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Junior graphic designer salary
Average junior graphic designer salary
$44,518
Understanding Junior Graphic Designer Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Junior Graphic Designer is around $44,518 annually. However, this figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, designers in larger metropolitan areas often earn higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
In terms of industries, fields such as advertising and technology typically offer higher compensation. States like California and New York often showcase the highest salaries due to competitive markets. Understanding these trends can provide valuable insight for those considering a career in graphic design.
For aspiring graphic designers, gaining experience through internships or freelance projects can also influence salary potential. As you build your portfolio and network, you increase your chances of landing higher-paying positions.
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Where can a Junior Graphic Designer earn more?
Junior graphic designer salary estimates from across the web
Average junior graphic designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for junior graphic designers are New York, New Jersey, and California. The lowest average junior graphic designer salary states are Alabama, Kansas, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for junior graphic designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $57,319 | $27.56 |
| 2 | New York | $52,348 | $25.17 |
| 3 | Washington | $47,194 | $22.69 |
| 4 | California | $49,110 | $23.61 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $48,452 | $23.29 |
| 6 | Virginia | $45,753 | $22.00 |
| 7 | Maryland | $45,721 | $21.98 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $52,058 | $25.03 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $42,425 | $20.40 |
| 10 | Delaware | $45,998 | $22.11 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $44,832 | $21.55 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $43,559 | $20.94 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $44,223 | $21.26 |
| 14 | Oregon | $40,611 | $19.52 |
| 15 | Illinois | $41,554 | $19.98 |
| 16 | Colorado | $41,993 | $20.19 |
| 17 | Utah | $37,513 | $18.04 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $44,624 | $21.45 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $37,358 | $17.96 |
| 20 | Arizona | $39,816 | $19.14 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $36,486 | $17.54 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $36,384 | $17.49 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $37,620 | $18.09 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $38,131 | $18.33 |
| 25 | Alaska | $41,469 | $19.94 |
| 26 | Michigan | $34,094 | $16.39 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $35,141 | $16.89 |
| 28 | Texas | $34,103 | $16.40 |
| 29 | Indiana | $35,778 | $17.20 |
| 30 | Nevada | $34,453 | $16.56 |
| 31 | Maine | $33,512 | $16.11 |
| 32 | Georgia | $33,238 | $15.98 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $34,977 | $16.82 |
| 34 | Vermont | $33,577 | $16.14 |
| 35 | Ohio | $33,164 | $15.94 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $33,609 | $16.16 |
| 37 | Montana | $34,248 | $16.47 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $33,488 | $16.10 |
| 39 | Missouri | $33,837 | $16.27 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $35,465 | $17.05 |
| 41 | Iowa | $32,725 | $15.73 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $33,028 | $15.88 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $32,054 | $15.41 |
| 44 | Florida | $32,650 | $15.70 |
| 45 | Alabama | $31,074 | $14.94 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $31,889 | $15.33 |
| 47 | Kansas | $30,372 | $14.60 |
| 48 | Idaho | $29,299 | $14.09 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $29,458 | $14.16 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $26,550 | $12.76 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $29,257 | $14.07 |
Highest paying cities for junior graphic designers
The highest-paying cities for junior graphic designers are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $57,377 | $27.59 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $53,101 | $25.53 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $51,840 | $24.92 |
| 4 | Norwood, MA | $48,847 | $23.48 |
| 5 | McLean, VA | $48,105 | $23.13 |
| 6 | Annapolis, MD | $45,983 | $22.11 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $45,638 | $21.94 |
| 8 | Greensboro, NC | $44,189 | $21.24 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $41,982 | $20.18 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $41,823 | $20.11 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $40,322 | $19.39 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $40,072 | $19.27 |
| 13 | Chanhassen, MN | $38,153 | $18.34 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $37,388 | $17.98 |
| 15 | Dallas, TX | $34,422 | $16.55 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $34,387 | $16.53 |
| 17 | Duluth, GA | $33,504 | $16.11 |
| 18 | Dublin, OH | $33,037 | $15.88 |
| 19 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $32,932 | $15.83 |
| 20 | Edmond, OK | $32,070 | $15.42 |
Junior graphic designer salary details
A junior graphic designer's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $62,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a junior graphic designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 75th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| Average | $44,518 | $3,710 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying junior graphic designer jobs
The highest paying types of junior graphic designers are lead designer, user experience designer, and visual designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Artist | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | 8,752 |
| Web Designer | $63,842 | $5,320 | $30.69 | 50,899 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Freelance Designer | $57,260 | $4,772 | $27.53 | 45,914 |
| Lead Designer | $110,001 | $9,167 | $52.89 | 45,423 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
Top companies hiring junior graphic designers now:
Which companies pay junior graphic designers the most?
