4 answers
Albert
Student
California City, California
1
Question
4 answers
Will Xue, CFA
Manager at PwC
102
Answers
Updated
Will’s Answer
Hi Albert,
Welcome to CareerVillage and good job posting your first question here!
Like any professions, salary of Graphic Design can vary a lot dependent on year of experience, industry, location (you mentioned CA), specific skillset, etc. It can start around 50K for entry level job and go beyond 110K for senior positions.
Check out this website: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271024.htm#st
if you scroll down, you will find a chart to easily compare CA against other states regarding Graphic Design jobs.
Good luck!
Welcome to CareerVillage and good job posting your first question here!
Like any professions, salary of Graphic Design can vary a lot dependent on year of experience, industry, location (you mentioned CA), specific skillset, etc. It can start around 50K for entry level job and go beyond 110K for senior positions.
Check out this website: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271024.htm#st
if you scroll down, you will find a chart to easily compare CA against other states regarding Graphic Design jobs.
Good luck!
Hi Albert,
I'd also suggest looking at job posts on Indeed, LinkedIn, and others; there you'll be able to see what kind of jobs are out there, the skills required, and the pay rate or range (though not all posters list pay). You can search by location as well as for remote jobs. The job responsibilities might be useful to you ask well.
Kim Matthews
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1616
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
The term GRAPHIC DESIGNER applies to many different roles and career positions, but generally, these professionals need to take a client’s vision and bring it to life through visual media. Graphic designers must have strong computer software skills, specifically with industry-standard apps found in Adobe Creative Cloud. The most common applications graphic designers utilize on the job include Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Adobe XD. For those looking to start a career in graphic design, it’s essential to understand the different employment options available. While some graphic designers prefer traditional roles working for a company on a team of creative professionals, others choose to freelance and secure their own work. Graphic designers in the United States average $65,000 per year.
🧊 3D DESIGNER: $70,000 per year
3D designer creates 3D renderings of images for presentations or to prepare for further planning. This can involve designing 3D images of products that can require a long time frame to produce a prototype, such as vehicles or building structures, to display at presentations or conventions. 3D designers also work on animations and photo-realistic 3D renderings for digital platforms like websites or video games.
📽️ VIDEO GAME DESIGNER: $80,00 per year
Video game designer creates the visual and interactive effects in a video game. This can include character design, level design and animating background elements like wildlife or foliage. Video game designers also contribute to a game's storytelling, as they can collaborate with the writing team to create storylines that use each feature of a video game's design, such as complex character movements or elaborate settings for gameplay.
🌐 WEB DESIGNER: $70,000 per year
Web designer designs, builds, and continually improves a company’s website to ensure visitors have the best browsing experience possible. They are responsible for both the aesthetic appeal and the functionality of the websites they build. Web designers are expected to monitor user feedback and experiences, and then make adjustments to websites to accommodate their needs. This makes communication skills a high priority.
ℹ️ INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER: $75,000 per year
Primary duties: An industrial designer helps develop products like vehicles and appliances from their first stages of production. Industrial designers typically have a combined knowledge of art, graphic design, business and engineering, which they use to enhance each step of a product's design process. An industrial designer can work on a product to improve its visual aspects and usability and appeal to its desired market.
✅ DESIGN TECHNOLOGIST: $105,000 yearly Design technologist works with both the design team and the development team for a website, application or other digital product. They use knowledge of graphic design paired with knowledge of coding to streamline the development of an application and coordinate functional elements with design elements. Design technologists focus on improving the user experience for a digital product so it can reach maximum efficiency and user satisfaction.
👁️ VISUAL DESIGNER: $85,000 per year
Visual designer works on creative projects that involve visual art for individual clients or corporations. Visual designers meet with clients to plan design elements of a project and work from creative briefs that detail specific elements they need to include, like a company name or logo. Jobs for visual designers can involve information that's specific to an industry or market, so having previous experience within the industry where you want to work as a visual designer can benefit you in your job search.
