| 19 | Wichita, KS | $28,305 | $13.61 |
| 20 | Fayetteville, NC | $26,709 | $12.84 |
Graphic Designer Interns are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Graphic designer internship salary details
A graphic designer internship's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a graphic designer internship's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $35,800 | $2,983 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying graphic designer internship jobs
The highest paying types of graphic designer interns are interactive designer, visual designer, and lead graphic designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production Artist | $61,870 | $5,156 | $29.75 | 59,103 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Web Designer | $63,842 | $5,320 | $30.69 | 50,899 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
| Graphic Artist | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | 8,752 |
| Interactive Designer | $97,929 | $8,161 | $47.08 | 48,136 |
Top companies hiring graphic designer interns now:
Which companies pay graphic designer interns the most?
Graphic designer internship salaries at Riverbed Holdings, Inc. and Olson Kundig are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average graphic designer internship salary at companies like Ralph Appelbaum Associates and ARA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverbed Holdings, Inc. | $63,169 | $30.37 |
| 2 | Olson Kundig | $59,048 | $28.39 |
| 3 | Ralph Appelbaum Associates | $56,121 | $26.98 |
| 4 | ARA | $53,889 | $25.91 |
| 5 | Intel | $53,208 | $25.58 |
| 6 | Formlabs | $52,307 | $25.15 |
| 7 | American Civil Liberties Union Foundation | $51,833 | $24.92 |
| 8 | Fortune Brands Home & Security | $49,838 | $23.96 |
| 9 | International Rescue Committee | $47,599 | $22.88 |
| 10 | Boostability | $45,380 | $21.82 |
| 11 | PSEA | $45,292 | $21.77 |
| 12 | American Fidelity | $44,858 | $21.57 |
| 13 | The University of Kansas Health System | $44,820 | $21.55 |
| 14 | USG Insurance Services | $44,765 | $21.52 |
| 15 | UMass Lowell | $43,888 | $21.10 |
| 16 | United Nations Foundation | $41,632 | $20.02 |
| 17 | Iowa Department of Transportation | $41,470 | $19.94 |
| 18 | Brenau University | $41,433 | $19.92 |
| 19 | Melaleuca:The Wellness | $41,394 | $19.90 |
| 20 | KORE | $40,508 | $19.48 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Graphic Designer Internship salary by industry
The average graphic designer internship salary varies across industries:
- The average graphic designer internship salary in the professional industry is $41,614, the highest of any industry.
- The average graphic designer internship salary in the finance industry is $41,013.
- Graphic designer interns in the education industry earn an average salary of $36,241, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for graphic designer interns
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $41,614 | $20.01 |
| 2 | Government | $41,013 | $19.72 |
| 3 | Media | $37,839 | $18.19 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $36,710 | $17.65 |
| 5 | Education | $36,241 | $17.42 |
High paying graphic designer internship jobs
Graphic designer internship salary trends
The average graphic designer internship salary has risen by $6,284 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average graphic designer internship earned $29,516 annually, but today, they earn $35,800 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for graphic designer interns over the last decade.
Compare graphic designer internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average graphic designer internship salary over time
Compare graphic designer internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Graphic designer internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,800 | $17.21 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $34,900 | $16.80 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $33,800 | $16.24 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $32,700 | $15.70 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $32,000 | $15.36 | +1.6% |
Recently added graphic designer internship salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore Charleston | Graphic Design Student Intern | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $44,871 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Graphic Design Intern, Chartwells Higher ED/University of Houston | Houston, TX | 06/27/2025 | $26,609 |
| Carefirst | Graphic Design Intern-Fall Recruitment (Hybrid-Md/Dc/Va) | Baltimore, MD | 06/25/2025 | $18,720 |
| PPM America | Graphic Design Intern | Chicago, IL | 06/25/2025 | $39,653 |
| Cannondesign | Graphic Design Student Intern | Los Angeles, CA | 06/21/2025 | $44,871 |
| Northwest Arkansas Community College | Graphic Design Intern | Bono, AR | 06/20/2025 | $29,218 |
| Brennan Center for Justice | Fall 2025 Graphic Design/Creative Undergraduate Internship | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $36,523 |
| Early Pr Agency | Graphic Design Intern | Portland, OR | 06/18/2025 | $31,305 |
| Douglasvillega | Graphic Design Fall Intern-Community Relations | Douglasville, GA | 06/16/2025 | $41,740 |
| Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc. | Graphic Design Intern | Niagara Falls, NY | 06/14/2025 | $41,740 |
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