Graphic Designer Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

There are an estimated 261,000 graphic designers nationally. Recent data shows the joblessness for workers is low compared to other jobs. An estimated 4% of employees were not able to find a job in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

The highest density of graphic designers are found in Portsmouth (New Hampshire), Provo (Utah), and San Francisco (California). The lowest density occurs around McAllen (Texas), Houma (Louisiana), and Corpus Christi (Texas).

Compensation for workers is highst in San Francisco (California), Vallejo (California), and San Jose (California), and is the lowest in Decatur (Illinois), Pocatello (Idaho), and Florence (Alabama).

Training and Education

Employers tend to prefer to hire employees that have a bachelor's degree. in 55% of cases, graphic designers have four year degrees or better. Among workers 31% pursued some additional career education without completing a bachelor's degree. In 14% of cases, employees have only a high school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Graphic designers working part-time are about 17% of the total. About 25% of workers work on their own.

Graphic Designers Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of graphic designers compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for graphic designers.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Birmingham	$47,000	650
Huntsville	$46,000	280
Montgomery	$44,000	220
Mobile	$42,000	100
Tuscaloosa	$33,000	80
Dothan	$27,000	70
Anniston	$42,000	50
Florence	$25,000	50
Auburn	$37,000	40
Decatur	$33,000	40

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$42,000	160
Fairbanks	$35,000	30

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$45,000	2,880
Tucson	$43,000	500
Flagstaff	$41,000	90
Prescott	$37,000	50
Kingman	$33,000	40
Yuma	$35,000	30

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Little Rock	$41,000	370
Fayetteville	$35,000	370
Fort Smith	$31,000	90

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Santa Ana	$53,000	4,280
San Francisco	$73,000	3,590
San Diego	$50,000	2,650
Oakland	$57,000	2,220
San Jose	$61,000	1,410
Sacramento	$47,000	1,250
Riverside	$44,000	1,180
Oxnard	$49,000	350
Fresno	$47,000	330
Santa Barbara	$48,000	290
Salinas	$47,000	260
Santa Rosa	$42,000	220
Stockton	$36,000	170
Bakersfield	$44,000	150
Santa Cruz	$50,000	150
Modesto	$42,000	140
Vallejo	$59,000	130
San Luis Obispo	$41,000	130
Redding	$47,000	80
Visalia	$45,000	80
Napa	$46,000	70
Merced	$41,000	60
Chico	$35,000	60

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$46,000	1,890
Boulder	$50,000	390
Colorado Springs	$42,000	360
Fort Collins	$39,000	200
Pueblo	$35,000	50
Grand Junction	$41,000	40

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Bridgeport	$63,000	1,160
Hartford	$46,000	770
New Haven	$50,000	540
Norwich	$46,000	140
Danbury	$51,000	120
Waterbury	$43,000	70

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$45,000	340
Dover	$36,000	50

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$57,000	5,190

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Miami	$40,000	2,320
Orlando	$40,000	2,100
Tampa	$38,000	2,070
Fort Lauderdale	$44,000	1,560
Jacksonville	$39,000	880
West Palm Beach	$51,000	800
Sarasota	$42,000	460
Palm Bay	$40,000	410
Deltona	$35,000	300
Cape Coral	$42,000	290
Pensacola	$38,000	250
Tallahassee	$41,000	250
Lakeland	$37,000	240
Port St Lucie	$38,000	180
Gainesville	$41,000	180
Naples	$40,000	160
Fort Walton Beach	$35,000	110
Panama City	$35,000	90
Ocala	$34,000	80
Sebastian	$35,000	60
Punta Gorda	$37,000	50

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$51,000	3,560
Augusta	$40,000	200
Savannah	$37,000	170
Athens	$42,000	170
Dalton	$60,000	160
Columbus	$41,000	130
Gainesville	$44,000	60
Brunswick	$48,000	50
Macon	$35,000	50
Valdosta	$32,000	40
Albany	$33,000	40

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$48,000	460

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$44,000	430
Coeur Dalene	$37,000	110
Idaho Falls	$30,000	90
Pocatello	$29,000	50

