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Graphics specialist salary

Average graphics specialist salary

$56,007

$26.93 hourly rate

Entry-level graphics specialist salary
$38,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Graphics Specialist Salary

The average salary for a Graphics Specialist currently stands at $56,007 per year, translating to approximately $27 per hour. This role is pivotal in industries such as advertising, marketing, and multimedia production, reflecting a blend of artistic and technical skills.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level positions typically start lower, while experienced specialists can earn significantly more. For instance, professionals with five or more years of experience can see their salaries rise to around $70,000 or more, depending on their portfolio and expertise.

Where Can a Graphics Specialist Earn More?

Geographic location heavily influences salaries. States like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the demand in major urban centers. Additionally, sectors such as tech and digital marketing tend to offer better compensation for graphics specialists.

Career Advancement

Understanding the salary dynamics and industry trends is crucial for career progression. Graphics specialists may consider further education or certifications in design software to enhance their marketability and earning potential.

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Where can a Graphics Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
92k
72k
52k
32k
12k
Columbus, OH$79,284
Olathe, KS$41,887
Compare salary by company
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107k
87k
67k
47k
27k
ZeniMax Media$81,741
Maximus$57,095

Graphics specialist salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level graphics specialist$35,000$16.82
Mid-level graphics specialist$49,100$23.58
Senior-level graphics specialist$76,500$36.77

Graphics specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com and Glassdoor, the average salary for a graphics specialist typically falls between $50,867 and $67,034.
zippia
$56,007yearly
glassdoor[1]
$67,034yearly
Salary.com[2]
$50,867yearly

Average graphics specialist salary by state

The average graphics specialist salary in Washington, California, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average graphics specialist salary states are Georgia, Kansas, and South Carolina.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for graphics specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$75,661$36.38
2California$71,434$34.34
3New York$64,315$30.92
4District of Columbia$70,010$33.66
5Rhode Island$59,268$28.49
6Massachusetts$60,564$29.12
7Utah$56,131$26.99
8New Hampshire$55,211$26.54
9Wyoming$53,975$25.95
10Texas$56,246$27.04
11Connecticut$58,911$28.32
12Alaska$61,199$29.42
13Delaware$55,611$26.74
14West Virginia$57,957$27.86
15Maryland$57,715$27.75
16North Dakota$57,152$27.48
17Virginia$55,823$26.84
18Arizona$54,792$26.34
19Oregon$52,160$25.08
20Wisconsin$52,255$25.12
21Vermont$52,927$25.45
22Hawaii$54,473$26.19
23Maine$53,190$25.57
24New Jersey$56,971$27.39
25Colorado$53,674$25.80
26Montana$53,132$25.54
27Minnesota$52,102$25.05
28Pennsylvania$48,555$23.34
29Nebraska$47,230$22.71
30Michigan$46,909$22.55
31Iowa$45,261$21.76
32Illinois$50,294$24.18
33Nevada$47,679$22.92
34Tennessee$48,599$23.36
35North Carolina$45,908$22.07
36Arkansas$46,553$22.38
37Kentucky$47,164$22.68
38Idaho$45,221$21.74
39Ohio$43,695$21.01
40Florida$42,745$20.55
41Missouri$46,498$22.35
42Louisiana$45,593$21.92
43New Mexico$46,137$22.18
44Oklahoma$44,638$21.46
45Georgia$42,098$20.24
46Kansas$42,027$20.21
47Alabama$43,680$21.00
48South Dakota$38,071$18.30
49South Carolina$41,713$20.05
50Indiana$39,840$19.15
51Mississippi$41,234$19.82

Highest paying cities for graphics specialists

The highest-paying cities for graphics specialists are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$79,284$38.12
2Washington, DC$70,066$33.69
3New York, NY$64,411$30.97
4Juneau, AK$61,949$29.78
5Marlborough, MA$60,567$29.12
6Baltimore, MD$57,900$27.84
7Arlington, VA$57,591$27.69
8San Antonio, TX$56,673$27.25
9Denver, CO$53,746$25.84
10Minneapolis, MN$52,112$25.05
11Vernon Hills, IL$50,833$24.44
12Frankfort, KY$47,337$22.76
13Lincoln, NE$47,072$22.63
14Charlotte, NC$45,077$21.67
15Birmingham, AL$43,772$21.04
16Columbus, OH$43,059$20.70
17Tampa, FL$42,871$20.61
18Olathe, KS$41,887$20.14

