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.
What it pays
Graphic Designers earn a median of $30.27/hr — about $63,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.00/hr; the top 10% earn $50.44/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Graphic Designers earn a median of $30.27/hr — about $63,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.00/hr; the top 10% earn $50.44/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 17.7% of graphic designers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are creative, organized and detail-focused and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Interior Designers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Writers and Authors
- Editors
- Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Producers and Directors
Quick questions
- How much does a graphic designer make?
- The median pay is $30.27 per hour — roughly $63,000 a year, with the real range running from about $19.00/hr (10th percentile) to $50.44/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a graphic designer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a graphic designer actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.