Designer salaries, state by state

CA pays the most ($180k median) — 157% more than OK ($70k). Based on 872 disclosed-salary listings across 31 states with ≥3 disclosures.

Each hexagon is a US state. Color = median salary midpoint of disclosed designer listings (Viridis: dark = lower, bright = higher). Grey = fewer than 3 disclosures.

Designer median salary by US stateAK: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)AKME: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)MEVT: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)VTNH: $140k median (n=5)NH$140kWA: $161k median (n=54)WA$161kID: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)IDMT: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)MTND: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)NDMN: $134k median (n=9)MN$134kWI: $120k median (n=6)WI$120kMI: $134k median (n=7)MI$134kNY: $173k median (n=169)NY$173kMA: $140k median (n=22)MA$140kOR: $120k median (n=19)OR$120kNV: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)NVWY: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)WYSD: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)SDIA: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)IAIL: $140k median (n=27)IL$140kIN: $98k median (n=7)IN$98kOH: $118k median (n=9)OH$118kPA: $120k median (n=10)PA$120kNJ: $134k median (n=13)NJ$134kCT: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)CTRI: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)RICA: $180k median (n=350)CA$180kUT: $137k median (n=8)UT$137kCO: $132k median (n=22)CO$132kNE: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)NEMO: $105k median (n=5)MO$105kKY: $140k median (n=3)KY$140kWV: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)WVVA: $134k median (n=17)VA$134kMD: $140k median (n=8)MD$140kDE: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)DEAZ: $138k median (n=8)AZ$138kNM: $140k median (n=3)NM$140kKS: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)KSAR: $112k median (n=3)AR$112kTN: $122k median (n=3)TN$122kNC: $127k median (n=5)NC$127kSC: $106k median (n=3)SC$106kDC: $140k median (n=4)DC$140kHI: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)HIOK: $70k median (n=3)OK$70kLA: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)LAMS: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)MSAL: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)ALGA: $140k median (n=10)GA$140kTX: $141k median (n=36)TX$141kFL: $140k median (n=5)FL$140k
Hexgrid US-state map. Each hex represents one state at uniform size — defies geographic scale, ranks by data signal. Pay-transparency-disclosed listings only.

Top 5 paying states

CA$180kn=350
NY$173kn=169
WA$161kn=54
TX$141kn=36
NH$140kn=5

Bottom 5 paying states

OK$70kn=3
IN$98kn=7
MO$105kn=5
SC$106kn=3
AR$112kn=3

Methodology

Active US designer listings with disclosed salary ranges, parsed from listing-level location strings. Salary is the midpoint of the disclosed range. States with fewer than 3 disclosures are shown grey to avoid noisy small-N estimates. Pay-transparency laws in NY, CA, CO, WA, IL, NJ, MA, and MN drive most of the disclosure volume — states without such laws will look sparse here regardless of their actual hiring activity.