Designs the boxes, bottles, labels and structures that protect and sell consumer products. BLS does not publish separate figures for graphic designers; it counts them within graphic designer (SOC 27-1024), whose median pay is $62,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-1024
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Packaging Designer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $62,960a year, or $30.27/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $105K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -1.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−1.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −1.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 16,000253,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025253.1K
- Projected 2035248.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 253.1K Projected 2035 248.8K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school15%
- Some college5%
- Associate's5%
- Bachelor's65%
- Master's10%
Highest education held by graphic designers Segment Value High school 15% Some college 5% Associate's 5% Bachelor's 65% Master's 10%
Also advertised as: Package Designer, Structural Packaging Designer, Packaging Graphic Designer, Consumer Packaging Designer, Packaging Design Manager.
Pay
How much do Graphic Designers make?
Every packaging designer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$62,960
Middle half earn $49,040 to $81,830
- 10th
- $39,520
- 25th
- $49,040
- 75th
- $81,830
- 90th
- $104,910
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $39,520 |
| 25th | $49,040 |
| Median | $62,960 |
| 75th | $81,830 |
| 90th | $104,910 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $62,960
- Median hourly wage
- $30.27/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $70,560
- People employed
- 197,830
Versus all US occupations
At $62,960, Graphic Designers earn 23% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $11,980 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 7% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $104,910 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,520, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 37% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $87,920, and still leads at $79,999 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Graphic Designers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $87,920 | $79,999 | 1,150 |
| 2Rhode Island | $78,220 | $76,476 | 750 |
| 3New York | $77,340 | $71,664 | 14,530 |
| 4Massachusetts | $76,710 | $72,534 | 4,450 |
| 5California | $75,130 | $67,856 | 27,390 |
| 6Maryland | $75,120 | $71,571 | 3,050 |
| 7New Jersey | $73,790 | $67,819 | 5,670 |
| 8Washington | $72,710 | $67,945 | 3,960 |
| 9Connecticut | $72,700 | $70,167 | 1,930 |
| 10Virginia | $72,310 | $71,520 | 4,740 |
Job outlook
Is Packaging Designer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -1.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Graphic Designers | −1.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Graphic Designers to change -1.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 4,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 16,000 openings are projected each year, 6.3% of the 253,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Packaging Designer
Graphic packaging designers usually hold a degree in graphic or industrial design and know Adobe Illustrator and 3D mockup tools. Structural designers often study packaging science, and Michigan State University's School of Packaging is the longest-running packaging degree program in the United States.
The Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) offers the Certified Packaging Professional designation and technical training. Common starting points are junior designer roles at branding agencies, packaging manufacturers and in-house teams at consumer goods companies.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as graphic designers.
- Bachelor's Degree65%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)15%
- Master's Degree10%
- Some College Courses5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 65% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 15% |
| Master's Degree | 10% |
| Some College Courses | 5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Packaging Designer do?
Packaging designers make products stand out on a shelf or arrive safely in a shipping box. Graphic packaging designers create labels, branding, color and typography that communicate what a product is, while structural designers engineer the shape, folds, materials and closures of the package itself.
They work within strict requirements: regulatory labeling, nutrition panels, barcodes, recycling marks and printing limitations. Designers produce mockups and prototypes, collaborate with brand managers and printers, and check press proofs for color. Sustainability is a growing part of the job, with designers reducing material, choosing recyclable substrates and redesigning packaging for e-commerce shipping.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design labels, graphics and branding for packages
- Develop structural package shapes and dielines
- Build prototypes and 3D mockups
- Ensure compliance with labeling regulations
- Select materials for protection and sustainability
- Prepare print-ready files and check press proofs
- Collaborate with brand managers and manufacturers
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Packaging designers work in agencies, manufacturing companies and corporate design teams. The work is mostly office-based at a computer, with time in prototype labs and occasional visits to printing plants for press checks. Deadlines follow product launch and retail reset schedules.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.4
- Writing3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Coordination3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Persuasion3.0
- Negotiation3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Graphical user interface development software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Packaging Designer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARE) built on O*NET's Graphic Designer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Packaging Designer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 7 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Artistic7.0
- Realistic4.3
- Enterprising4.1
- Conventional3.9
- Investigative2.9
- Social2.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Packaging Designer
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Computer and Mathematical
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Fine Artist, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
$55,490median a year
Most earn $32K to $144K
−2.9%Bachelor's - Office and Administrative Support
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with graphic designers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Packaging Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Packaging Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Packaging Designer appears on
Questions
Packaging Designer: frequently asked questions
How much do Graphic Designers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for graphic designers. It counts them within graphic designer, whose median pay is $62,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $49,040 and $81,830, and the top 10% earn $104,910 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Packaging Designer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Graphic Designers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 65.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Packaging Designer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 1.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 4,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 16,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Packaging Designer do?
Packaging designers make products stand out on a shelf or arrive safely in a shipping box. A typical task: design labels, graphics and branding for packages. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Graphic Designers the most?
The highest state medians for Graphic Designers are District of Columbia ($87,920), Rhode Island ($78,220), New York ($77,340) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Packaging Designer?
O*NET scores Graphic Designers highest on the Artistic, Realistic and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTP, INFP, ENTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.