Sort by any column. Employment is the number of graphic designers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Graphic Designer Salary by State (2026)
Graphic Designers earn the most in District of Columbia at $87,920 a year and the least in Guam at $33,800 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $62,960. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $87,920
- National median
- $62,960
- Lowest median
- $33,800
- States reporting
- 53
District of Columbia
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Guam
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Graphic Designers
- 1. District of Columbia$87,920 median · $79,999 adjusted · 1,150 employed
- 2. Rhode Island$78,220 median · $76,476 adjusted · 750 employed
- 3. New York$77,340 median · $71,664 adjusted · 14,530 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$76,710 median · $72,534 adjusted · 4,450 employed
- 5. California$75,130 median · $67,856 adjusted · 27,390 employed
Lowest-paying states for Graphic Designers
- 53. Guam$33,800 median · no price parity · 70 employed
- 52. Puerto Rico$34,180 median · no price parity · 1,280 employed
- 51. West Virginia$40,350 median · $45,085 adjusted · 520 employed
- 50. Wyoming$45,150 median · $48,710 adjusted · 240 employed
- 49. Mississippi$45,640 median · $52,488 adjusted · 830 employed
Graphic Designer salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $87,920 | $75,300 | $114,280 | 1,150 | $79,999 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $78,220 | $62,050 | $93,370 | 750 | $76,476 |
| 3 | New York | $77,340 | $58,610 | $100,370 | 14,530 | $71,664 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $76,710 | $60,030 | $95,990 | 4,450 | $72,534 |
| 5 | California | $75,130 | $55,500 | $99,240 | 27,390 | $67,856 |
| 6 | Maryland | $75,120 | $57,600 | $94,930 | 3,050 | $71,571 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $73,790 | $59,150 | $92,040 | 5,670 | $67,819 |
| 8 | Washington | $72,710 | $57,390 | $93,490 | 3,960 | $67,945 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $72,700 | $58,510 | $84,790 | 1,930 | $70,167 |
| 10 | Virginia | $72,310 | $52,470 | $95,420 | 4,740 | $71,520 |
| 11 | Colorado | $66,330 | $55,000 | $85,810 | 4,200 | $64,366 |
| 12 | Oregon | $66,040 | $57,420 | $103,220 | 4,140 | $63,893 |
| 13 | Vermont | $65,690 | $50,200 | $92,790 | 410 | $67,059 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $63,860 | $51,570 | $78,380 | 5,570 | $64,753 |
| 15 | Nevada | $62,890 | $49,540 | $79,510 | 1,570 | $62,903 |
| 16 | Alaska | $62,570 | $45,190 | $77,980 | 180 | $61,128 |
| 17 | Illinois | $62,560 | $47,530 | $81,320 | 8,960 | $62,586 |
| 18 | Utah | $62,310 | $49,960 | $79,000 | 2,720 | $63,026 |
| 19 | Florida | $61,660 | $49,510 | $80,680 | 12,660 | $59,624 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $60,730 | $47,670 | $80,480 | 8,150 | $62,241 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $60,490 | $52,830 | $78,190 | 790 | $58,071 |
| 22 | Georgia | $60,250 | $44,750 | $77,670 | 5,920 | $62,569 |
| 23 | Texas | $60,150 | $45,990 | $75,540 | 13,670 | $61,974 |
| 24 | Delaware | $60,130 | $49,050 | $76,820 | 360 | $60,246 |
| 25 | Ohio | $60,080 | $47,380 | $77,150 | 7,280 | $64,760 |
| 26 | Maine | $60,030 | $47,840 | $74,120 | 560 | $61,855 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $59,900 | $48,390 | $73,360 | 4,130 | $63,659 |
| 28 | Arizona | $58,510 | $50,250 | $75,290 | 3,560 | $58,117 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $58,450 | $46,710 | $74,410 | 5,660 | $61,966 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $58,070 | $46,140 | $78,420 | 520 | $52,814 |
| 31 | Michigan | $57,350 | $46,370 | $70,400 | 6,070 | $59,605 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $57,270 | $47,510 | $75,170 | 3,880 | $62,338 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $57,170 | $44,740 | $72,530 | 1,930 | $60,982 |
| 34 | Montana | $56,890 | $43,640 | $70,980 | 610 | $60,109 |
| 35 | Missouri | $56,750 | $45,420 | $70,920 | 4,500 | $62,488 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $56,730 | $41,980 | $70,520 | 850 | $61,521 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $56,700 | $46,400 | $65,590 | 1,670 | $62,928 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $56,470 | $45,270 | $63,760 | 460 | $63,479 |
| 39 | Indiana | $55,480 | $46,600 | $70,260 | 3,450 | $59,446 |
| 40 | Kansas | $53,630 | $43,770 | $64,560 | 1,730 | $59,544 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $53,630 | $39,410 | $65,980 | 2,040 | $61,052 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $52,960 | $42,210 | $65,330 | 2,060 | $58,741 |
| 43 | Alabama | $51,070 | $39,030 | $67,430 | 1,760 | $57,496 |
| 44 | Idaho | $50,350 | $40,930 | $64,550 | 920 | $52,726 |
| 45 | Iowa | $50,310 | $44,610 | $63,640 | 2,100 | $57,325 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $49,910 | $42,640 | $62,570 | 1,750 | $56,583 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $48,390 | $40,990 | $57,560 | 470 | $54,625 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $46,220 | $37,530 | $58,230 | 1,390 | $53,165 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $45,640 | $37,380 | $57,720 | 830 | $52,488 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $45,150 | $39,960 | $57,010 | 240 | $48,710 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $40,350 | $35,260 | $48,550 | 520 | $45,085 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $34,180 | $28,220 | $48,630 | 1,280 | N/A |
| 53 | Guam | $33,800 | $28,890 | $37,210 | 70 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Graphic Designers, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $87,920, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $79,999.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Graphic Designer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Graphic Designers the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Graphic Designers at $87,920 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Rhode Island ($78,220) and New York ($77,340).
Which state pays Graphic Designers the least?
Guam reports the lowest median for Graphic Designers at $33,800 a year, $54,120 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Graphic Designers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $79,999 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $87,920. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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