🪩 DIGITAL DESIGNER: $95,000 per year
Digital designer specializes in creating animation and special effects. They also sometimes operate under the title of multimedia artist and animator. Most digital designers work on projects like films, television shows and video games, as they use computer software to endow illustrations with motion, transforming them into animations.
🧊 3D DESIGNER: $70,000 per year
3D designer creates 3D renderings of images for presentations or to prepare for further planning. This can involve designing 3D images of products that can require a long time frame to produce a prototype, such as vehicles or building structures, to display at presentations or conventions. 3D designers also work on animations and photo-realistic 3D renderings for digital platforms like websites or video games.
📽️ VIDEO GAME DESIGNER: $80,00 per year
Video game designer creates the visual and interactive effects in a video game. This can include character design, level design and animating background elements like wildlife or foliage. Video game designers also contribute to a game's storytelling, as they can collaborate with the writing team to create storylines that use each feature of a video game's design, such as complex character movements or elaborate settings for gameplay.
🌐 WEB DESIGNER: $70,000 per year
Web designer designs, builds, and continually improves a company’s website to ensure visitors have the best browsing experience possible. They are responsible for both the aesthetic appeal and the functionality of the websites they build. Web designers are expected to monitor user feedback and experiences, and then make adjustments to websites to accommodate their needs. This makes communication skills a high priority.
ℹ️ INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER: $75,000 per year
Primary duties: An industrial designer helps develop products like vehicles and appliances from their first stages of production. Industrial designers typically have a combined knowledge of art, graphic design, business and engineering, which they use to enhance each step of a product's design process. An industrial designer can work on a product to improve its visual aspects and usability and appeal to its desired market.
✅ DESIGN TECHNOLOGIST: $105,000 yearly Design technologist works with both the design team and the development team for a website, application or other digital product. They use knowledge of graphic design paired with knowledge of coding to streamline the development of an application and coordinate functional elements with design elements. Design technologists focus on improving the user experience for a digital product so it can reach maximum efficiency and user satisfaction.
👁️ VISUAL DESIGNER: $85,000 per year
Visual designer works on creative projects that involve visual art for individual clients or corporations. Visual designers meet with clients to plan design elements of a project and work from creative briefs that detail specific elements they need to include, like a company name or logo. Jobs for visual designers can involve information that's specific to an industry or market, so having previous experience within the industry where you want to work as a visual designer can benefit you in your job search.
🪩 DIGITAL DESIGNER: $95,000 per year
Digital designer specializes in creating animation and special effects. They also sometimes operate under the title of multimedia artist and animator. Most digital designers work on projects like films, television shows and video games, as they use computer software to endow illustrations with motion, transforming them into animations.
Denise Heffron, PSM, PMI-ACP, PMP
Experience Strategy
38
Answers
North Aurora, Illinois
Updated
Denise’s Answer
Hi Albert,
In addition to the answers provided by others above, here's some additional information you may find useful.
The annual starting salary for a graphic designer can vary widely depending on factors such as location, level of education, experience, and the specific industry in which you work. As of 2023, in the United States, the starting salary for a graphic designer typically ranged from $35,000 to $50,000 per year. In major metropolitan areas or for positions within high-demand industries, starting salaries might be higher, as Will indicated above. It's also worth noting that salaries can differ significantly in other countries. For the most accurate and current information, it's a good idea to refer to job postings in your area or industry-specific salary surveys.
The following can be good resources for doing additional research on salaries at specific companies when looking for a position in the graphic design industry:
Glassdoor: Glassdoor provides salary information based on employee reports. You can search for graphic design salaries by company, location, and experience level.
Indeed: Indeed offers salary data based on job listings and employee feedback. It also provides a salary comparison tool.
PayScale: PayScale offers detailed salary reports based on job title, experience, location, and education. It’s a valuable resource for understanding how various factors influence salary.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides comprehensive data on wages, job outlook, and industry trends for graphic designers and other occupations.
LinkedIn Salary: LinkedIn provides salary insights based on data collected from its users. You can filter results by industry, location, and experience.
