National median: $55K (range: 38K–85K). Salaries adjusted by state cost index. Ranked by cost-adjusted purchasing power. The difference between the best and worst state is $7,599/year in real purchasing power.
Graphic Designer salaries range from 38K–85K, with significant variation by state and metro area. The take-home pay difference between states is driven primarily by state income tax rates and cost of living.
The highest-paying state for graphic designers is Hawaii with an estimated salary of $106K and take-home of $75,767. But the best purchasing power goes to Tennessee \u2014 where a $50K salary, after taxes and cost adjustment, buys what $47,061 would buy nationally.
Regional averages show where graphic designers earn the most and where their money goes furthest:
| # | State | Est. Salary | Tax Rate | Take-Home | Monthly | Eff. Rate | Cost-Adj. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | $50K | 0% | $42,355 | $3,530 | 15.3% | $47,061 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $51K | 0% | $43,159 | $3,597 | 15.4% | $46,911 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $52K | 0% | $43,962 | $3,664 | 15.5% | $46,768 |
| 4 | Nevada | $56K | 0% | $47,176 | $3,931 | 15.8% | $46,709 |
| 5 | Washington | $61K | 0% | $51,194 | $4,266 | 16.1% | $46,540 |
| 6 | Texas | $51K | 0% | $43,159 | $3,597 | 15.4% | $46,407 |
| 7 | Florida | $55K | 0% | $46,373 | $3,864 | 15.7% | $46,373 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $51K | 2.5% | $42,330 | $3,527 | 17.0% | $46,011 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $59K | 0% | $49,587 | $4,132 | 16.0% | $45,913 |
| 10 | Alaska | $70K | 0% | $58,020 | $4,835 | 17.1% | $45,685 |
| 11 | Ohio | $50K | 2.75% | $40,980 | $3,415 | 18.0% | $45,533 |
| 12 | Indiana | $50K | 2.95% | $40,880 | $3,407 | 18.2% | $45,422 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $46K | 4.82% | $37,700 | $3,142 | 18.0% | $45,421 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $48K | 4.5% | $39,344 | $3,279 | 18.0% | $45,223 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $50K | 3.5% | $40,605 | $3,384 | 18.8% | $45,117 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $47K | 3.9% | $38,753 | $3,229 | 17.5% | $45,062 |
| 17 | Kansas | $50K | 5.58% | $40,542 | $3,378 | 18.9% | $45,046 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $46K | 4% | $37,301 | $3,108 | 18.9% | $44,941 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $50K | 4.55% | $40,876 | $3,406 | 18.2% | $44,919 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $50K | 3% | $40,855 | $3,405 | 18.3% | $44,896 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $54K | 3.07% | $43,911 | $3,659 | 18.7% | $44,807 |
| 22 | Arizona | $53K | 2.5% | $43,441 | $3,620 | 18.0% | $44,784 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $51K | 6% | $41,170 | $3,431 | 19.3% | $44,749 |
| 24 | Iowa | $49K | 3.8% | $39,690 | $3,307 | 19.0% | $44,595 |
| 25 | Alabama | $48K | 5% | $39,188 | $3,266 | 18.4% | $44,532 |
| 26 | Virginia | $57K | 5.75% | $45,849 | $3,821 | 19.6% | $44,514 |
| 27 | Missouri | $49K | 4% | $39,592 | $3,299 | 19.2% | $44,485 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $50K | 5.9% | $40,438 | $3,370 | 19.1% | $44,437 |
| 29 | Maryland | $62K | 5.75% | $49,680 | $4,140 | 19.9% | $44,357 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $58K | 5.99% | $46,525 | $3,877 | 19.8% | $44,309 |
| 31 | Michigan | $50K | 4.25% | $40,230 | $3,353 | 19.5% | $44,209 |
| 32 | Montana | $53K | 5.65% | $42,819 | $3,568 | 19.2% | $44,143 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $52K | 3.99% | $41,887 | $3,491 | 19.4% | $44,092 |
| 34 | Colorado | $58K | 4.4% | $46,231 | $3,853 | 20.3% | $44,030 |
| 35 | Maine | $54K | 7.15% | $43,059 | $3,588 | 20.3% | $43,938 |
| 36 | Delaware | $56K | 6.6% | $44,774 | $3,731 | 20.0% | $43,896 |
| 37 | Illinois | $51K | 4.95% | $40,634 | $3,386 | 20.3% | $43,692 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $51K | 7.65% | $40,623 | $3,385 | 20.3% | $43,680 |
| 39 | Connecticut | $61K | 6.99% | $48,422 | $4,035 | 20.6% | $43,623 |
| 40 | Utah | $54K | 4.45% | $43,166 | $3,597 | 20.1% | $43,602 |
| 41 | Georgia | $51K | 5.19% | $40,512 | $3,376 | 20.6% | $43,561 |
| 42 | Idaho | $52K | 5.3% | $41,206 | $3,434 | 20.8% | $43,375 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $65K | 5% | $51,158 | $4,263 | 21.3% | $43,354 |
| 44 | Vermont | $58K | 8.75% | $45,484 | $3,790 | 21.6% | $43,318 |
| 45 | Oregon | $61K | 9.9% | $47,268 | $3,939 | 22.5% | $42,971 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $54K | 9.85% | $42,112 | $3,509 | 22.0% | $42,537 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $63K | 10.75% | $48,398 | $4,033 | 23.2% | $42,086 |
| 48 | New York | $69K | 10.9% | $52,428 | $4,369 | 24.0% | $41,942 |
| 49 | California | $78K | 13.3% | $56,905 | $4,742 | 27.0% | $40,074 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $106K | 11% | $75,767 | $6,314 | 28.5% | $39,462 |