Designer salaries, state by state

CA pays the most ($180k median) — 76% more than IN ($102k). Based on 750 disclosed-salary listings across 27 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: $162k median (n=48)WA$162kID: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)IDMT: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)MTND: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)NDMN: $134k median (n=6)MN$134kWI: $120k median (n=4)WI$120kMI: $134k median (n=5)MI$134kNY: $173k median (n=137)NY$173kMA: $140k median (n=22)MA$140kOR: $134k median (n=18)OR$134kNV: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)NVWY: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)WYSD: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)SDIA: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)IAIL: $140k median (n=24)IL$140kIN: $102k median (n=5)IN$102kOH: $118k median (n=9)OH$118kPA: $120k median (n=10)PA$120kNJ: $140k median (n=11)NJ$140kCT: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)CTRI: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)RICA: $180k median (n=305)CA$180kUT: $137k median (n=7)UT$137kCO: $132k median (n=19)CO$132kNE: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)NEMO: $105k median (n=5)MO$105kKY: $140k median (n=3)KY$140kWV: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)WVVA: $138k median (n=11)VA$138kMD: $140k median (n=8)MD$140kDE: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)DEAZ: $120k median (n=7)AZ$120kNM: $140k median (n=3)NM$140kKS: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)KSAR: $112k median (n=3)AR$112kTN: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)TNNC: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)NCSC: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)SCDC: $140k median (n=4)DC$140kHI: 0 disclosures (need ≥3)HIOK: 2 disclosures (need ≥3)OKLA: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)LAMS: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)MSAL: 1 disclosure (need ≥3)ALGA: $140k median (n=10)GA$140kTX: $140k median (n=30)TX$140kFL: $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=305
NY$173kn=137
WA$162kn=48
NH$140kn=5
MA$140kn=22

Bottom 5 paying states

IN$102kn=5
MO$105kn=5
AR$112kn=3
OH$118kn=9
AZ$120kn=7

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.