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$50,000	7,500
Champaign	$34,000	290
Peoria	$45,000	230
Rockford	$41,000	180
Springfield	$38,000	100
Bloomington	$37,000	100
Decatur	$26,000	60
Kankakee	$41,000	40

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis	$43,000	1,440
Gary	$37,000	290
Fort Wayne	$39,000	280
Evansville	$33,000	200
Bloomington	$35,000	200
South Bend	$38,000	200
Elkhart	$38,000	140
Lafayette	$43,000	140
Terre Haute	$34,000	50
Michigan City	$34,000	50

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Des Moines	$43,000	550
Cedar Rapids	$41,000	330
Davenport	$38,000	270
Iowa City	$43,000	160
Waterloo	$37,000	120
Dubuque	$37,000	120
Ames	$41,000	70
Sioux City	$32,000	50

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$40,000	500
Topeka	$36,000	210
Lawrence	$33,000	120

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$37,000	1,090
Lexington	$39,000	310
Bowling Green	$37,000	50
Owensboro	$29,000	40

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$41,000	690
Baton Rouge	$34,000	450
Lafayette	$36,000	160
Shreveport	$32,000	120
Lake Charles	$28,000	60
Monroe	$40,000	40
Alexandria	$33,000	30
Houma	$33,000	30

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$41,000	350
Lewiston	$32,000	50
Bangor	$35,000	50

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$50,000	2,370
Bethesda	$58,000	1,150
Hagerstown	$39,000	120
Salisbury	$34,000	40
Cumberland	$35,000	40

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boston	$49,000	3,660
Springfield	$51,000	400
Framingham	$58,000	380
Worcester	$47,000	240
Barnstable Town	$38,000	140
Lowell	$51,000	120
Brockton	$46,000	100
Lawrence	$51,000	90
Haverhill	$42,000	90
New Bedford	$41,000	50
Pittsfield	$38,000	50
Taunton	$47,000	40
Leominster	$34,000	30

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Warren	$48,000	1,800
Detroit	$45,000	710
Grand Rapids	$38,000	650
Ann Arbor	$47,000	390
Lansing	$44,000	170
Holland	$39,000	160
Flint	$41,000	130
Kalamazoo	$42,000	110
Muskegon	$34,000	70
Niles	$34,000	70
Battle Creek	$35,000	40
Saginaw	$32,000	40

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$48,000	4,160
Duluth	$38,000	160
St Cloud	$42,000	140
Rochester	$57,000	130

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Jackson	$42,000	210
Gulfport	$40,000	90
Hattiesburg	$32,000	40
Pascagoula	$34,000	30

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Kansas City	$46,000	2,000
St Louis	$45,000	1,900
Springfield	$42,000	280
Columbia	$35,000	160
Jefferson City	$30,000	60
Joplin	$29,000	50
St Joseph	$30,000	40

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Missoula	$36,000	90
Billings	$35,000	80
Great Falls	$32,000	30

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$39,000	910
Lincoln	$40,000	350

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$48,000	1,250
Reno	$46,000	340

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashua	$43,000	210
Portsmouth	$47,000	200
Manchester	$40,000	110
Rochester	$39,000	60

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Newark	$56,000	1,540
Edison	$46,000	1,400
Camden	$44,000	810
Trenton	$53,000	460
Atlantic City	$47,000	150
Vineland	$34,000	50

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Albuquerque	$47,000	420
Santa Fe	$46,000	100
Las Cruces	$28,000	70

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$57,000	17,050
Nassau	$53,000	1,880
Rochester	$45,000	820
Buffalo	$41,000	710
Albany	$50,000	530
Syracuse	$45,000	420
Poughkeepsie	$46,000	250
Binghamton	$35,000	110
Utica	$40,000	80
Kingston	$33,000	80
Ithaca	$38,000	40
Glens Falls	$45,000	40

