Graphic Designers: Job Description
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.
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What Do Graphic Designers Perform?
The core tasks performed by graphic designers span:
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Use computer software to generate new images.
- Prepare digital files for printing.
- Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective graphic designers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Ad Designer (Advertising Designer)
- Ad Layout Worker (Advertising Layout Worker)
- Apparel Graphic Designer
- Artist
- Brand Designer
- Catalogue Illustrator
- Commercial Artist
- Concept Artist
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 256,099 graphic designers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +4.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Graphic Designers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $66,386 |
| Hourly median | $31.92 |
| 10th percentile | $44,703 |
| 25th percentile | $55,544 |
| 75th percentile | $77,227 |
| 90th percentile | $88,068 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Graphic Designers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $90,710 |
| California | $76,440 |
| Massachusetts | $76,370 |
| Washington | $76,010 |
| New York | $74,530 |
| Virginia | $70,060 |
| New Jersey | $66,600 |
| Colorado | $66,360 |
| Maryland | $66,290 |
| Connecticut | $65,360 |
| Rhode Island | $64,190 |
| Oregon | $63,800 |
| Vermont | $62,180 |
| Texas | $62,030 |
| Illinois | $60,010 |
| Utah | $59,010 |
| Minnesota | $58,590 |
| Wisconsin | $58,380 |
| Florida | $57,900 |
| Georgia | $57,860 |
| New Mexico | $57,780 |
| New Hampshire | $57,310 |
| Nevada | $57,180 |
| Indiana | $56,440 |
| South Carolina | $56,180 |
| Delaware | $56,160 |
| Montana | $55,370 |
| Alaska | $55,230 |
| Ohio | $55,140 |
| Maine | $53,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,990 |
| Michigan | $52,600 |
| Nebraska | $52,420 |
| Arizona | $52,240 |
| Tennessee | $51,740 |
| Hawaii | $51,630 |
| Missouri | $50,900 |
| North Carolina | $50,600 |
| Kentucky | $50,330 |
| Oklahoma | $50,310 |
| Kansas | $49,820 |
| Idaho | $48,640 |
| Alabama | $48,130 |
| North Dakota | $47,900 |
| Iowa | $47,560 |
| Arkansas | $46,430 |
| Louisiana | $46,300 |
| Mississippi | $45,260 |
| South Dakota | $43,950 |
| Wyoming | $43,290 |
| West Virginia | $36,870 |
| Guam | $31,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,500 |
Where Graphic Designers Earn the Most
Pay for graphic designers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $74,032 | 18.3% | 1.11 |
| New England | $69,485 | 4.4% | 0.94 |
| Middle Atlantic | $67,841 | 16.9% | 1.12 |
| Rocky Mountains | $60,908 | 4.5% | 1.14 |
| Southwest | $59,472 | 12.4% | 0.98 |
| Great Lakes | $56,608 | 13.9% | 0.98 |
| Southeast | $55,680 | 21.5% | 0.91 |
| Plains States | $52,763 | 7.5% | 1.12 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Graphic Designers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $98,530 | 1,510 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $89,490 | 4,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $82,630 | 3,880 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $82,360 | 4,670 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $78,000 | 3,690 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $75,850 | 17,140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $75,820 | 14,060 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $75,470 | 1,070 |
Top Industries Employing Graphic Designers
The bulk of graphic designers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 81,130 | $65,490 |
| Manufacturing | 37,680 | $48,950 |
| Information | 21,120 | $63,170 |
| Wholesale Trade | 14,160 | $60,390 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 9,990 | $72,960 |
| Retail Trade | 9,620 | $51,540 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 9,260 | $67,380 |
| Educational Services | 7,770 | $59,830 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of graphic designers reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Time Pressure
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Typical graphic designers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Software Developers (Primary-Long)
- Web Developers (Supplemental)
- Web and Digital Interface Designers (Primary-Short)
- Video Game Designers (Primary-Long)
- Art Directors (Primary-Short)
- Craft Artists (Supplemental)
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (Primary-Short)
- Special Effects Artists and Animators (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for graphic designers often complete programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
5 programs across 2 majors
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
2 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers).
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