Graphic Designers Salary in New York, NY (2024)
Graphic Designers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median of $75,850 per year ($36.47 per hour) based on 17,140 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +23.7% against the national median of $61,300 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where graphic designers actually sit across the pay range in New York, NY, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.90 | $49,710 | |
| 25th percentile | $29.47 | $61,300 | |
| Median | $36.47 | $75,850 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $47.80 | $99,420 | |
| 90th percentile | $61.65 | $128,230 | |
| Average (mean) | $40.14 | $83,490 |
How New York, NY compares
The local median of $75,850 runs +23.7% above the US median of $61,300 for this occupation; it pays 25.5% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($60,460); within the metro it ranks 347th of 750 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY — this occupation | $75,850 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $61,300 | +23.7% |
| New York, NY — all occupations | $60,460 | +25.5% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $89,490 | -15.2% |
At a location quotient of 1.32, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 132% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 2.0%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 347th of 750 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in New York, NY
To put $75,850 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 347th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $230,130 | 1,520 |
| Psychiatrists | $229,630 | 3,680 |
| Commercial Pilots | $224,840 | 1,270 |
| Radiologists | $219,900 | 1,870 |
| Financial Managers | $216,520 | 77,970 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $216,420 | 900 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $215,640 | 4,130 |
| Neurologists | $214,820 | 920 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $214,630 | 570 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,400 | 56,180 |
Where graphic designers earn the most
Across the 24 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $47,760 to $89,490. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89,490 | 4,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $82,630 | 3,880 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82,360 | 4,670 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,000 | 3,690 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,850 | 17,140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $75,820 | 14,060 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $74,540 | 2,900 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $68,710 | 2,330 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $66,370 | 9,430 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $66,290 | 2,240 |
See the full national picture on the Graphic Designers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for graphic designers in New York, NY?
The median annual wage is $75,850, or $36 per hour. That means half of the graphic designers working in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $83,490.
What do the highest and lowest paid graphic designers in New York, NY earn?
The bottom 10% earn $49,710 or less, while the top 10% earn $128,230 or more — a spread of $78,520 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $61,300 and $99,420.
Is graphic designers pay in New York, NY above the local average?
Yes, it is 25.5% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $60,460. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does New York, NY pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $75,850 the metro median is 23.7% higher than the US median of $61,300 for graphic designers. Across the 24 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $47,760 to $89,490.
How many graphic designers work in New York, NY?
BLS counts about 17,140 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 1.83 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.32, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 132% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.2%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.