How to hire a web designer

How to hire a web designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step web designer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a web designer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new web designer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a web designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The web designer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a web designer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a web designer that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of web designer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Web Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Web Designer	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$20-46
   Graphic Designer, Marketing	A graphic designer of marketing specializes in developing creative imagery as part of a company's marketing efforts. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with the marketing team to share insights and strategies, conceptualizing designs in adherence to objectives and deadlines, and preparing presentations... Show more	$16-33
   Graphic Designer Internship	In a graphic design internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to accomplish tasks while under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. An aspiring graphic designer may use this opportunity to observe and participate in designing for various industries, handle different clients, participate in creative meetings, and learn strategies from experts... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • HTML
   • CSS
   • WordPress
   • Html Css
   • JavaScript
   • UI
   • Graphic Design
   • Sketch
   • HTML5
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • User Interface
   • JQuery
   • PHP
   • Adobe Creative Suite

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a team of 3 web developers in creating high-end websites that focuse on animation and aggressive marketing.
   • Manage prototype content in wireframes when necessary.
   • Manage and develop a stream line Intranet site for better communication purposes and quicker access to documents and company information
   • Self-Initiat training to increase ability to build sites using HTML5, CSS3, secure PHP, and SQL.
   • Perform QA and create Jira tickets when need.
   • Create unique brand logo; continue to use CSS3 to customize website appearance and improve UX

   More web designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your web designer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A web designer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, web designers' average salary in south dakota is 56% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level web designers earn 56% less than senior-level web designers.
   • Certifications. A web designer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a web designer's salary.

   Average web designer salary

   $63,842yearly

   $30.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level web designer salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average web designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$85,540	$41
   2	Massachusetts	$83,854	$40
   3	District of Columbia	$81,027	$39
   4	California	$80,842	$39
   5	New York	$72,789	$35
   6	New Jersey	$72,594	$35
   7	Maryland	$72,331	$35
   8	Oregon	$69,710	$34
   9	Arizona	$66,838	$32
   10	Pennsylvania	$63,998	$31
   11	North Carolina	$62,613	$30
   12	Texas	$57,793	$28
   13	Utah	$57,273	$28
   14	Wisconsin	$56,703	$27
   15	Colorado	$56,207	$27
   16	Florida	$55,510	$27
   17	Illinois	$55,496	$27
   18	Minnesota	$53,210	$26
   19	Missouri	$51,513	$25
   20	Georgia	$50,435	$24

   Average web designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NVIDIA	$131,720	$63.33	15
   2	PayPal	$128,614	$61.83	16
   3	Apple	$126,202	$60.67	46
   4	PNY Technologies	$121,909	$58.61
   5	Western Digital	$121,886	$58.60	3
   6	Airtable	$111,953	$53.82	4
   7	Intel	$106,124	$51.02	5
   8	Bio-Rad Laboratories	$103,443	$49.73
   9	Fastly	$102,710	$49.38	1
   10	Bed Bath & Beyond	$102,264	$49.17
   11	Vista Equity Partners	$98,256	$47.24	2
   12	Expedia Group	$94,633	$45.50	62
   13	Activision Blizzard	$93,469	$44.94	4
   14	Jam City	$93,037	$44.73	3
   15	Nintendo	$92,596	$44.52	1
   16	NetSuite	$92,570	$44.50
   17	CyberCoders	$92,543	$44.49	1
   18	Electronic Arts	$92,334	$44.39	3
   19	Vistex	$91,972	$44.22
   20	Gartner	$91,854	$44.16	4

4. Writing a web designer job description

   A good web designer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a web designer job description:

   Web designer job description example

   A leader in style, Signature Hardware provides high-quality, trending products for the kitchen, bathroom and more. Backed by a team of innovative, knowledgeable associates, our ever-growing brand excels at delivering an inspiring, customer-first shopping experience for those looking to turn their house into a home.
   
   Signature Hardware is looking for Web Designer to join our creative team to design and maintain our website content management system: Amplience. This individual will be responsible for working with cross-discipline teams, be able to manage the design details, and have a strong technical knowledge base so they can provide guidance to the rest of the creative team while working with IT and the development agency. The Web Designer will be a critical member of the team, helping elevate our eCommerce website and creating an optimal brand experience.
   Reports to: Art Director or Creative Director
   
   Location: This role will be hybrid with two days minimum in the office but will work with the hire's schedule. At the beginning during training, there will be more days in the office to onboard. Signature Hardware's corporate offices are in Erlanger, KY.
   
   Responsibilities:
   Becomes the SME on the creative team for all web design needs Works side by side the Art Director and defines customer facing look and feel:Designs, develops, and implements templates within AmplienceCreates new templates as needed to accommodate types of content Provides guide rails and consistency to content being published using the templates Coding webpages to build out content on the site, working with an Art Director and Copy Director regularly to update single page, multi-page, or banner content Reviews website templates and refines designs and works with other team members to prototype and preview layouts and website features Partners with cross-functional team members to ensure that our implementation and user experiences are of high-quality.Helps address design issues within the site that require the trained eye of a designer with technical knowledge Facilitates design discussions, and gives feedback in planning for features and functionality when working with IT and Development
   
   Requirement/Skill Sets:
   Bachelor's degree or equivalent, in Visual Communication, Web & App Design or similar3 to 5 years of experience working as an individual contributor, in a fast-paced environment Outstanding portfolio that demonstrates the ability to design for large and small screens, building accessible and modular designs that are scalable Expert knowledge of UI/responsive design HTML/CSS comprehension and code writing capabilitiesworking and collaborating with diverse teams Amplience knowledge a huge plus, but can be learned Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite ApplicationsKnowledge of Microsoft Office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, etc.)
   
   Signature Hardware is dedicated to providing meaningful benefits programs and products to our associates and their families-geared toward benefits, wellness, financial protection, and retirement savings. Signature Hardware offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, retirement savings with company match, paid leave (vacation, sick, personal, holiday, and parental), employee assistance programs, associate discounts, community involvement opportunities, and much more!
   
   #LI-Hybrid
   
   -
   The Company is an equal opportunity employer as well as a government contractor that shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a), which prohibits discrimination against qualified protected Veterans and the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(A), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability.
   
   Ferguson Enterprises, LLC. is an equal employment employer F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation Information

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find web designers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your web designer job on Zippia to find and recruit web designer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit web designers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new web designer

   Once you've found the web designer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a web designer?