Creative · 69 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Graphic Designer (2025)

The median Graphic Designer salary is $97,360 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Memphis, TN offers the best purchasing power at $70,238 adjusted.

The 69 cities below are ranked by median wage for Graphic Designer, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Graphic Designer relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$63,888

National Median

$97,360

Highest City

$46,620

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$97,360	$59,870, $164,520	195.8	$49,724	1,280
2	San Francisco, CA	$92,050	$54,470, $142,460	179.6	$51,253	3,870
3	Washington, DC	$85,420	$48,580, $131,810	152.8	$55,903	4,420
4	Bridgeport, CT	$81,800	$48,670, $106,970	137.5	$59,491	650
5	New York, NY	$79,280	$47,490, $132,520	187.2	$42,350	15,160
6	Boston, MA	$78,270	$51,440, $116,000	152.1	$51,460	3,560
7	Seattle, WA	$76,720	$51,660, $125,220	149.4	$51,352	2,710
8	Baltimore, MD	$75,790	$45,990, $107,120	114.2	$66,366	1,350
9	Portland, OR	$75,650	$47,890, $170,680	130.1	$58,148	3,090
10	Sacramento, CA	$74,680	$46,870, $117,870	124.7	$59,888	920
11	Denver, CO	$72,500	$47,990, $123,900	112.8	$64,273	2,590
12	Los Angeles, CA	$72,400	$45,500, $123,590	166	$43,614	13,810
13	Hartford, CT	$70,870	$47,180, $110,000	112.6	$62,940	500
14	Providence, RI	$70,450	$47,180, $107,580	119.4	$59,003	970
15	Chicago, IL	$66,490	$43,750, $100,620	107.3	$61,966	6,590
16	Richmond, VA	$66,350	$39,220, $106,140	102.1	$64,985	760
17	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$65,900	$41,540, $105,810	122.4	$53,840	1,370
18	Minneapolis, MN	$65,610	$46,900, $101,890	106.2	$61,780	3,690
19	Salt Lake City, UT	$65,450	$45,120, $98,800	101.4	$64,546	1,380
20	Austin, TX	$65,060	$40,690, $101,690	103	$63,165	1,880
21	Las Vegas, NV	$65,060	$39,470, $90,360	109	$59,688	1,210
22	Columbus, OH	$64,000	$42,430, $102,710	93.1	$68,743	1,470
23	Madison, WI	$63,970	$45,190, $94,730	103.8	$61,628	700
24	Albuquerque, NM	$63,810	$38,980, $75,680	94	$67,883	480
25	Dallas, TX	$63,780	$38,960, $94,510	104.1	$61,268	4,790
26	Rochester, NY	$63,530	$42,090, $103,440	92.9	$68,385	650
27	Anchorage, AK	$63,250	$40,320, $105,160	127	$49,803	130
28	Albany, NY	$63,200	$44,340, $100,460	100.7	$62,761	450
29	Philadelphia, PA	$63,090	$44,610, $102,140	118.4	$53,285	3,360
30	Jacksonville, FL	$63,090	$41,870, $100,120	95.1	$66,341	1,010
31	Tampa, FL	$62,900	$38,280, $94,760	99.6	$63,153	1,870
32	Atlanta, GA	$62,680	$36,860, $103,100	99.2	$63,185	4,060
33	Orlando, FL	$62,360	$43,140, $99,980	103.1	$60,485	1,980
34	Cincinnati, OH	$62,260	$40,170, $100,600	91.2	$68,268	1,730
35	Bakersfield, CA	$61,970	$40,690, $108,560	100.6	$61,600	160
36	Miami, FL	$61,870	$44,370, $105,940	123.1	$50,260	3,950
37	Milwaukee, WI	$61,780	$44,160, $87,270	97.4	$63,429	1,200
38	Raleigh, NC	$61,700	$39,010, $96,430	99.8	$61,824	1,040
39	St. Louis, MO	$61,000	$39,930, $88,740	90	$67,778	2,010
40	Colorado Springs, CO	$60,790	$44,480, $103,270	104.5	$58,172	400
41	Indianapolis, IN	$60,520	$39,450, $114,810	90.1	$67,170	1,530
42	Nashville, TN	$60,370	$43,200, $95,880	100.3	$60,189	1,590
43	Detroit, MI	$60,210	$44,610, $91,390	95.1	$63,312	2,710
44	Buffalo, NY	$60,000	$40,280, $97,120	92.5	$64,865	540
45	Kansas City, MO	$59,990	$41,100, $97,290	95.4	$62,883	1,720
46	Charlotte, NC	$59,810	$39,380, $95,380	96.7	$61,851	1,640
47	San Antonio, TX	$59,710	$37,180, $95,680	91.5	$65,257	970
48	Tulsa, OK	$59,620	$36,770, $85,820	86.8	$68,687	560
49	Phoenix, AZ	$59,090	$45,760, $89,390	100.7	$58,679	2,810
50	Memphis, TN	$59,000	$37,820, $100,990	84	$70,238	590
51	Lexington, KY	$58,880	$39,140, $88,410	91.3	$64,491	380
52	Greenville, SC	$58,500	$39,140, $89,670	90.1	$64,928	490
53	Houston, TX	$58,400	$34,270, $90,590	96.5	$60,518	2,770
54	Fresno, CA	$58,280	$40,230, $97,310	105.5	$55,242	250
55	Omaha, NE	$58,020	$36,100, $79,120	91.8	$63,203	1,020
56	Pittsburgh, PA	$57,830	$40,970, $86,680	92.3	$62,654	1,200
57	Tucson, AZ	$57,710	$38,670, $93,080	95.4	$60,493	380
58	Louisville, KY	$57,340	$32,620, $88,820	90.2	$63,570	820
59	Knoxville, TN	$56,720	$37,150, $85,920	90.3	$62,813	470
60	Spokane, WA	$56,530	$44,070, $89,900	97.4	$58,039	270
61	Des Moines, IA	$56,520	$37,570, $79,640	93.3	$60,579	740
62	Reno, NV	$56,160	$40,530, $82,790	106.5	$52,732	270
63	Boise, ID	$55,970	$37,650, $87,220	102.1	$54,819	440
64	Greensboro, NC	$55,240	$38,580, $91,950	91.3	$60,504	470
65	Wichita, KS	$52,570	$36,670, $79,990	84	$62,583	300
66	Birmingham, AL	$52,480	$35,000, $93,510	90.4	$58,053	530
67	New Orleans, LA	$51,710	$37,460, $87,850	95.9	$53,921	560
68	Oklahoma City, OK	$50,300	$27,310, $79,290	86.5	$58,150	1,080
69	Little Rock, AR	$46,620	$34,790, $72,990	88.2	$52,857	370

