Graphic Designers Salary 2025: $63,888 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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- Not self-reported estimates
$63,888 per year is the national median annual wage for graphic designers (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $31/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $59,870 to $164,520. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 27-1024.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $63,888
- Median hourly wage
- $31/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $74,559
- Total US employment
- 130,670
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($97,360)
- BLS SOC code
- 27-1024
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for graphic designers (BLS SOC 27-1024) is $63,888 per year — about $31/hour — across 130,670 workers in 69 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $74,559 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $44,057 while the 90th earns $110,673 — a 2.5× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most graphic designers land in the $53,911–$89,683 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median at $97,360, versus $46,620 in Little Rock, AR, AR — a 109% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Memphis, TN delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($70,238 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
BLS OEWS reports base wage for this Creative role; bonuses, commissions, and equity are excluded, so total compensation for many graphic designers runs meaningfully above the figures shown — particularly at the senior end of the distribution.
Graphic Designers Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what graphic designers earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $44,057 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $53,911 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $68,693 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $89,683 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $110,673 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Graphic Designers salaries range from $46,620 to $97,360 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Graphic Designers Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $59,870 | $74,866 | $97,360 | $130,940 | $164,520 | $49,724 | 1,280 |
| San Francisco, CA | $54,470 | $69,502 | $92,050 | $117,255 | $142,460 | $51,253 | 3,870 |
| Washington, DC | $48,580 | $63,316 | $85,420 | $108,615 | $131,810 | $55,903 | 4,420 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $48,670 | $61,922 | $81,800 | $94,385 | $106,970 | $59,491 | 650 |
| New York, NY | $47,490 | $60,206 | $79,280 | $105,900 | $132,520 | $42,350 | 15,160 |
| Boston, MA | $51,440 | $62,172 | $78,270 | $97,135 | $116,000 | $51,460 | 3,560 |
| Seattle, WA | $51,660 | $61,684 | $76,720 | $100,970 | $125,220 | $51,352 | 2,710 |
| Baltimore, MD | $45,990 | $57,910 | $75,790 | $91,455 | $107,120 | $66,366 | 1,350 |
| Portland, OR | $47,890 | $58,994 | $75,650 | $123,165 | $170,680 | $58,148 | 3,090 |
| Sacramento, CA | $46,870 | $57,994 | $74,680 | $96,275 | $117,870 | $59,888 | 920 |
| Denver, CO | $47,990 | $57,794 | $72,500 | $98,200 | $123,900 | $64,273 | 2,590 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $45,500 | $56,260 | $72,400 | $97,995 | $123,590 | $43,614 | 13,810 |
| Hartford, CT | $47,180 | $56,656 | $70,870 | $90,435 | $110,000 | $62,940 | 500 |
| Providence, RI | $47,180 | $56,488 | $70,450 | $89,015 | $107,580 | $59,003 | 970 |
| Chicago, IL | $43,750 | $52,846 | $66,490 | $83,555 | $100,620 | $61,966 | 6,590 |
| Richmond, VA | $39,220 | $50,072 | $66,350 | $86,245 | $106,140 | $64,985 | 760 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $41,540 | $51,284 | $65,900 | $85,855 | $105,810 | $53,840 | 1,370 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $46,900 | $54,384 | $65,610 | $83,750 | $101,890 | $61,780 | 3,690 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $45,120 | $53,252 | $65,450 | $82,125 | $98,800 | $64,546 | 1,380 |
| Austin, TX | $40,690 | $50,438 | $65,060 | $83,375 | $101,690 | $63,165 | 1,880 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $39,470 | $49,706 | $65,060 | $77,710 | $90,360 | $59,688 | 1,210 |
| Columbus, OH | $42,430 | $51,058 | $64,000 | $83,355 | $102,710 | $68,743 | 1,470 |
| Madison, WI | $45,190 | $52,702 | $63,970 | $79,350 | $94,730 | $61,628 | 700 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $38,980 | $48,912 | $63,810 | $69,745 | $75,680 | $67,883 | 480 |
| Dallas, TX | $38,960 | $48,888 | $63,780 | $79,145 | $94,510 | $61,268 | 4,790 |
| Rochester, NY | $42,090 | $50,666 | $63,530 | $83,485 | $103,440 | $68,385 | 650 |
| Anchorage, AK | $40,320 | $49,492 | $63,250 | $84,205 | $105,160 | $49,803 | 130 |
