Technology · 66 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Web Designer (2025)

The median Web Designer salary is $166,670 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, St. Louis, MO offers the best purchasing power at $118,178 adjusted.

The 66 cities below are ranked by median wage for Web 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 Web 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.

$90,307

National Median

$166,670

Highest City

$60,010

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$166,670	$89,030, $233,990	195.8	$85,123	1,130
2	San Francisco, CA	$152,450	$80,190, $216,060	179.6	$84,883	1,420
3	Washington, DC	$134,350	$84,580, $184,050	152.8	$87,925	3,840
4	Seattle, WA	$130,440	$81,190, $176,750	149.4	$87,309	3,470
5	Richmond, VA	$117,090	$69,730, $153,990	102.1	$114,682	0
6	Detroit, MI	$108,550	$52,140, $167,360	95.1	$114,143	870
7	Boston, MA	$108,520	$62,870, $169,520	152.1	$71,348	1,450
8	Baltimore, MD	$107,590	$63,200, $159,640	114.2	$94,212	790
9	Los Angeles, CA	$107,290	$55,670, $166,990	166	$64,633	2,310
10	Minneapolis, MN	$106,890	$69,500, $159,840	106.2	$100,650	800
11	St. Louis, MO	$106,360	$68,940, $129,080	90	$118,178	490
12	New York, NY	$104,820	$48,610, $180,480	187.2	$55,994	4,200
13	Charlotte, NC	$101,980	$61,790, $152,890	96.7	$105,460	510
14	Sacramento, CA	$98,560	$59,340, $166,620	124.7	$79,038	190
15	San Diego, CA	$98,300	$58,010, $174,430	160.2	$61,361	520
16	Providence, RI	$98,140	$69,250, $132,480	119.4	$82,194	410
17	Chicago, IL	$96,870	$72,790, $134,330	107.3	$90,280	2,790
18	Dallas, TX	$96,740	$54,510, $165,430	104.1	$92,930	1,660
19	Philadelphia, PA	$94,570	$59,070, $143,410	118.4	$79,873	810
20	Atlanta, GA	$93,590	$55,040, $146,470	99.2	$94,345	990
21	Bridgeport, CT	$93,550	$53,680, $138,300	137.5	$68,036	0
22	Hartford, CT	$93,000	$56,610, $128,050	112.6	$82,593	0
23	Spokane, WA	$92,310	$58,410, $156,610	97.4	$94,774	150
24	Denver, CO	$92,060	$58,420, $125,800	112.8	$81,613	900
25	Greensboro, NC	$91,730	$61,100, $121,950	91.3	$100,471	100
26	Lexington, KY	$91,260	$55,620, $123,790	91.3	$99,956	70
27	Kansas City, MO	$89,420	$58,810, $156,830	95.4	$93,732	520
28	Houston, TX	$89,040	$52,000, $143,640	96.5	$92,269	1,060
29	Salt Lake City, UT	$88,770	$52,180, $139,200	101.4	$87,544	0
30	Bakersfield, CA	$88,240	$46,250, $162,910	100.6	$87,714	40
31	Omaha, NE	$87,920	$56,170, $136,520	91.8	$95,773	100
32	Albany, NY	$85,070	$32,240, $120,470	100.7	$84,479	140
33	Austin, TX	$84,960	$56,930, $168,710	103	$82,485	800
34	Reno, NV	$84,220	$54,920, $139,360	106.5	$79,080	60
35	Columbus, OH	$83,860	$49,990, $132,800	93.1	$90,075	350
36	Orlando, FL	$83,820	$28,240, $166,590	103.1	$81,300	650
37	Buffalo, NY	$83,550	$36,420, $160,260	92.5	$90,324	100
38	Madison, WI	$83,500	$51,480, $128,660	103.8	$80,443	230
39	Indianapolis, IN	$82,820	$56,550, $128,130	90.1	$91,920	300
40	Pittsburgh, PA	$82,560	$36,660, $121,830	92.3	$89,447	310
41	Oklahoma City, OK	$82,490	$47,620, $135,130	86.5	$95,364	200
42	Raleigh, NC	$82,250	$54,450, $138,170	99.8	$82,415	430
43	Cincinnati, OH	$80,910	$56,430, $129,850	91.2	$88,717	280
44	Louisville, KY	$80,870	$54,190, $144,870	90.2	$89,656	90
45	Knoxville, TN	$80,710	$47,290, $123,780	90.3	$89,380	200
46	Rochester, NY	$79,930	$50,670, $132,370	92.9	$86,039	140
47	Colorado Springs, CO	$79,840	$31,740, $131,300	104.5	$76,402	80
48	Memphis, TN	$79,690	$47,940, $131,210	84	$94,869	180
49	Boise, ID	$79,290	$50,610, $100,640	102.1	$77,659	110
50	Tulsa, OK	$79,130	$51,500, $126,790	86.8	$91,164	90
51	Tucson, AZ	$79,060	$49,800, $180,010	95.4	$82,872	170
52	Nashville, TN	$78,990	$57,710, $154,920	100.3	$78,754	790
53	Las Vegas, NV	$78,930	$52,990, $135,690	109	$72,413	230
54	Tampa, FL	$78,910	$47,110, $127,930	99.6	$79,227	470
55	Albuquerque, NM	$77,920	$59,260, $112,770	94	$82,894	50
56	San Antonio, TX	$77,730	$48,660, $158,600	91.5	$84,951	270
57	Fresno, CA	$77,600	$41,480, $121,680	105.5	$73,555	60
58	Phoenix, AZ	$76,230	$42,960, $126,530	100.7	$75,700	750
59	Greenville, SC	$75,390	$45,760, $122,490	90.1	$83,674	110
60	New Orleans, LA	$75,340	$44,410, $123,050	95.9	$78,561	0
61	Portland, OR	$73,920	$50,690, $137,740	130.1	$56,818	850
62	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$72,400	$41,490, $153,640	122.4	$59,150	290
63	Birmingham, AL	$66,640	$34,970, $106,270	90.4	$73,717	200
64	Wichita, KS	$62,690	$40,290, $116,340	84	$74,631	80
65	Des Moines, IA	$61,960	$48,850, $103,620	93.3	$66,409	150
66	Little Rock, AR	$60,010	$41,850, $162,780	88.2	$68,039	120