Creative Bloq: This website often publishes articles and guides about salaries in the creative industry, including graphic design.
AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts): AIGA occasionally conducts salary surveys and provides reports specifically tailored to the graphic design industry.
Robert Half: Robert Half publishes annual salary guides for various industries, including creative and marketing sectors, which can give a good sense of salary ranges for graphic designers.
Salary.com: This website offers comprehensive salary reports and comparisons for various job titles, including graphic designers.
Professional Associations: Joining professional associations like AIGA or similar organizations can provide access to industry-specific salary surveys and reports.
Using these resources, you can get a well-rounded understanding of what to expect in terms of salary for graphic design roles in different regions and industries. Hope this information helps, best of luck to you in your future career!
In addition to the answers provided by others above, here's some additional information you may find useful.
The annual starting salary for a graphic designer can vary widely depending on factors such as location, level of education, experience, and the specific industry in which you work. As of 2023, in the United States, the starting salary for a graphic designer typically ranged from $35,000 to $50,000 per year. In major metropolitan areas or for positions within high-demand industries, starting salaries might be higher, as Will indicated above. It's also worth noting that salaries can differ significantly in other countries. For the most accurate and current information, it's a good idea to refer to job postings in your area or industry-specific salary surveys.
The following can be good resources for doing additional research on salaries at specific companies when looking for a position in the graphic design industry:
Glassdoor: Glassdoor provides salary information based on employee reports. You can search for graphic design salaries by company, location, and experience level.
Indeed: Indeed offers salary data based on job listings and employee feedback. It also provides a salary comparison tool.
PayScale: PayScale offers detailed salary reports based on job title, experience, location, and education. It’s a valuable resource for understanding how various factors influence salary.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides comprehensive data on wages, job outlook, and industry trends for graphic designers and other occupations.
LinkedIn Salary: LinkedIn provides salary insights based on data collected from its users. You can filter results by industry, location, and experience.
Creative Bloq: This website often publishes articles and guides about salaries in the creative industry, including graphic design.
AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts): AIGA occasionally conducts salary surveys and provides reports specifically tailored to the graphic design industry.
Robert Half: Robert Half publishes annual salary guides for various industries, including creative and marketing sectors, which can give a good sense of salary ranges for graphic designers.
Salary.com: This website offers comprehensive salary reports and comparisons for various job titles, including graphic designers.
Professional Associations: Joining professional associations like AIGA or similar organizations can provide access to industry-specific salary surveys and reports.
Using these resources, you can get a well-rounded understanding of what to expect in terms of salary for graphic design roles in different regions and industries. Hope this information helps, best of luck to you in your future career!
Harkamal Panesar
UX/UI Designer
9
Answers
Mason, Ohio
Updated
Harkamal’s Answer
Hi Albert,
The salary for a Graphic Designer in California can vary depending on several factors, including experience, location, specific industry, and skillset. However, here's a general idea of what you can expect:
Average Annual Salary: Around $62,310 per year.
Range: Salaries can range from around $37,600 to $106,260 per year.
Hourly Rate: The average hourly pay is around $26.55 per hour.
Additional Considerations:
Experience: More experienced designers typically command higher salaries.
Location: Salaries may vary depending on the specific location within California. Major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles often have higher average salaries.
Industry: The industry you work in can also impact your salary. Industries like technology and advertising may offer higher compensation.
Hopefully, this information helps you!
All the Best for your future!
The salary for a Graphic Designer in California can vary depending on several factors, including experience, location, specific industry, and skillset. However, here's a general idea of what you can expect:
Average Annual Salary: Around $62,310 per year.
Range: Salaries can range from around $37,600 to $106,260 per year.
Hourly Rate: The average hourly pay is around $26.55 per hour.
Additional Considerations:
Experience: More experienced designers typically command higher salaries.
Location: Salaries may vary depending on the specific location within California. Major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles often have higher average salaries.
Industry: The industry you work in can also impact your salary. Industries like technology and advertising may offer higher compensation.
Hopefully, this information helps you!
All the Best for your future!