Graphics specialist salary details

A graphics specialist's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $81,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average graphics specialist salary graph
Average graphics specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a graphics specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$81,000$6,750$39
75th Percentile$68,000$5,667$33
Average$56,007$4,667$27
25th Percentile$45,000$3,750$22
10th Percentile$38,000$3,167$18

Highest paying graphics specialist jobs

The highest paying types of graphics specialists are interactive designer, visual designer, and 3d artist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Designer$66,347$5,529$31.9052,433
Freelance Designer$57,260$4,772$27.5345,914
Interactive Designer$97,929$8,161$47.0848,136
3D Artist$74,721$6,227$35.923,978
Visual Designer$86,495$7,208$41.5846,815
Visual Merchandiser$38,037$3,170$18.2974,351

Top companies hiring graphics specialists now:

  1. IBM jobs (11)
  2. Bain & Company jobs (11)
  3. McKinsey & Company Inc jobs (8)
  4. Lockheed Martin jobs (9)
  5. ABC Imaging jobs (19)

Which companies pay graphics specialists the most?

Graphics specialist salaries at ZeniMax Media and Jacobs Engineering Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average graphics specialist salary at companies like BGC Partners and Boston Scientific are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1ZeniMax Media$81,741$39.30
2Jacobs Engineering Group$81,283$39.08
3BGC Partners$77,549$37.28
4Boston Scientific$68,069$32.73
5Fox News$66,690$32.06
6AssuredPartners$65,063$31.28
7BluEdge$64,497$31.01
8Mcgriff, Seibels & Williams$63,120$30.35
9Gewalt Hamilton Associates$62,987$30.28
10Guidehouse$62,556$30.07
11Firefly Aerospace$62,350$29.98
12Matrix Service Company$60,717$29.19
13HAVI$60,318$29.00
14XLA$58,791$28.26
15CGS$58,648$28.20
16Hall | MileOne Autogroup$58,034$27.90
17Grandbridge Real Estate Capital$57,770$27.77
18The Freeman Company LLC$57,559$27.67
19Intrepid Solutions and Services$57,104$27.45
20Maximus$57,095$27.45

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$57,000$56,200$55,400$54,600$53,800$53,000
MaleFemale

Graphics Specialist salary by industry

The average graphics specialist salary varies across industries:

  • The average graphics specialist salary in the finance industry is $67,322, the highest of any industry.
  • The average graphics specialist salary in the finance industry is $65,533.
  • Graphics specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $44,979, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for graphics specialists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Finance$67,322$32.37
2Technology$65,533$31.51
3Manufacturing$60,881$29.27
4Professional$59,264$28.49
5Media$57,092$27.45
6Transportation$56,682$27.25
7Real Estate$55,149$26.51
8Retail$44,979$21.62

High paying graphics specialist jobs

Graphics specialist salary trends

The average graphics specialist salary has risen by $9,831 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average graphics specialist earned $46,176 annually, but today, they earn $56,007 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for graphics specialists over the last decade.

Compare graphics specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average graphics specialist salary over time

Compare graphics specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Graphics specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$56,000$26.93+2.4%
2025$54,700$26.29+3.3%
2024$52,800$25.41+3.3%
2023$51,100$24.57+2.2%
2022$50,000$24.03+1.6%

Recently added graphics specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Southcoast Health SystemSenior Graphic Arts SpecialistFall River, MA06/27/2025$34,540
University of Northern IowaGraphics Specialist I-Operations & MaintenanceCedar Falls, IA06/24/2025$42,679
Siegel & Strain ArchitectsMarketing/Graphics SpecialistEmeryville, CA06/24/2025$70,000
Procter & GambleGraphics SpecialistCincinnati, OH06/13/2025$64,000
AssuredpartnersGraphic SpecialistHuntingtown, MD06/06/2025$45,000
Assured PartnersGraphic SpecialistHuntingtown, MD06/05/2025$45,000
Siegel & Strain ArchitectsMarketing/Graphics SpecialistEmeryville, CA05/30/2025$70,000
General DynamicsAdvanced Graphics SpecialistBloomington, MN05/21/2025$93,682
General Dynamics Mission SystemsAdvanced Graphics SpecialistBloomington, MN05/21/2025$93,682
Albireo EnergyGraphics SpecialistAnaheim, CA05/21/2025$75,132

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