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

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

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	St. Louis, MO	$118,178	$106,360	90
2	Richmond, VA	$114,682	$117,090	102.1
3	Detroit, MI	$114,143	$108,550	95.1
4	Charlotte, NC	$105,460	$101,980	96.7
5	Minneapolis, MN	$100,650	$106,890	106.2
6	Greensboro, NC	$100,471	$91,730	91.3
7	Lexington, KY	$99,956	$91,260	91.3
8	Omaha, NE	$95,773	$87,920	91.8
9	Oklahoma City, OK	$95,364	$82,490	86.5
10	Memphis, TN	$94,869	$79,690	84
11	Spokane, WA	$94,774	$92,310	97.4
12	Atlanta, GA	$94,345	$93,590	99.2
13	Baltimore, MD	$94,212	$107,590	114.2
14	Kansas City, MO	$93,732	$89,420	95.4
15	Dallas, TX	$92,930	$96,740	104.1
16	Houston, TX	$92,269	$89,040	96.5
17	Indianapolis, IN	$91,920	$82,820	90.1
18	Tulsa, OK	$91,164	$79,130	86.8
19	Buffalo, NY	$90,324	$83,550	92.5
20	Chicago, IL	$90,280	$96,870	107.3
21	Columbus, OH	$90,075	$83,860	93.1
22	Louisville, KY	$89,656	$80,870	90.2
23	Pittsburgh, PA	$89,447	$82,560	92.3
24	Knoxville, TN	$89,380	$80,710	90.3
25	Cincinnati, OH	$88,717	$80,910	91.2
26	Washington, DC	$87,925	$134,350	152.8
27	Bakersfield, CA	$87,714	$88,240	100.6
28	Salt Lake City, UT	$87,544	$88,770	101.4
29	Seattle, WA	$87,309	$130,440	149.4
30	Rochester, NY	$86,039	$79,930	92.9
31	San Jose, CA	$85,123	$166,670	195.8
32	San Antonio, TX	$84,951	$77,730	91.5
33	San Francisco, CA	$84,883	$152,450	179.6
34	Albany, NY	$84,479	$85,070	100.7
35	Greenville, SC	$83,674	$75,390	90.1
36	Albuquerque, NM	$82,894	$77,920	94
37	Tucson, AZ	$82,872	$79,060	95.4
38	Hartford, CT	$82,593	$93,000	112.6
39	Austin, TX	$82,485	$84,960	103
40	Raleigh, NC	$82,415	$82,250	99.8
41	Providence, RI	$82,194	$98,140	119.4
42	Denver, CO	$81,613	$92,060	112.8
43	Orlando, FL	$81,300	$83,820	103.1
44	Madison, WI	$80,443	$83,500	103.8
45	Philadelphia, PA	$79,873	$94,570	118.4
46	Tampa, FL	$79,227	$78,910	99.6
47	Reno, NV	$79,080	$84,220	106.5
48	Sacramento, CA	$79,038	$98,560	124.7
49	Nashville, TN	$78,754	$78,990	100.3
50	New Orleans, LA	$78,561	$75,340	95.9
51	Boise, ID	$77,659	$79,290	102.1
52	Colorado Springs, CO	$76,402	$79,840	104.5
53	Phoenix, AZ	$75,700	$76,230	100.7
54	Wichita, KS	$74,631	$62,690	84
55	Birmingham, AL	$73,717	$66,640	90.4
56	Fresno, CA	$73,555	$77,600	105.5
57	Las Vegas, NV	$72,413	$78,930	109
58	Boston, MA	$71,348	$108,520	152.1
59	Little Rock, AR	$68,039	$60,010	88.2
60	Bridgeport, CT	$68,036	$93,550	137.5
61	Des Moines, IA	$66,409	$61,960	93.3
62	Los Angeles, CA	$64,633	$107,290	166
63	San Diego, CA	$61,361	$98,300	160.2
64	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$59,150	$72,400	122.4
65	Portland, OR	$56,818	$73,920	130.1
66	New York, NY	$55,994	$104,820	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Web Designer salary at $166,670. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, St. Louis, MO offers the most purchasing power at $118,178 adjusted.

The national median Web Designer salary is $90,307 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $60,010 to $166,670 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.