Graphic Designers
SOC 27-1024 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $77,233per year
- Projected openings
- 24,970
- Projected change
- +1.2%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $101,208 | 1,480 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $99,638 | 2,370 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $89,012 | 220 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $81,991 | 1,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $78,854 | 10,840 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $77,521 | 1,090 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $76,989 | 3,330 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | $76,484 | 100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $69,838 | 240 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | $68,831 | 40 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $68,831 | 160 |
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $68,215 | 110 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $67,640 | 370 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $66,674 | 120 |
| Yuba City MSA (Sutter and Yuba Counties) | $63,798 | 30 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $63,726 | 1,370 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $63,141 | 130 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $62,442 | 30 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties) | $62,391 | 40 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $61,764 | 70 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $60,881 | 250 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $60,768 | 160 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $60,213 | 70 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $57,008 | 70 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $56,207 | 60 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $56,187 | 90 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | Not reported | 2,260 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | Not reported | 140 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | Not reported | 240 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $47,483
- A quarter earn under
- $57,054
- Half earn under
- $77,233
- Three quarters earn under
- $102,018
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $133,187
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Effects Artists and Animators | $134,194 | 17,760 | +7% |
| Art Directors | $141,637 | 30,370 | +5.5% |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $139,920 | 23,940 | +13.9% |
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | $59,870 | 6,030 | +6.3% |
| Set and Exhibit Designers | $107,970 | 5,810 | +4.2% |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | $103,591 | 4,320 | +1.9% |
Programs that train for this job — 43
Graphic Designer
East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD · Los Angeles · $3,495
- Working 6 months later
- 69%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $14,715
Graphic Design
West Valley Occupational Center - LAUSD · Woodland Hills · $2,390
- Working 6 months later
- 75%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $8,700
CG Modeling
Studio Arts, LTD · Los Angeles · $7,500
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Design
Studio Arts, LTD · Los Angeles · $7,500
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Design (Short Term)
Studio Arts, LTD · Los Angeles · $4,000
- Working 6 months later
- 100%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $21,840
Compositing and Visual Effects
Studio Arts, LTD · Los Angeles · $7,500
- Working 6 months later
- 85%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $20,765
Digital Art Foundation Certificate of Achievement
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $5,530
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Editorial Management and Design Certificate of Achievement
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $860
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Digital Illustration Certificate of Achievement
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $2,312
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Entrepreneurship in Visual Media Design Certificate of Achievement
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $998
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphics Arts
Kern High School District-Rop · Bakersfield · $1,700
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
ART-Graphic Communications (Certificate of Achievement)
Los Medanos College · Pittsburg · $2,316
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
ART- Three Dimensional Design ( Certificate of Achievement)
Los Medanos College · Pittsburg · $1,379
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Design Certificate Program (Online)
Otis College of Art and Design · Los Angeles · $8,017
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Multimedia Arts Certificate Program
Martinez Adult Education · Martinez · $4,068
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Web Design
De Anza College, Occupational Training Institute · Cupertino · $3,106
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Outcomes cover more than this program The provider filed these figures against more than the program named — several of its programs, or the whole institution. They are shown because they are real, and nothing here ranks or rates them, because they do not describe this program.
Graphic Design
De Anza College, Occupational Training Institute · Cupertino · $5,612
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Outcomes cover more than this program The provider filed these figures against more than the program named — several of its programs, or the whole institution. They are shown because they are real, and nothing here ranks or rates them, because they do not describe this program.
Graphic Design Online
ABC Technical College · El Monte · $4,723
- Working 6 months later
- 75%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $10,217
User Experience (UX) Design
UCSD Division of Extended Studies · La Jolla · $6,200
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Photography
UCSD Division of Extended Studies · La Jolla · $5,975
- Working 6 months later
- 60%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Designer: Advertising Design
Abram Friedman Occupational Center-LAUSD · Los Angeles · $2,914
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
TechSF Digital Marketing Registered Apprenticeship
CCSF Office of Economic&Workforce Development-Apprenticeship · San Francisco · $0
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Adobe Certified Professional Photoshop CC
Charter Oak Adult Education · Covina · $274
- Working 6 months later
- 59%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $12,447
Digital Design Graphics Technology: Certificate of Achievement
Napa Valley College · Napa · $4,761
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Design Window Online Program
Golden Bridge College · El Monte · $5,500
- Working 6 months later
- 62%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $11,250
Graphic Designer: Advertising Design
East Los Angeles Occupational Center - LAUSD · Los Angeles · $2,065
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
ACE - Adobe Certified Expert Web Specialist Program
Career Development Solutions · Orange · $6,500
- Working 6 months later
- 56%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $17,250
Multimedia Studies: Graphic Design, Certificate of Achievement
College of Marin · Greenbrae · $1,174
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Design, Certificate of Achievement
College of Marin · Greenbrae · $2,260
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Designer - Advertising Design
Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD · San Pedro · $2,350
- Working 6 months later
- 68%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $14,715
Graphic Design
San Bernardino Valley College · San Bernardino · $3,205
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
WPG100: Word Processing & Computer Graphics
College of Instrument Technology · Bellflower · $24,999
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Designer:Advertising Design
North Valley Occupational Center - LAUSD · Mission Hills · $2,990
- Working 6 months later
- 59%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $14,715
Art Digital Media: Associate in Arts degree in Art Digital Media
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $4,622
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Industrial Design (IDSGN) Associate in Science Degree
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $4,797
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Art Digital Media: Animation Certificate
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $1,892
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Web Professional Certificate CC
Kern Community College District · Bakersfield · $2,968
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Graphic Design- BC
Kern Community College District · Bakersfield · $1,700
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Media Arts- BC
Kern Community College District · Bakersfield · $2,100
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
Youth Apprenticeship - Jr. Creative Director (Graphic Designer)
Orange County Department of Education · Costa Mesa · $0
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported