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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

27-1024 Graphic Designers

Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects. Excludes “Web and Digital Interface Designers” (15-1255).


National estimates for Graphic Designers
Industry profile for Graphic Designers
Geographic profile for Graphic Designers

National estimates for Graphic Designers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Graphic Designers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
211,890 0.8 % $ 31.01 $ 64,500 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Graphic Designers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.04 $ 21.32 $ 27.88 $ 37.00 $ 48.52
Annual Wage (2) $ 35,430 $ 44,350 $ 57,990 $ 76,970 $ 100,920


Industry profile for Graphic Designers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Graphic Designers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Graphic Designers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Graphic Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 24,020 5.00 $ 32.62 $ 67,850
Specialized Design Services 23,480 15.61 $ 32.41 $ 67,410
Printing and Related Support Activities 17,340 4.57 $ 21.67 $ 45,070
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 12,590 4.10 $ 25.70 $ 53,460
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 10,320 0.59 $ 34.26 $ 71,260

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Graphic Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 23,480 15.61 $ 32.41 $ 67,410
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 24,020 5.00 $ 32.62 $ 67,850
Printing and Related Support Activities 17,340 4.57 $ 21.67 $ 45,070
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 12,590 4.10 $ 25.70 $ 53,460
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 9,400 3.21 $ 23.54 $ 48,960

Top paying industries for Graphic Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,930 0.94 $ 48.79 $ 101,470
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers 2,820 1.21 $ 46.85 $ 97,450
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 30 0.14 $ 46.52 $ 96,760
Natural Gas Distribution 50 0.04 $ 45.60 $ 94,860
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 260 0.17 $ 45.08 $ 93,760


Geographic profile for Graphic Designers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Graphic Designers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Graphic Designers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of graphic designers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Graphic Designers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 32,720 1.86 1.29 $ 38.58 $ 80,240
New York 18,590 2.04 1.42 $ 39.12 $ 81,370
Texas 13,680 1.05 0.73 $ 26.43 $ 54,970
Florida 13,560 1.47 1.03 $ 27.34 $ 56,870
Illinois 9,980 1.70 1.18 $ 28.83 $ 59,960


Map of location quotient of graphic designers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Graphic Designers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,660 2.40 1.68 $ 42.30 $ 87,980
New York 18,590 2.04 1.42 $ 39.12 $ 81,370
Rhode Island 970 2.01 1.41 $ 32.97 $ 68,580
Nebraska 1,900 1.96 1.37 $ 25.96 $ 54,010
Minnesota 5,400 1.91 1.33 $ 31.19 $ 64,880


Map of annual mean wages of graphic designers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Graphic Designers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,660 2.40 1.68 $ 42.30 $ 87,980
New York 18,590 2.04 1.42 $ 39.12 $ 81,370
California 32,720 1.86 1.29 $ 38.58 $ 80,240
Washington 4,930 1.45 1.01 $ 35.16 $ 73,130
Massachusetts 4,990 1.40 0.98 $ 35.13 $ 73,060



Map of employment of graphic designers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Graphic Designers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 19,470 2.12 1.48 $ 39.85 $ 82,880
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 16,060 2.63 1.84 $ 37.68 $ 78,370
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,930 1.80 1.25 $ 29.59 $ 61,550
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,150 2.15 1.50 $ 46.26 $ 96,210
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,120 1.69 1.18 $ 39.66 $ 82,490
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,840 1.27 0.89 $ 27.40 $ 56,990
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,720 1.80 1.25 $ 29.57 $ 61,510
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4,080 1.47 1.03 $ 29.09 $ 60,500
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,080 2.16 1.51 $ 32.70 $ 68,010
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,810 1.41 0.98 $ 37.06 $ 77,090


Map of location quotient of graphic designers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Graphic Designers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 260 2.79 1.95 $ 25.19 $ 52,400
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 16,060 2.63 1.84 $ 37.68 $ 78,370
Provo-Orem, UT 730 2.56 1.79 $ 25.63 $ 53,310
Boulder, CO 480 2.51 1.75 $ 33.49 $ 69,650
Lawrence, KS 120 2.47 1.72 $ 23.29 $ 48,450
Ames, IA 110 2.36 1.64 $ 24.47 $ 50,890
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,110 2.35 1.64 $ 27.22 $ 56,630
Manhattan, KS 90 2.27 1.58 $ 23.55 $ 48,980
Lincoln, NE 390 2.26 1.58 $ 25.80 $ 53,670
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,080 2.16 1.51 $ 32.70 $ 68,010


Map of annual mean wages of graphic designers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Graphic Designers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,660 1.48 1.03 $ 47.58 $ 98,960
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,150 2.15 1.50 $ 46.26 $ 96,210
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 19,470 2.12 1.48 $ 39.85 $ 82,880
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,120 1.69 1.18 $ 39.66 $ 82,490
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 16,060 2.63 1.84 $ 37.68 $ 78,370
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,690 1.81 1.26 $ 37.31 $ 77,590
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,810 1.41 0.98 $ 37.06 $ 77,090
Napa, CA 100 1.34 0.94 $ 35.58 $ 74,010
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 2,760 1.48 1.03 $ 34.99 $ 72,790
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 260 1.29 0.90 $ 34.43 $ 71,610

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Graphic Designers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 360 1.13 0.79 $ 23.28 $ 48,420
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 280 0.74 0.51 $ 22.02 $ 45,800
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 270 1.11 0.77 $ 24.39 $ 50,720
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 240 1.12 0.78 $ 21.31 $ 44,320
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 240 1.27 0.88 $ 24.01 $ 49,940

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Graphic Designers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 210 2.14 1.49 $ 32.15 $ 66,880
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 220 1.50 1.05 $ 22.94 $ 47,720
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 180 1.48 1.03 $ 23.08 $ 48,010
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 100 1.41 0.98 $ 27.84 $ 57,900
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 140 1.40 0.98 $ 25.61 $ 53,260

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Graphic Designers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 210 2.14 1.49 $ 32.15 $ 66,880
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 80 1.28 0.89 $ 30.32 $ 63,070
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 140 0.90 0.63 $ 29.94 $ 62,270
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 0.47 $ 29.94 $ 62,260
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 40 0.72 0.51 $ 29.44 $ 61,240


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023