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Graphic Designer paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Memphis, TN	$70,238	$59,000	84
2	Columbus, OH	$68,743	$64,000	93.1
3	Tulsa, OK	$68,687	$59,620	86.8
4	Rochester, NY	$68,385	$63,530	92.9
5	Cincinnati, OH	$68,268	$62,260	91.2
6	Albuquerque, NM	$67,883	$63,810	94
7	St. Louis, MO	$67,778	$61,000	90
8	Indianapolis, IN	$67,170	$60,520	90.1
9	Baltimore, MD	$66,366	$75,790	114.2
10	Jacksonville, FL	$66,341	$63,090	95.1
11	San Antonio, TX	$65,257	$59,710	91.5
12	Richmond, VA	$64,985	$66,350	102.1
13	Greenville, SC	$64,928	$58,500	90.1
14	Buffalo, NY	$64,865	$60,000	92.5
15	Salt Lake City, UT	$64,546	$65,450	101.4
16	Lexington, KY	$64,491	$58,880	91.3
17	Denver, CO	$64,273	$72,500	112.8
18	Louisville, KY	$63,570	$57,340	90.2
19	Milwaukee, WI	$63,429	$61,780	97.4
20	Detroit, MI	$63,312	$60,210	95.1
21	Omaha, NE	$63,203	$58,020	91.8
22	Atlanta, GA	$63,185	$62,680	99.2
23	Austin, TX	$63,165	$65,060	103
24	Tampa, FL	$63,153	$62,900	99.6
25	Hartford, CT	$62,940	$70,870	112.6
26	Kansas City, MO	$62,883	$59,990	95.4
27	Knoxville, TN	$62,813	$56,720	90.3
28	Albany, NY	$62,761	$63,200	100.7
29	Pittsburgh, PA	$62,654	$57,830	92.3
30	Wichita, KS	$62,583	$52,570	84
31	Chicago, IL	$61,966	$66,490	107.3
32	Charlotte, NC	$61,851	$59,810	96.7
33	Raleigh, NC	$61,824	$61,700	99.8
34	Minneapolis, MN	$61,780	$65,610	106.2
35	Madison, WI	$61,628	$63,970	103.8
36	Bakersfield, CA	$61,600	$61,970	100.6
37	Dallas, TX	$61,268	$63,780	104.1
38	Des Moines, IA	$60,579	$56,520	93.3
39	Houston, TX	$60,518	$58,400	96.5
40	Greensboro, NC	$60,504	$55,240	91.3
41	Tucson, AZ	$60,493	$57,710	95.4
42	Orlando, FL	$60,485	$62,360	103.1
43	Nashville, TN	$60,189	$60,370	100.3
44	Sacramento, CA	$59,888	$74,680	124.7
45	Las Vegas, NV	$59,688	$65,060	109
46	Bridgeport, CT	$59,491	$81,800	137.5
47	Providence, RI	$59,003	$70,450	119.4
48	Phoenix, AZ	$58,679	$59,090	100.7
49	Colorado Springs, CO	$58,172	$60,790	104.5
50	Oklahoma City, OK	$58,150	$50,300	86.5
51	Portland, OR	$58,148	$75,650	130.1
52	Birmingham, AL	$58,053	$52,480	90.4
53	Spokane, WA	$58,039	$56,530	97.4
54	Washington, DC	$55,903	$85,420	152.8
55	Fresno, CA	$55,242	$58,280	105.5
56	Boise, ID	$54,819	$55,970	102.1
57	New Orleans, LA	$53,921	$51,710	95.9
58	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$53,840	$65,900	122.4
59	Philadelphia, PA	$53,285	$63,090	118.4
60	Little Rock, AR	$52,857	$46,620	88.2
61	Reno, NV	$52,732	$56,160	106.5
62	Boston, MA	$51,460	$78,270	152.1
63	Seattle, WA	$51,352	$76,720	149.4
64	San Francisco, CA	$51,253	$92,050	179.6
65	Miami, FL	$50,260	$61,870	123.1
66	Anchorage, AK	$49,803	$63,250	127
67	San Jose, CA	$49,724	$97,360	195.8
68	Los Angeles, CA	$43,614	$72,400	166
69	New York, NY	$42,350	$79,280	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Graphic Designer salary at $97,360. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Memphis, TN offers the most purchasing power at $70,238 adjusted.

The national median Graphic Designer salary is $63,888 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $46,620 to $97,360 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.