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charlotte	$45,000	1,070
Raleigh	$42,000	820
Greensboro	$43,000	550
Durham	$42,000	420
Winston Salem	$45,000	310
Asheville	$36,000	230
Wilmington	$37,000	220
Hickory	$39,000	200
Fayetteville	$42,000	130
Greenville	$40,000	80
Burlington	$38,000	70
Jacksonville	$39,000	40

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Fargo	$33,000	270
Bismarck	$34,000	170
Grand Forks	$33,000	70

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cincinnati	$49,000	2,130
Columbus	$46,000	1,750
Cleveland	$40,000	1,610
Dayton	$42,000	720
Akron	$38,000	650
Toledo	$39,000	390
Canton	$38,000	220
Youngstown	$33,000	150
Mansfield	$34,000	50
Springfield	$46,000	40

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Tulsa	$39,000	690
Oklahoma City	$35,000	490

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$44,000	1,830
Eugene	$37,000	320
Medford	$44,000	170
Salem	$39,000	140
Bend	$38,000	140
Corvallis	$39,000	50

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$49,000	3,430
Pittsburgh	$39,000	1,910
Allentown	$42,000	420
Lancaster	$45,000	420
Harrisburg	$36,000	410
Scranton	$35,000	370
Reading	$43,000	200
York	$38,000	200
Erie	$37,000	150
State College	$38,000	100
Lebanon	$37,000	80
Altoona	$32,000	70
Williamsport	$33,000	50
Johnstown	$35,000	50

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$49,000	700

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charleston	$38,000	430
Greenville	$40,000	400
Columbia	$40,000	320
Spartanburg	$45,000	120
Myrtle Beach	$34,000	110
Florence	$40,000	40
Anderson	$33,000	30

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$35,000	290
Rapid City	$33,000	90

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashville	$39,000	1,050
Memphis	$50,000	710
Knoxville	$43,000	530
Chattanooga	$38,000	350
Kingsport	$33,000	100
Johnson City	$32,000	90
Clarksville	$34,000	60
Cleveland	$30,000	40
Morristown	$31,000	40

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Dallas	$49,000	3,140
Houston	$45,000	2,640
Austin	$46,000	1,350
Fort Worth	$43,000	1,210
San Antonio	$47,000	1,060
El Paso	$36,000	240
Waco	$33,000	120
Amarillo	$29,000	110
Mcallen	$29,000	100
Brownsville	$32,000	100
Beaumont	$38,000	80
Lubbock	$30,000	80
Midland	$34,000	80
College Station	$31,000	80
Longview	$30,000	70
Killeen	$34,000	70
Tyler	$33,000	50
Abilene	$37,000	50
Corpus Christi	$34,000	40
San Angelo	$34,000	30

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Salt Lake City	$44,000	1,340
Provo	$39,000	590
Ogden	$38,000	290
Logan	$31,000	120
St George	$40,000	100

Vermont

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Burlington	$48,000	280

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Richmond	$50,000	870
Virginia Beach	$45,000	840
Charlottesville	$46,000	200
Roanoke	$43,000	200
Lynchburg	$37,000	80
Blacksburg	$37,000	60
Harrisonburg	$38,000	50
Winchester	$41,000	40

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$52,000	2,890
Spokane	$38,000	310
Tacoma	$48,000	180
Bellingham	$36,000	160
Kennewick	$37,000	120
Olympia	$42,000	110
Mount Vernon	$36,000	70
Bremerton	$40,000	50
Yakima	$32,000	40
Wenatchee	$33,000	40

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charleston	$39,000	140
Parkersburg	$37,000	70
Huntington	$30,000	70
Wheeling	$32,000	50
Morgantown	$36,000	40

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Milwaukee	$44,000	1,730
Madison	$44,000	950
Green Bay	$46,000	240
Oshkosh	$50,000	190
Appleton	$43,000	190
Wausau	$36,000	130
La Crosse	$34,000	130
Racine	$46,000	120
Eau Claire	$39,000	80
Sheboygan	$44,000	70
Janesville	$34,000	60
Fond	$38,000	40

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cheyenne	$39,000	60
Casper	$29,000	50

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