19.3% higher than the US national median ($62,962)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Graphic Designers salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$46K
P25$55K
P50$75K
P75$99K
P90$130K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- professional & business services openings are at 5.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $75,130 to $99,237 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Graphic Designers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Professional & Business Services is running a 5.0% job-openings rate with quits at 2.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.8% to 5.0% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 5.0% (down 119K). BLS revised July up from 4.8% to 5.5%, so last month's third straight decline did not happen. Quits recovered to 2.1%; layoffs fell 56K.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings fell for a third month to 4.8% (June revised to 5.1%), and hires dropped 188K, the largest pullback of any sector. Quits slid to 1.8%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Graphic Designers in California is $75,130 per year ($36.12/hr). This is 19.3% higher than the national median of $62,962.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$22.21
$46,197
+16.9%
P25
$26.68
$55,494
+13.1%
P50MEDIAN
$36.12
$75,130
+19.3%
P75
$47.71
$99,237
+21.3%
P90Top earners
$62.29
$129,563
+23.5%
How California compares for Graphic Designers
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Graphic Designers in California sits above the national range at every level: +16.9% at entry, +19.3% at the median and +23.5% at the top. The gap is larger at the top than at entry.
An offer at the national median of $62,962 would sit at about the 35th percentile in California.
The top of the range earns 2.80 times the bottom here against 2.65 times nationally, so pay for this role varies more between entry and senior levels in California.
California employs 27,390 people in this role, 13.8% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Graphic Designers
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.1%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
20K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
266K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Specialized Design Services
NAICS 541400
23K
$63,780
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
NAICS 541800
20K
$61,200
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median graphic designers salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Graphic Designers in California is approximately $75,130, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 19.3% higher than the national median of $62,962. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
