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Role hub · Graphic Designers

Graphic Designer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of graphic designers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$62,960
Hourly
$30.27
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Graphic Designers design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. The median pay is $62,960 a year ($30.27 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree (65% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$62,960
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
197,830
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Bachelor's Degree
65% of workers
Explore the role

Every page for Graphic Designers

SalaryGraphic Designer salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeGraphic Designer how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeGraphic Designer resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsGraphic Designer interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Career changeGraphic Designer career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What graphic designers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
  2. Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
  3. Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
  4. Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
  5. Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
  6. Use computer software to generate new images.
  7. Prepare digital files for printing.
  8. Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreSpeakingcoreWritingcoreCritical ThinkingActive LearningSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas: Design, Computers and Electronics, Fine Arts, Communications and Media, English Language, Sales and Marketing.

Tools and technology

Software graphic designers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe After EffectsVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • CanvaGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • FigmaGraphical user interface development softwareIn demand
  • Adobe Premiere ProVideo creation and editing softwareIn demand
  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Autodesk RevitComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Bentley MicroStationComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology

Also called: Artist, Brand Designer, Designer, Graphic Artist, Graphic Design Coordinator.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).