Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2012

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.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
191,440 1.0 % $23.43 $48,730 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.62 $16.13 $21.22 $28.55 $37.25
Annual Wage (2) $26,250 $33,550 $44,150 $59,390 $77,490

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 25,140 21.60 $24.67 $51,300
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 23,410 5.09 $20.90 $43,470
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 20,560 4.77 $24.32 $50,590
Printing and Related Support Activities 16,290 3.50 $18.60 $38,690
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 7,670 2.84 $19.49 $40,530

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 25,140 21.60 $24.67 $51,300
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 23,410 5.09 $20.90 $43,470
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 20,560 4.77 $24.32 $50,590
Printing and Related Support Activities 16,290 3.50 $18.60 $38,690
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 7,670 2.84 $19.49 $40,530

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,650 0.08 $36.56 $76,040
Facilities Support Services 30 0.03 $31.76 $66,050
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 380 0.08 $31.39 $65,300
Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage 200 0.04 $30.41 $63,260
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,100 0.17 $29.38 $61,110

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 25,880 1.81 1.23 $27.40 $56,990
New York 18,010 2.11 1.43 $28.43 $59,140
Texas 11,180 1.06 0.72 $21.37 $44,440
Florida 10,920 1.50 1.02 $20.78 $43,220
Illinois 10,480 1.86 1.26 $23.57 $49,030




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 18,010 2.11 1.43 $28.43 $59,140
Minnesota 5,570 2.11 1.43 $22.52 $46,830
District of Columbia 1,330 2.04 1.39 $32.45 $67,500
Illinois 10,480 1.86 1.26 $23.57 $49,030
Utah 2,200 1.83 1.25 $20.30 $42,220




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,330 2.04 1.39 $32.45 $67,500
New York 18,010 2.11 1.43 $28.43 $59,140
Connecticut 2,630 1.62 1.10 $27.64 $57,490
California 25,880 1.81 1.23 $27.40 $56,990
Maryland 3,530 1.41 0.96 $26.62 $55,370





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 14,260 2.77 1.88 $30.37 $63,160
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,260 2.39 1.63 $27.80 $57,820
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 8,100 2.23 1.52 $24.63 $51,230
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,460 2.55 1.73 $23.84 $49,580
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,390 1.87 1.27 $30.85 $64,170
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 3,750 1.66 1.13 $23.67 $49,240
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 3,630 1.99 1.36 $24.60 $51,160
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 3,190 1.87 1.27 $26.79 $55,730
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,130 1.19 0.81 $21.73 $45,200
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,970 1.42 0.97 $23.18 $48,220