| Albany, NY | $44,340 | $51,884 | $63,200 | $81,830 | $100,460 | $62,761 | 450 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $44,610 | $52,002 | $63,090 | $82,615 | $102,140 | $53,285 | 3,360 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $41,870 | $50,358 | $63,090 | $81,605 | $100,120 | $66,341 | 1,010 |
| Tampa, FL | $38,280 | $48,128 | $62,900 | $78,830 | $94,760 | $63,153 | 1,870 |
| Atlanta, GA | $36,860 | $47,188 | $62,680 | $82,890 | $103,100 | $63,185 | 4,060 |
| Orlando, FL | $43,140 | $50,828 | $62,360 | $81,170 | $99,980 | $60,485 | 1,980 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $40,170 | $49,006 | $62,260 | $81,430 | $100,600 | $68,268 | 1,730 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $40,690 | $49,202 | $61,970 | $85,265 | $108,560 | $61,600 | 160 |
| Miami, FL | $44,370 | $51,370 | $61,870 | $83,905 | $105,940 | $50,260 | 3,950 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $44,160 | $51,208 | $61,780 | $74,525 | $87,270 | $63,429 | 1,200 |
| Raleigh, NC | $39,010 | $48,086 | $61,700 | $79,065 | $96,430 | $61,824 | 1,040 |
| St. Louis, MO | $39,930 | $48,358 | $61,000 | $74,870 | $88,740 | $67,778 | 2,010 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $44,480 | $51,004 | $60,790 | $82,030 | $103,270 | $58,172 | 400 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $39,450 | $47,878 | $60,520 | $87,665 | $114,810 | $67,170 | 1,530 |
| Nashville, TN | $43,200 | $50,068 | $60,370 | $78,125 | $95,880 | $60,189 | 1,590 |
| Detroit, MI | $44,610 | $50,850 | $60,210 | $75,800 | $91,390 | $63,312 | 2,710 |
| Buffalo, NY | $40,280 | $48,168 | $60,000 | $78,560 | $97,120 | $64,865 | 540 |
| Kansas City, MO | $41,100 | $48,656 | $59,990 | $78,640 | $97,290 | $62,883 | 1,720 |
| Charlotte, NC | $39,380 | $47,552 | $59,810 | $77,595 | $95,380 | $61,851 | 1,640 |
| San Antonio, TX | $37,180 | $46,192 | $59,710 | $77,695 | $95,680 | $65,257 | 970 |
| Tulsa, OK | $36,770 | $45,910 | $59,620 | $72,720 | $85,820 | $68,687 | 560 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $45,760 | $51,092 | $59,090 | $74,240 | $89,390 | $58,679 | 2,810 |
| Memphis, TN | $37,820 | $46,292 | $59,000 | $79,995 | $100,990 | $70,238 | 590 |
| Lexington, KY | $39,140 | $47,036 | $58,880 | $73,645 | $88,410 | $64,491 | 380 |
| Greenville, SC | $39,140 | $46,884 | $58,500 | $74,085 | $89,670 | $64,928 | 490 |
| Houston, TX | $34,270 | $43,922 | $58,400 | $74,495 | $90,590 | $60,518 | 2,770 |
| Fresno, CA | $40,230 | $47,450 | $58,280 | $77,795 | $97,310 | $55,242 | 250 |
| Omaha, NE | $36,100 | $44,868 | $58,020 | $68,570 | $79,120 | $63,203 | 1,020 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $40,970 | $47,714 | $57,830 | $72,255 | $86,680 | $62,654 | 1,200 |
| Tucson, AZ | $38,670 | $46,286 | $57,710 | $75,395 | $93,080 | $60,493 | 380 |
| Louisville, KY | $32,620 | $42,508 | $57,340 | $73,080 | $88,820 | $63,570 | 820 |
| Knoxville, TN | $37,150 | $44,978 | $56,720 | $71,320 | $85,920 | $62,813 | 470 |
| Spokane, WA | $44,070 | $49,054 | $56,530 | $73,215 | $89,900 | $58,039 | 270 |
| Des Moines, IA | $37,570 | $45,150 | $56,520 | $68,080 | $79,640 | $60,579 | 740 |
| Reno, NV | $40,530 | $46,782 | $56,160 | $69,475 | $82,790 | $52,732 | 270 |
| Boise, ID | $37,650 | $44,978 | $55,970 | $71,595 | $87,220 | $54,819 | 440 |
| Greensboro, NC | $38,580 | $45,244 | $55,240 | $73,595 | $91,950 | $60,504 | 470 |
| Wichita, KS | $36,670 | $43,030 | $52,570 | $66,280 | $79,990 | $62,583 | 300 |
| Birmingham, AL | $35,000 | $41,992 | $52,480 | $72,995 | $93,510 | $58,053 | 530 |
| New Orleans, LA | $37,460 | $43,160 | $51,710 | $69,780 | $87,850 | $53,921 | 560 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $27,310 | $36,506 | $50,300 | $64,795 | $79,290 | $58,150 | 1,080 |
| Little Rock, AR | $34,790 | $39,522 | $46,620 | $59,805 | $72,990 | $52,857 | 370 |
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Graphic Designer & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Graphic Designer, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Graphic Designer prevailing wage in San Jose, CA →Explore Graphic Designer Pay Further
Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Graphic Designer is $63,888 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $74,559. Salaries range from $46,620 to $97,360 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level graphic designers (10th percentile) earn about $44,057 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $63,888, $89,683 at the 75th percentile, and $110,673 for the top 10% of earners.
The median graphic designer earns about $31/hour, based on the $63,888 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median for Graphic Designer at $97,360, well above the national median of $63,888. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 130,670 Graphic Designer positions in the US across 69 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile graphic designer earns $110,673 — about 2.5× the $44,057 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.