Graphic Designer salary
From 2,401 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 27-1024: Graphic Designers
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 34% of Graphic Designer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Amazon. 354 filings (15% of the total), median $145,000.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 5 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $87,000 in Los Angeles, CA to $149,100 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 11% since FY2020. From $90,438 in FY2020 to $100,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Graphic Designer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 2,401 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Graphic Designer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 27-1024, Graphic Designers). The median base salary is $105,000, 14% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $69,000 and $150,000. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 34% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (611), and Amazon is the employer that files the most (354).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Graphic Designer
Amazon354 filings · 15%$145,000
Google124 filings · 5%$172,020
Apple53 filings · 2%$143,900
Meta46 filings · 2%$204,559
Cognizant42 filings · 2%$68,765
LinkedIn40 filings · 2%$130,932
Intuit39 filings · 2%$150,296
Photon Infotech28 filings · 1%$86,710
Adobe14 filings · 1%$176,000
Walmart13 filings · 1%$118,976
Employers with the most Graphic Designer filings. Bar: share of all Graphic Designer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 17% of filings
Mid-level · 34% of filings
Senior · 22% of filings
Expert · 26% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $56,077 | 409 |
| Level II · Qualified | $85,463 | 818 |
| Level III · Experienced | $125,175 | 522 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $154,000 | 627 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Graphic Designer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 22 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $90,000 | 611 |
| San Francisco, CA | $141,801 | 326 |
| San Jose, CA | $149,100 | 301 |
| Seattle, WA | $137,800 | 278 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $87,000 | 236 |
| Atlanta, GA | $60,000 | 61 |
| Washington, DC | $84,053 | 56 |
| Chicago, IL | $66,747 | 54 |
| Dallas, TX | $75,500 | 46 |
| Boston, MA | $83,200 | 41 |
| Austin, TX | $117,803 | 27 |
| Riverside, CA | $57,200 | 21 |
| Miami, FL | $63,000 | 19 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $97,081 | 19 |
| Houston, TX | $68,352 | 15 |
| Portland, OR | $116,000 | 15 |
| San Diego, CA | $134,309 | 14 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $73,149 | 12 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $130,000 | 11 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $80,319 | 10 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $62,500 | 10 |
| San Antonio, TX | $40,250 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Graphic Designer does
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.
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.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Graphic Designers (27-1024.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Graphic Designers), the median annual wage was $62,960 in May 2025, with 197,830 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $105,000, 67% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $54,080 | $39,520 |
| 25th percentile | $69,000 | $49,040 |
| Median | $105,000 | $62,960 |
| 75th percentile | $150,000 | $81,830 |
| 90th percentile | $188,640 | $104,910 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $54,080 |
| 25th | $69,000 |
| 50th (median) | $105,000 |
| 75th | $150,000 |
| 90th | $188,640 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $90,438 | $60,000 | $135,000 | 1,542 |
| FY2021 | $90,438 | $64,792 | $137,000 | 1,461 |
| FY2022 | $101,754 | $65,333 | $148,800 | 1,838 |
| FY2023 | $100,200 | $67,732 | $148,375 | 1,278 |
| FY2024 | $113,275 | $70,000 | $153,150 | 1,368 |
| FY2025 | $110,000 | $67,579 | $151,246 | 1,435 |
| FY2026 | $100,000 | $70,038 | $149,745 | 966 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Graphic Designer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Graphic Designer jobs is $105,000 (2,401 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $69,000 and $150,000.
What does an entry-level Graphic Designer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $56,077. Level I accounts for 17% of Graphic Designer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Graphic Designers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Graphic Designer jobs: $149,100 (301 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Graphic Designers?
Amazon (354), Google (124) and Apple (53) filed the most Graphic Designer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Graphic Designers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($105,000) is 67% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($62,960, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.