Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

27-1024 Graphic Designers

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
191,550 1.0 % $23.41 $48,690 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.60 $16.06 $21.16 $28.56 $37.20
Annual Wage (2) $26,210 $33,410 $44,010 $59,410 $77,370


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 25,050 21.89 $24.59 $51,150
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 24,190 5.01 $20.59 $42,820
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 21,180 5.04 $23.91 $49,740
Printing and Related Support Activities 16,500 3.44 $19.24 $40,010
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 7,940 0.53 $26.08 $54,240

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services 25,050 21.89 $24.59 $51,150
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 21,180 5.04 $23.91 $49,740
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 24,190 5.01 $20.59 $42,820
Printing and Related Support Activities 16,500 3.44 $19.24 $40,010
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 6,870 2.58 $19.25 $40,040

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,710 0.08 $36.33 $75,570
Amusement Parks and Arcades 80 0.05 $31.72 $65,980
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 30 0.15 $31.56 $65,650
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 320 0.07 $31.16 $64,800
Motion Picture and Video Industries 3,910 1.11 $30.94 $64,350


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 26,450 1.88 1.26 $27.47 $57,140
New York 18,340 2.18 1.46 $28.65 $59,580
Texas 10,780 1.05 0.70 $21.43 $44,570
Florida 10,700 1.50 1.00 $20.86 $43,390
Illinois 10,600 1.90 1.27 $24.58 $51,120




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,510 2.34 1.56 $31.74 $66,030
Minnesota 5,710 2.20 1.47 $22.15 $46,060
New York 18,340 2.18 1.46 $28.65 $59,580
Illinois 10,600 1.90 1.27 $24.58 $51,120
California 26,450 1.88 1.26 $27.47 $57,140




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 1,510 2.34 1.56 $31.74 $66,030
New York 18,340 2.18 1.46 $28.65 $59,580
California 26,450 1.88 1.26 $27.47 $57,140
Connecticut 2,400 1.49 1.00 $26.22 $54,530
Virginia 5,280 1.49 0.99 $25.94 $53,950





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 14,510 2.87 1.92 $30.52 $63,480
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,500 2.48 1.66 $28.67 $59,630
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 8,360 2.33 1.56 $25.96 $53,990
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,590 1.99 1.33 $30.61 $63,670
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,580 2.67 1.79 $23.35 $48,560
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 3,600 1.61 1.08 $25.20 $52,410
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 3,320 1.83 1.22 $24.37 $50,690
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 3,060 1.83 1.22 $26.82 $55,790
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 2,960 3.08 2.06 $33.26 $69,190
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,900 1.14 0.76 $21.84 $45,430




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 2,960 3.08 2.06 $33.26 $69,190
Boulder, CO 460 2.95 1.98 $24.43 $50,810
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 14,510 2.87 1.92 $30.52 $63,480
Lancaster, PA 620 2.78 1.86 $17.22 $35,820
Manhattan, KS 150 2.74 1.84 $16.49 $34,290
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,580 2.67 1.79 $23.35 $48,560
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 440 2.66 1.78 $25.43 $52,900
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,500 2.48 1.66 $28.67 $59,630
Provo-Orem, UT 410 2.36 1.58 $20.65 $42,950
Green Bay, WI 380 2.33 1.56 $18.95 $39,420




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,710 1.95 1.31 $35.01 $72,820
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 2,960 3.08 2.06 $33.26 $69,190
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 240 1.56 1.04 $30.73 $63,920
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,590 1.99 1.33 $30.61 $63,670
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 14,510 2.87 1.92 $30.52 $63,480
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 790 1.92 1.29 $28.82 $59,950
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 9,500 2.48 1.66 $28.67 $59,630
Redding, CA 40 0.65 0.43 $28.46 $59,200
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 1,220 2.20 1.48 $28.33 $58,930
Danbury, CT 80 1.20 0.80 $27.91 $58,060

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 380 1.00 0.67 $14.29 $29,720
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 330 1.86 1.25 $15.44 $32,110
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 320 1.16 0.78 $17.25 $35,890
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 260 1.17 0.78 $16.28 $33,870
West Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 240 1.42 0.95 $14.11 $29,350

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 50 2.36 1.58 $24.83 $51,650
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 2.19 1.47 $17.16 $35,700
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 210 2.09 1.40 $17.97 $37,370
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 140 1.98 1.33 $24.58 $51,120
North Idaho nonmetropolitan area 90 1.96 1.31 $19.41 $40,370

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 50 1.10 0.74 $26.43 $54,970
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 50 2.36 1.58 $24.83 $51,650
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 140 1.98 1.33 $24.58 $51,120
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 60 0.60 0.40 $23.79 $49,490
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 60 1.34 0.90 $22.46 $46,720


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012