Pay by state · 53 areas
Graphic Designer Salary by State (2026)
Graphic Designers earn the most in District of Columbia at $87,920 a year and the least in West Virginia at $40,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $62,960. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $87,920District of Columbia
- National median
- $62,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $40,350West Virginia
- Areas reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for graphic designers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$87,920
- 2Rhode Island$78,220
- 3New York$77,340
- 4Massachusetts$76,710
- 5California$75,130
Lowest median pay
- 1West Virginia$40,350
- 2Wyoming$45,150
- 3Mississippi$45,640
- 4Arkansas$46,220
- 5South Dakota$48,390
All states
Graphic Designer salary in every state
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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $87,920 | $75,300 | $114,280 | 1,150 | $79,999 |
| 2 | RIRhode Island | $78,220 | $62,050 | $93,370 | 750 | $76,476 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $77,340 | $58,610 | $100,370 | 14,530 | $71,664 |
| 4 | MAMassachusetts | $76,710 | $60,030 | $95,990 | 4,450 | $72,534 |
| 5 | CACalifornia | $75,130 | $55,500 | $99,240 | 27,390 | $67,856 |
| 6 | MDMaryland | $75,120 | $57,600 | $94,930 | 3,050 | $71,571 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $73,790 | $59,150 | $92,040 | 5,670 | $67,819 |
| 8 | WAWashington | $72,710 | $57,390 | $93,490 | 3,960 | $67,945 |
| 9 | CTConnecticut | $72,700 | $58,510 | $84,790 | 1,930 | $70,167 |
| 10 | VAVirginia | $72,310 | $52,470 | $95,420 | 4,740 | $71,520 |
| 11 | COColorado | $66,330 | $55,000 | $85,810 | 4,200 | $64,366 |
| 12 | OROregon | $66,040 | $57,420 | $103,220 | 4,140 | $63,893 |
| 13 | VTVermont | $65,690 | $50,200 | $92,790 | 410 | $67,059 |
| 14 | MNMinnesota | $63,860 | $51,570 | $78,380 | 5,570 | $64,753 |
| 15 | NVNevada | $62,890 | $49,540 | $79,510 | 1,570 | $62,903 |
| 16 | AKAlaska | $62,570 | $45,190 | $77,980 | 180 | $61,128 |
| 17 | ILIllinois | $62,560 | $47,530 | $81,320 | 8,960 | $62,586 |
| 18 | UTUtah | $62,310 | $49,960 | $79,000 | 2,720 | $63,026 |
| 19 | FLFlorida | $61,660 | $49,510 | $80,680 | 12,660 | $59,624 |
| 20 | PAPennsylvania | $60,730 | $47,670 | $80,480 | 8,150 | $62,241 |
| 21 | NHNew Hampshire | $60,490 | $52,830 | $78,190 | 790 | $58,071 |
| 22 | GAGeorgia | $60,250 | $44,750 | $77,670 | 5,920 | $62,569 |
| 23 | TXTexas | $60,150 | $45,990 | $75,540 | 13,670 | $61,974 |
| 24 | DEDelaware | $60,130 | $49,050 | $76,820 | 360 | $60,246 |
| 25 | OHOhio | $60,080 | $47,380 | $77,150 | 7,280 | $64,760 |
| 26 | MEMaine | $60,030 | $47,840 | $74,120 | 560 | $61,855 |
| 27 | WIWisconsin | $59,900 | $48,390 | $73,360 | 4,130 | $63,659 |
| 28 | AZArizona | $58,510 | $50,250 | $75,290 | 3,560 | $58,117 |
| 29 | NCNorth Carolina | $58,450 | $46,710 | $74,410 | 5,660 | $61,966 |
| 30 | HIHawaii | $58,070 | $46,140 | $78,420 | 520 | $52,814 |
| 31 | MIMichigan | $57,350 | $46,370 | $70,400 | 6,070 | $59,605 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $57,270 | $47,510 | $75,170 | 3,880 | $62,338 |
| 33 | SCSouth Carolina | $57,170 | $44,740 | $72,530 | 1,930 | $60,982 |
| 34 | MTMontana | $56,890 | $43,640 | $70,980 | 610 | $60,109 |
| 35 | MOMissouri | $56,750 | $45,420 | $70,920 | 4,500 | $62,488 |
| 36 | NMNew Mexico | $56,730 | $41,980 | $70,520 | 850 | $61,521 |
| 37 | NENebraska | $56,700 | $46,400 | $65,590 | 1,670 | $62,928 |
| 38 | NDNorth Dakota | $56,470 | $45,270 | $63,760 | 460 | $63,479 |
| 39 | INIndiana | $55,480 | $46,600 | $70,260 | 3,450 | $59,446 |
| 40 | KSKansas | $53,630 | $43,770 | $64,560 | 1,730 | $59,544 |
| 41 | OKOklahoma | $53,630 | $39,410 | $65,980 | 2,040 | $61,052 |
| 42 | KYKentucky | $52,960 | $42,210 | $65,330 | 2,060 | $58,741 |
| 43 | ALAlabama | $51,070 | $39,030 | $67,430 | 1,760 | $57,496 |
| 44 | IDIdaho | $50,350 | $40,930 | $64,550 | 920 | $52,726 |
| 45 | IAIowa | $50,310 | $44,610 | $63,640 | 2,100 | $57,325 |
| 46 | LALouisiana | $49,910 | $42,640 | $62,570 | 1,750 | $56,583 |
| 47 | SDSouth Dakota | $48,390 | $40,990 | $57,560 | 470 | $54,625 |
| 48 | ARArkansas | $46,220 | $37,530 | $58,230 | 1,390 | $53,165 |
| 49 | MSMississippi | $45,640 | $37,380 | $57,720 | 830 | $52,488 |
| 50 | WYWyoming | $45,150 | $39,960 | $57,010 | 240 | $48,710 |
| 51 | WVWest Virginia | $40,350 | $35,260 | $48,550 | 520 | $45,085 |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $34,180 | $28,220 | $48,630 | 1,280 | N/A |
| 53 | GUGuam | $33,800 | $28,890 | $37,210 | 70 | N/A |
Method
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, the adjustment does not change the leader: District of Columbia is first on raw pay and still first 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.
Questions
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?
Among the 50 states and DC, West Virginia reports the lowest median for graphic designers at $40,350 a year, $47,570 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $34,180 and Guam reports $33,800.
Is the highest-paying state the best for graphic designers after cost of living?
Yes. District of Columbia stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $79,999 in national-average dollars from a raw $87,920. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.