Best cities for a visual designer
The best cities for visual designers are San Francisco, CA, Oakland, CA, and Sacramento, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for visual designers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for visual designers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a visual designer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for visual designers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for visual designers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a visual designer. While the absolute best city for visual designers is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for visual designers in 2024.
If you're looking for a visual designer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for visual designers in 2026
1. San Francisco, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $115,019 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location quotient: 29.75 2. Oakland, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $114,781 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location quotient: 23.55 3. Sacramento, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $112,771 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 10.80 4. Los Angeles, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 70 Average annual salary: $106,523 Lowest 10 percent warn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location quotient: 13.13 5. San Jose, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $114,432 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location quotient: 7.49 6. Stockton, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $113,492 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location quotient: 9.05 7. Boston, MA
Total visual designer jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $93,519 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location quotient: 7.64 8. Seattle, WA
Total visual designer jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $92,029 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location quotient: 5.52 9. San Diego, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $102,752 Lowest 10 percent warn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location quotient: 5.30 10. Anaheim, CA
Total visual designer jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $105,485 Lowest 10 percent warn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location quotient: 3.17
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Best cities for visual designers
- San Francisco, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Boston, MA
- Seattle, WA
- San Diego, CA
- Anaheim, CA
- (185 visual designer jobs)
- (14 visual designer jobs)
- (14 visual designer jobs)
- (70 visual designer jobs)
- (33 visual designer jobs)
- (2 visual designer jobs)
- (34 visual designer jobs)
- (29 visual designer jobs)
- (20 visual designer jobs)
- (1 visual designer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a visual designer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $115,019 | $72,000 | 870,887 | 185 |
| 2 | Oakland, CA | $114,781 | $72,000 | 420,005 | 14 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | $112,771 | $71,000 | 495,234 | 14 |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | $106,523 | $67,000 | 3,976,322 | 70 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $114,432 | $72,000 | 1,025,350 | 33 |
| 6 | Stockton, CA | $113,492 | $71,000 | 307,072 | 2 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $93,519 | $54,000 | 673,184 | 34 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $92,029 | $60,000 | 704,352 | 29 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | $102,752 | $65,000 | 1,406,630 | 20 |
| 10 | Anaheim, CA | $105,485 | $66,000 | 351,043 | 1 |
| 11 | Arlington, TX | $70,292 | $43,000 | 392,772 | 3 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $83,541 | $52,000 | 1,615,017 | 16 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $81,828 | $48,000 | 1,567,872 | 10 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $71,951 | $43,000 | 947,890 | 26 |
| 15 | Irvine, CA | $104,983 | $66,000 | 266,122 | 5 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $71,942 | $45,000 | 632,912 | 7 |
| 17 | Fremont, CA | $114,583 | $72,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 18 | New York, NY | $79,513 | $46,000 | 8,537,673 | 70 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $79,480 | $51,000 | 639,863 | 9 |
| 20 | Fresno, CA | $111,744 | $70,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 21 | Bakersfield, CA | $109,731 | $69,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 22 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,021 | $43,000 | 855,164 | 11 |
| 23 | Long Beach, CA | $105,706 | $67,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 24 | Santa Ana, CA | $105,241 | $66,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 25 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $88,825 | $60,000 | 351,792 | 9 |
| 26 | Riverside, CA | $105,004 | $66,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 27 | Anchorage, AK | $71,457 | $51,000 | 298,192 | 4 |
| 28 | Pittsburgh, PA | $74,768 | $45,000 | 303,625 | 3 |
| 29 | Glendale, AZ | $83,599 | $52,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 30 | Scottsdale, AZ | $83,426 | $52,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 31 | Chula Vista, CA | $102,466 | $65,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 32 | Chandler, AZ | $83,199 | $52,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 33 | Mesa, AZ | $83,156 | $52,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 34 | Gilbert, AZ | $83,132 | $52,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 35 | Hialeah, FL | $64,210 | $39,000 | 236,387 | 2 |
| 36 | Oklahoma City, OK | $61,772 | $38,000 | 638,367 | 9 |
| 37 | Tucson, AZ | $82,239 | $51,000 | 530,706 | - |
| 38 | Raleigh, NC | $62,528 | $38,000 | 458,880 | 12 |
| 39 | El Paso, TX | $74,784 | $46,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 40 | Lubbock, TX | $72,257 | $44,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 41 | Lincoln, NE | $59,476 | $39,000 | 280,364 | 10 |
| 42 | Washington, DC | $84,181 | $49,000 | 681,170 | 24 |
| 43 | Reno, NV | $73,937 | $46,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 44 | San Antonio, TX | $72,220 | $44,000 | 1,492,510 | - |
| 45 | North Las Vegas, NV | $71,779 | $45,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 46 | Nashville, TN | $63,141 | $40,000 | 660,388 | 7 |
| 47 | Laredo, TX | $72,044 | $44,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 48 | New Orleans, LA | $68,423 | $41,000 | 391,495 | 2 |
| 49 | Henderson, NV | $71,654 | $45,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 50 | Houston, TX | $71,247 | $43,000 | 2,303,482 | 10 |
Highest paying cities for visual designers
| Rank | City | Avg. visual designer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Bruno, CA | $115,101 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $93,519 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $92,029 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $84,181 |
| 5 | Providence, RI | $82,414 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $81,828 |
| 7 | Hillsboro, OR | $79,750 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $79,513 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $77,592 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $72,028 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $71,951 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $71,942 |
| 13 | Coral Gables, FL | $64,223 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $62,528 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $61,998 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $60,321 |
| 17 | Hoover, AL | $59,356 |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $58,452 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $58,014 |
| 20 | Detroit, MI | $57,276 |
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Updated January 8, 2025