Median pay for graphic designers runs from $28,100 in Aguadilla to $97,360 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara — a 3.46× range across 460 metropolitan areas. The national median of $62,960 sits inside that range but describes no particular market.
Ten per cent of graphic designers earn below $39,520 and ten per cent above $104,910 — a 2.65× band. The upside from median to 90th percentile is 67%, which is a normal amount of room for experience and specialisation to matter. An offer below the 25th percentile is worth questioning; one above the 75th is worth taking seriously.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) leads and Aguadilla (PR) trails, but the gap is modest. For a role like this the more useful comparison is not between cities but between the 10th and 90th percentile within one — see the band above.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA | $97,360 | $46.81 | 0.88 | 1,280 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $92,050 | $44.25 | 1.28 | 3,870 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $85,420 | $41.07 | 1.11 | 4,420 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury CT | $81,800 | $39.33 | 1.27 | 650 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $79,280 | $38.12 | 1.26 | 15,160 |
| Napa CA | $79,090 | $38.02 | 0.56 | 60 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara CA | $78,500 | $37.74 | 0.8 | 210 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $78,270 | $37.63 | 1.03 | 3,560 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA | $76,720 | $36.89 | 1.02 | 2,710 |
| Barnstable Town MA | $76,140 | $36.60 | 0.49 | 60 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MD | $75,790 | $36.44 | 0.78 | 1,350 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA | $75,750 | $36.42 | 0.8 | 210 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA | $75,650 | $36.37 | 2.01 | 3,090 |
| Vallejo CA | $74,800 | $35.96 | 0.46 | 90 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom CA | $74,680 | $35.90 | 0.67 | 920 |
| Kennewick-Richland WA | $74,520 | $35.83 | 0.57 | 90 |
| Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $74,470 | $35.80 | 0.62 | 30 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial CO | $72,500 | $34.86 | 1.27 | 2,590 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $72,400 | $34.81 | 1.73 | 13,810 |
| Trenton-Princeton NJ | $71,750 | $34.49 | 0.82 | 250 |
| Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $71,300 | $34.28 | 1.01 | 110 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford CT | $70,870 | $34.07 | 0.65 | 500 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $70,540 | $33.91 | 0.5 | 40 |
| Providence-Warwick RI-MA | $70,450 | $33.87 | 1.07 | 970 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard WA | $70,420 | $33.86 | 0.71 | 80 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aguadilla PR | $28,100 | $13.51 | 0.82 | 50 |
| Ponce PR | $29,810 | $14.33 | 0.63 | 50 |
| Mayaguez PR | $31,550 | $15.17 | 0.83 | 60 |
| Arecibo PR | $31,720 | $15.25 | 0.94 | 40 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas PR | $35,830 | $17.22 | 1.17 | 1,030 |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $36,390 | $17.50 | 0.41 | 40 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $36,850 | $17.72 | 0.31 | 40 |
| Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $36,950 | $17.76 | 0.31 | 60 |
| North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $37,120 | $17.85 | 0.48 | 70 |
| West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $37,380 | $17.97 | 0.35 | 40 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshkosh-Neenah WI | $58,670 | $28.21 | 2.35 | 280 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA | $75,650 | $36.37 | 2.01 | 3,090 |
| Lawrence KS | $54,290 | $26.10 | 1.82 | 120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $72,400 | $34.81 | 1.73 | 13,810 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi UT | $62,210 | $29.91 | 1.69 | 660 |
| Mankato MN | $54,150 | $26.04 | 1.66 | 120 |
| Boulder CO | $67,680 | $32.54 | 1.62 | 400 |
| Omaha NE-IA | $58,020 | $27.90 | 1.61 | 1,020 |
| Dubuque IA | $48,620 | $23.38 | 1.55 | 120 |
| Ames IA | $57,060 | $27.43 | 1.5 | 110 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI | $65,610 | $31.54 | 1.49 | 3,690 |
| Dalton GA | $53,630 | $25.78 | 1.47 | 120 |
| Metropolitan area | Median | Hourly | LQ | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ | $79,280 | $38.12 | 1.26 | 15,160 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA | $72,400 | $34.81 | 1.73 | 13,810 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN | $66,490 | $31.97 | 1.15 | 6,590 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX | $63,780 | $30.66 | 0.93 | 4,790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV | $85,420 | $41.07 | 1.11 | 4,420 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA | $62,680 | $30.14 | 1.1 | 4,060 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL | $61,870 | $29.75 | 1.1 | 3,950 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA | $92,050 | $44.25 | 1.28 | 3,870 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI | $65,610 | $31.54 | 1.49 | 3,690 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH | $78,270 | $37.63 | 1.03 | 3,560 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD | $63,090 | $30.33 | 0.91 | 3,360 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro OR-WA | $75,650 | $36.37 | 2.01 | 3,090 |
Figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme, May 2025 release, SOC code 27-1024. OEWS surveys employers, so it reports what is actually paid rather than what job advertisements claim, and it excludes the self-employed. Estimates are published for 460 of 528 metropolitan areas; the remaining 68 had too few survey responses for BLS to publish without risking disclosure, so they are absent here rather than estimated. For a specialised role that is normal. Read the methodology.