Average Salary Rate Snapshot for Graphic Artist Jobs
Accurately calculating what you'll make as a graphic designer is tricky. A number of different factors influence graphic designer salaries. Job title, geographic location, education level, years of experience and the size of the company you work for all play a part in determining what your graphic design salary will be. People with the job title Graphic Artist / Designer typically falls into one of the following PayScale standard occupations.

Multi-Media Artists and Animators: Create special effects, animation, or other visual images using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products or creations, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
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.
Desktop Publishers: Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.

Education Degrees Salary Range
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Graphic Design $32,500 - $45,500
Bachelor of Arts (BA/AB) $33,000 - $48, 000
Bachelor of Arts (BA/AB), Graphic Design $31,000 - $42,500
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) $34,700 - $50,200
Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Graphic Design $29,000 - $39,000

Average Graphic Designer Salaries by Title
Art Director $85,000
Creative Director $90,000
Multimedia Designer $45,000
Entry-Level Designer $30,000
Owner, Partner $100,000 - unlimited
Print Production Artist $45,500
Print Production Manager $60,000
Senior Designer $65,000
Web Designer $39,000

Employment Graphic designers held about 300,000 jobs in 2009. Most graphic designers worked in specialized design services; advertising and related services; printing and related support activities; or newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers. A small number of designers produced computer graphics for computer systems design firms. Some designers do freelance work—full time or part time—in addition to holding a salaried job in design or in another occupation.

Median Earnings Median annual wages for graphic designers were $42,400 in 2010. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,600 and $56,620. 2010 median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of graphic designers were:

Computer systems design and related services $47,800
Specialized design services 45,000
Advertising, public relations and related services 43,500
Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers 36,900
Printing and related support activities 36,100

According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, median annual cash compensation for entry-level designers was $30,000 in 2010. Staff-level graphic designers earned a median of $45,000. Senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design, earned a median of $65,000. Solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract to another company reported median earnings of $57,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments, earned $95,000.

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