Graphic Designers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$62,960
United States, 2025
Employment
197,830
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 27-1024.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$39,520
25th percentile
$49,040
75th percentile
$81,830
90th percentile
$104,910
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.4
- Writing3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Coordination3.1
- Service Orientation3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 15 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
15
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $39,390
Compare with Graphic DesignersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $97,360 | 1,280 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $92,050 | 3,870 | 2025 |
| DC | $87,920 | 1,150 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $85,420 | 4,420 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $81,800 | 650 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $79,280 | 15,160 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $79,090 | 60 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $78,500 | 210 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $78,270 | 3,560 | 2025 |
| RI | $78,220 | 750 | 2025 |
| NY | $77,340 | 14,530 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $76,720 | 2,710 | 2025 |
| MA | $76,710 | 4,450 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $76,140 | 60 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $75,790 | 1,350 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $75,750 | 210 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $75,650 | 3,090 | 2025 |
| CA | $75,130 | 27,390 | 2025 |
| MD | $75,120 | 3,050 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $74,800 | 90 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Graphic Designers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.