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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
204,040 1.3 % $ 28.83 $ 59,970 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Graphic Designers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 15.06 $ 18.88 $ 24.38 $ 35.92 $ 47.24
Annual Wage (2) $ 31,310 $ 39,270 $ 50,710 $ 74,700 $ 98,260


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)
Specialized Design Services 22,710 16.77 $ 29.98 $ 62,350
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 22,510 5.17 $ 29.31 $ 60,960
Printing and Related Support Activities 17,470 4.75 $ 20.78 $ 43,220
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 12,200 4.92 $ 23.47 $ 48,820
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 10,550 0.68 $ 30.53 $ 63,510

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 22,710 16.77 $ 29.98 $ 62,350
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 22,510 5.17 $ 29.31 $ 60,960
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 12,200 4.92 $ 23.47 $ 48,820
Printing and Related Support Activities 17,470 4.75 $ 20.78 $ 43,220
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 9,160 3.33 $ 22.43 $ 46,660

Top paying industries for Graphic Designers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 30 0.16 $ 52.05 $ 108,260
Software Publishers 2,880 0.55 $ 45.57 $ 94,780
Natural Gas Distribution 30 0.03 $ 43.39 $ 90,240
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,520 0.07 $ 42.51 $ 88,430
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 480 0.05 $ 41.70 $ 86,730


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 2021


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 28,940 1.75 1.21 $ 33.70 $ 70,090
New York 17,470 2.02 1.39 $ 35.82 $ 74,510
Texas 13,450 1.10 0.76 $ 24.48 $ 50,920
Florida 11,910 1.38 0.96 $ 25.83 $ 53,720
Illinois 10,180 1.81 1.25 $ 27.67 $ 57,550


Map of location quotient of graphic designers by state, May 2021


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 1,490 2.26 1.56 $ 40.90 $ 85,070
Nebraska 1,970 2.06 1.42 $ 25.08 $ 52,170
New York 17,470 2.02 1.39 $ 35.82 $ 74,510
Rhode Island 890 1.94 1.34 $ 31.30 $ 65,100
Illinois 10,180 1.81 1.25 $ 27.67 $ 57,550


Map of annual mean wages of graphic designers by state, May 2021


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 1,490 2.26 1.56 $ 40.90 $ 85,070
Washington 5,810 1.81 1.25 $ 36.26 $ 75,420
New York 17,470 2.02 1.39 $ 35.82 $ 74,510
Massachusetts 5,240 1.54 1.07 $ 34.51 $ 71,770
California 28,940 1.75 1.21 $ 33.70 $ 70,090



Map of employment of graphic designers by area, May 2021


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 17,910 2.06 1.42 $ 36.77 $ 76,480
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 13,260 2.32 1.60 $ 32.74 $ 68,100
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 8,250 1.95 1.35 $ 28.50 $ 59,270
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,020 1.71 1.18 $ 36.94 $ 76,840
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,880 1.36 0.94 $ 25.61 $ 53,280
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 4,670 2.08 1.44 $ 40.42 $ 84,070
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,370 2.28 1.57 $ 39.28 $ 81,700
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,140 1.60 1.11 $ 35.97 $ 74,830
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 3,880 1.50 1.04 $ 28.74 $ 59,780
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 3,880 1.58 1.09 $ 27.76 $ 57,740


Map of location quotient of graphic designers by area, May 2021


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)
Lawrence, KS 140 2.98 2.05 $ 21.41 $ 44,540
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 260 2.87 1.98 $ 25.39 $ 52,810
Provo-Orem, UT 740 2.71 1.87 $ 25.78 $ 53,630
Lincoln, NE 460 2.68 1.85 $ 24.71 $ 51,400
Boulder, CO 460 2.52 1.74 $ 31.55 $ 65,620
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 1,110 2.38 1.65 $ 26.10 $ 54,290
Ann Arbor, MI 480 2.38 1.64 (8) (8)
Bellingham, WA 190 2.35 1.62 $ 33.00 $ 68,640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 13,260 2.32 1.60 $ 32.74 $ 68,100
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,370 2.28 1.57 $ 39.28 $ 81,700


Map of annual mean wages of graphic designers by area, May 2021


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 1,700 1.59 1.10 $ 41.01 $ 85,310
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 4,670 2.08 1.44 $ 40.42 $ 84,070
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,370 2.28 1.57 $ 39.28 $ 81,700
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,020 1.71 1.18 $ 36.94 $ 76,840
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 17,910 2.06 1.42 $ 36.77 $ 76,480
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,140 1.60 1.11 $ 35.97 $ 74,830
Napa, CA 100 1.47 1.01 $ 35.15 $ 73,110
Bellingham, WA 190 2.35 1.62 $ 33.00 $ 68,640
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 13,260 2.32 1.60 $ 32.74 $ 68,100
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 2,560 1.75 1.21 $ 32.51 $ 67,610

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)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 350 0.93 0.64 $ 19.29 $ 40,120
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 340 1.08 0.74 $ 22.22 $ 46,210
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 280 1.13 0.78 $ 25.32 $ 52,670
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 270 1.14 0.79 $ 22.33 $ 46,450
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 250 1.03 0.71 $ 22.29 $ 46,370

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)
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 60 1.72 1.19 $ 25.36 $ 52,740
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 190 1.67 1.16 $ 22.46 $ 46,720
West Montana nonmetropolitan area 120 1.55 1.07 $ 21.76 $ 45,260
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 190 1.50 1.04 $ 18.06 $ 37,570
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 200 1.44 0.99 $ 21.79 $ 45,320

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 120 1.24 0.85 $ 30.59 $ 63,620
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 70 1.17 0.81 $ 29.26 $ 60,860
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 50 1.07 0.74 $ 28.92 $ 60,160
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.60 0.41 $ 28.83 $ 59,970
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 90 0.96 0.66 $ 28.17 $ 58,600


About May 2021 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.

(8) Estimate not released.

(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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022