Graphic Designers

27-1024.00 Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation Needed

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.

Also known as: Ad Designer (Advertising Designer), Ad Layout Worker (Advertising Layout Worker), Apparel Graphic Designer, Artist, Brand Designer, Catalogue Illustrator, Commercial Artist, Concept Artist, ...

Annual Salary

$61,300

Median annual wage (May 2024)

$47,200 25th – 75th percentile $79,000
10th percentile $37,600
90th percentile $103,030
U.S. Employment: 214,260

Job Outlook

+2.1%

Projected growth, 2024–2034 (About average)

Annual Job Openings 20,000 per year (avg. 2024–2034)
Typical education: Bachelor's degree

What You'd Do

  • Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
  • Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
  • Use computer software to generate new images.
  • Mark up, paste, and assemble final layouts to prepare layouts for printer.
  • Draw and print charts, graphs, illustrations, and other artwork, using computer.
  • Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
  • Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
  • Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
  • Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
  • Prepare illustrations or rough sketches of material, discussing them with clients or supervisors and making necessary changes.

Top Skills

Active Listening 3.8
Speaking 3.4
Writing 3.3
Critical Thinking 3.3
Active Learning 3.3
Reading Comprehension 3.1
Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
Coordination 3.1

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Knowledge Areas

Design 4.7
Computers and Electronics 4.4
Fine Arts 4.4
Communications and Media 4.3
English Language 3.8
Sales and Marketing 3.7
Customer and Personal Service 3.6
Production and Processing 3.3

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level

Bachelor's
65%
High School
15%
Master's
10%
Some College
5%
Associate's
5%

Technology & Tools

Software and tools commonly used in this role

In-Demand Technologies

Adobe Acrobat Adobe After Effects Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop AJAX Apple macOS Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Autodesk Revit Bentley MicroStation Cascading style sheets CSS Extensible markup language XML Facebook Figma Google Docs Hypertext markup language HTML Intuit QuickBooks JavaScript jQuery Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Project Microsoft Visio Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word

Work Styles

Personality traits and work styles important for this career

2.5
Innovation
2.4
Attention to Detail
1.7
Dependability
1.7
Achievement Orientation
1.7
Adaptability
1.4
Intellectual Curiosity
1.3
Tolerance for Ambiguity

Key Abilities

Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role

Originality 4.0
Fluency of Ideas 3.9
Near Vision 3.9
Written Comprehension 3.8
Oral Comprehension 3.6
Oral Expression 3.5
Written Expression 3.5
Speech Clarity 3.3

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Activities

General types of job behaviors occurring on this job

Thinking Creatively 4.9
Working with Computers 4.8
Getting Information 4.6
Making Decisions and Solving Problems 4.2
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work 4.2
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships 4.2
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.2
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge 4.0

Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)

Work Environment

Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work

E-Mail
4.9
Spend Time Sitting
4.8
Time Pressure
4.7
Telephone Conversations
4.5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
4.4
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
4.4
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
4.3
Level of Competition
4.3
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
4.3
Contact With Others
4.3
Freedom to Make Decisions
4.1
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
4.1

Related Careers

Fashion Designers
$81K
Producers and Directors
$83K
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
$68K
Web Developers
$91K
Photographers
$43K
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
$37K
Film and Video Editors
$71K
Writers and Authors
$72K
Prepress Technicians and Workers
$47K
Craft Artists
$38K

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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.