Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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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:
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Graphic Designers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Graphic Designers:
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
United States Department of Labor
