what is the salary of a graphic designer

Sources like indeed.com will tell you that an average salary for a graphic designer in New Haven, CT, is $31.39/hr. ($63K/yr.), whereas in nearby Hamden, it's $14.43/hr. ($29K/yr.) The problem is that salaries in graphic design are highly domain-dependent, which can make the averages vary widely from location to location: in the non-profit space, salaries can be very low, so places where there are a lot of non-profits will have low average salaries. In technology, on the other hand, salaries can be very high, so places where there are a lot of technology companies will have higher averages. My company, for instance, is a global IT solutions provider in Silicon Valley, and I just found a job listing for a presentation designer--essentially someone who creates beautiful PowerPoints for executives--that has a six-figure salary. Graphic designers can work around the domain- and location-dependence of the field to some degree by working remotely, something that is generally acceptable in the field because employers are going to hire and retain you more for the quality and consistency of your work than any aspect of your physical presence. I have a niece who is the best example of a happy graphic designer that I know: she does design work, mostly freelance, for tech companies in hubs like Silicon Valley and Boulder, and she does it all remotely from her home in the mountains of Colorado, where she and her husband are raising their two little girls. So while there is salary elasticity, there is also a lot of flexibility in the field, which gives you more avenues to get yourself established.