Graphic Designers
Also called: Ad Designer (Advertising Designer), Ad Layout Worker (Advertising Layout Worker), Apparel Graphic Designer, Artist, Brand Designer, Catalogue Illustrator, Commercial Artist, Concept Artist
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos.
What graphic designers do
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.
- Research the target audience of projects.
- Draw and print charts, graphs, illustrations, and other artwork, using computer.
- Mark up, paste, and assemble final layouts to prepare layouts for printer.
- Study illustrations and photographs to plan presentation of materials, products, or services.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Graphic Designers salary
The median annual wage for graphic designers is $62,960 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $39,520 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $104,910. The mean annual wage is $70,560.
The mean hourly wage of $33.00 is 4.6× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Graphic Designers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $62,960 → in 3 years $67,500 → in 5 years $70,600 → in 10 years $79,200 (10-year range $68,100–$92,000). The model assumes pay growth of +2.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Graphic Designers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Graphic Designers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Graphic Designers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Graphic Designers United States | 広告デザイナー Japan | グラフィックデザイナー Japan | ブックデザイナー Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $62,960 | ¥5.40M ≈ $34,314 | ¥5.40M ≈ $34,314 | ¥5.40M ≈ $34,314 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $79,200 | ¥5.93M | ¥5.97M | ¥6.33M |
| Outlook score | 40 | 24 | 27 | 34 |
| AI replacement risk | 63% High | 67% High | 65% High | 30% Low |
| Workers | 198K | — | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Graphic Designers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become graphic designers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as graphic designers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.