Graphic designers

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2019 Workforce

282k

Average Age

38.4

Estimated Job Growth

−3.8%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$50,688

Average Male Salary

$55,585

Average Female Salary

$46,317

About

Graphic designers are most often employed by the Specialized design services industry. The average yearly wage for Graphic designers was $50,688 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Graphic designers by wage are Conveyor operators & tenders, & hoist & winch operators, Bus & truck mechanics & diesel engine specialists, and Rehabilitation counselors.

Graphic designers are part of the Arts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations, along with Artists & related workers, Commercial and industrial designers, Fashion designers, Floral designers, Graphic designers, and 25 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Graphic designers are Seattle City (Northeast) PUMA, WA, Franklin & Brentwood Cities PUMA, TN, and Greenpoint & Williamsburg PUMA, NY. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Graphic designers are Seattle City (Northeast) PUMA, WA, Bushwick PUMA, NY, and Greenpoint & Williamsburg PUMA, NY.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Education, legal, community service, arts, & media occupations Arts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Graphic designers and on wages and locations for those in the field. Specialized design services is the industry that employs the most Graphic designers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Graphic designers, by average wage, is Soap, cleaning compound, & cosmetics manufacturing . Graphic designers are paid most in Mountain View, Palo Alto & Los Altos Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Seattle City (Northeast) PUMA, WA.

Wages

Yearly Wage

$50,688

AVERAGE SALARY

± $2,092

In 2019, Graphic designers earned an average of $50,688, $4,836 less than than the average national salary of $55,524.

Conveyor operators & tenders, & hoist & winch operators make somewhat more than Graphic designers while Bus & truck mechanics & diesel engine specialists make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Graphic designers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.379

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Graphic designers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.379, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Graphic designers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Graphic designers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Graphic designers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Graphic designers.

Industries

Most Common

The most common industries employing Graphic designers, by number of employees, are Specialized design services, Advertising, public relations & related services, and Printing & related support activities.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Graphic designers, by average wage, are Soap, cleaning compound, & cosmetics manufacturing , Motion pictures & video industries, and Electronic component & product manufacturing, n.e.c. .

Industries by Share

282k

2019 Workforce

± 13,037

4.36%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 6.32%

The number of people employed as Graphic designers has been growing at a rate of 4.36%, from 270,691 people in 2018 to 282,497 people in 2019.

This graphic shows the share of Graphic designers employed by various industries. Specialized design services employs the largest share of Graphic designers at 19.5%, followed by Advertising, public relations & related services with 7.91% and Printing & related support activities with 6.79%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Graphic designers in the US. The average age of male Graphic designers in the workforce is 39.5 and of female Graphic designers is 37.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Graphic designers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Gender Composition

133k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 8,957

149k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 9,481

52.8% of Graphic designers are Female, making them the more common gender in the occupation. This chart shows the gender breakdown of Graphic designers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Graphic designers

White (Non-Hispanic)
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

71.7% of Graphic designers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 8.6% of Graphic designers, Asian (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Graphic designers.

Age by Gender

39.5

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 0.824

37.4

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 0.801

The median age of Graphic designers is 38.4, and Male employees are generally 2.06 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Graphic designers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Graphic designers is Visual & Performing Arts but a relatively high number of Graphic designers hold a major in Visual & Performing Arts.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Projections

Projections on job growth for Graphic Designers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Graphic Designers are expected to see a growth of −3.8% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−3.8%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Graphic Designers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.