Junior graphic designer salaries at McKinsey & Company Inc and R/GA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior graphic designer salary at companies like Carrier and HDR are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $85,085 | $40.91 |
| 2 | R/GA | $69,532 | $33.43 |
| 3 | Carrier | $69,494 | $33.41 |
| 4 | HDR | $67,650 | $32.52 |
| 5 | L'Oréal | $66,034 | $31.75 |
| 6 | Enterprise Information Services | $65,825 | $31.65 |
| 7 | Trideum | $64,020 | $30.78 |
| 8 | Small Army | $60,702 | $29.18 |
| 9 | The Jewish Museum | $60,014 | $28.85 |
| 10 | American Enterprise Institute | $59,702 | $28.70 |
| 11 | Movement Strategy | $59,051 | $28.39 |
| 12 | Proverbs 31 Ministries | $58,486 | $28.12 |
| 13 | Grunley Construction | $57,940 | $27.86 |
| 14 | Cognosante | $56,555 | $27.19 |
| 15 | IA Interior Architects | $55,491 | $26.68 |
| 16 | Happylucky | $55,071 | $26.48 |
| 17 | American Pharmacists Association | $54,625 | $26.26 |
| 18 | Peraton | $54,530 | $26.22 |
| 19 | Formica Group | $54,161 | $26.04 |
| 20 | Jelly Belly | $53,991 | $25.96 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Junior Graphic Designer salary by industry
The average junior graphic designer salary varies across industries:
- The average junior graphic designer salary in the professional industry is $57,386, the highest of any industry.
- The average junior graphic designer salary in the finance industry is $52,377.
- Junior graphic designers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $42,157, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for junior graphic designers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $57,386 | $27.59 |
| 2 | Real Estate | $52,377 | $25.18 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $50,969 | $24.50 |
| 4 | Media | $50,188 | $24.13 |
| 5 | Government | $43,884 | $21.10 |
| 6 | Retail | $42,157 | $20.27 |
High paying junior graphic designer jobs
Junior graphic designer salary trends
The average junior graphic designer salary has risen by $7,815 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior graphic designer earned $36,703 annually, but today, they earn $44,518 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for junior graphic designers over the last decade.
Compare junior graphic designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average junior graphic designer salary over time
Compare junior graphic designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Junior graphic designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,500 | $21.40 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $43,500 | $20.89 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $42,000 | $20.20 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $40,600 | $19.53 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $39,700 | $19.10 | +1.6% |
Recently added junior graphic designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advantage Solutions | Junior Graphic Designer | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $60,000 |
| Mjh Life Sciences, LLC | JR. Graphic Designer | Kansas City, MO | 06/29/2025 | $40,000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | JR. Graphic Designer (Seasonal) | Baltimore, MD | 06/28/2025 | $33,392 |
| Hearst | Junior Graphic Designer (Freelance) | Glendale, CA | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| GD Information Technology | Junior Graphic Designer-Ts/Sci Clearance | Springfield, MO | 06/27/2025 | $60,174 |
| Nycfc | Junior Graphic Designer | New York, NY | 06/19/2025 | $50,000 |
| General Dynamics | Junior Graphic Designer-Ts/Sci Clearance | Springfield, VA | 06/17/2025 | $60,174 |
| Fig | Junior Graphic Designer | Santa Monica, CA | 06/16/2025 | $68,500 |
| MJH Life Sciences Multimedia Medical LLC | JR. Graphic Designer | Kansas City, MO | 06/14/2025 | $40,000 |
| Convoy | JR. Graphic Designer | Beverly Hills, CA | 06/10/2025 | $73,045 |
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