How much does a Graphic Designer make in Washington, DC ?

Updated Nov 16, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$57K - $83K/yr
Base Pay
$54K - $78K/yr
Additional Pay
$3K - $5K/yr

$69K

/yr
$57K$83K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Graphic Designer is $68,564 per year in the Washington, DC area, with an average salary of $64,879 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $3,685 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $57K-$83K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Graphic Designer in Washington, DC

$68,564 /yr
Graphic Designer
$91,341 /yr
Senior Graphic Designer
$80,009 /yr
Adjunct Graphic Designer
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Graphic Designer?

Job TitleSalary
Graphic Designer$68,564 /yr
Senior Graphic Designer$91,341 /yr
Adjunct Graphic Designer$80,009 /yr

Related Job Titles

For Graphic Designer in Washington, DC

Some related job titles are Assistant Graphic Designer Salaries with median pay of $58,382, Associate Graphic Designer Salaries with median pay of $63,945, Freelance Graphic Designer Salaries with median pay of $62,862, Graphic Design Intern Salaries with median pay of $59,773.

Top Paying Companies

For a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC . Employers include Jones Lang LaSalle, Booz Allen Hamilton and Cushman & Wakefield.

1
Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle
$74,535/yr
4K open jobs
See pay for all companies for a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC View data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Graphic Designer in Washington, DC

1Jones Lang LaSalle$74,535
2Booz Allen Hamilton$73,151
3Cushman & Wakefield$66,530
4Freelancer$64,979
5Creative Circle$64,147
6National Geographic Society$63,952
7Hanley Wood$63,900
8Edelman$63,736
9American University$63,628
10Mothership Strategies$63,027
Total Pay Trajectory

For Graphic Designer in Washington, DC

$68,564 /yr
Graphic Designer
$91,341 /yr
Senior Graphic Designer
$80,009 /yr
Adjunct Graphic Designer
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Graphic Designer?

Job TitleSalary
Graphic Designer$68,564 /yr
Senior Graphic Designer$91,341 /yr
Adjunct Graphic Designer$80,009 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Graphic Designer at different companies in Washington, DC ?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Design Army
1.1
Graphic DesignerSee 10 salaries from this location

$62,322

 / yr
Cushman & Wakefield
3.7
Graphic DesignerSee 9 salaries from this location

$66,530

 / yr
American University
4
Graphic DesignerSee 8 salaries from this location

$63,628

 / yr
National Geographic Society
3.9
Graphic DesignerSee 8 salaries from this location

$63,952

 / yr
Booz Allen Hamilton
4.2
Graphic DesignerSee 7 salaries from this location

$73,151

 / yr
Jones Lang LaSalle
3.9
Graphic DesignerSee 6 salaries from this location

$74,535

 / yr
Mothership Strategies
2.9
Graphic DesignerSee 6 salaries from this location

$63,027

 / yr

Is this salary info helpful?

Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere

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Edelman
3.6
Graphic DesignerSee 6 salaries from this location

$63,736

 / yr
Creative Circle
3.9
Graphic DesignerSee 6 salaries from this location

$31

 / hr
Bluemercury
2.6
Graphic DesignerSee 5 salaries from this location

$61,472

 / yr
APCO Worldwide
4
Graphic DesignerSee 5 salaries from this location

$61,996

 / yr
Hanley Wood
2.8
Graphic DesignerSee 5 salaries from this location

$63,900

 / yr
Freelancer
4.2
Graphic DesignerSee 5 salaries from this location

$64,979

 / yr
Illustria
3.6
Graphic DesignerSee 5 salaries from this location

$59,494

 / yr
International Arts & Artists
3.1
Graphic DesignerSee 5 salaries from this location

$57,784

 / yr
Fathom Creative
4.3
Graphic DesignerSee 4 salaries from this location

$70,199

 / yr
APA
3.7
Graphic DesignerSee 4 salaries from this location

$69,770

 / yr
Gensler
3.9
Graphic DesignerSee 4 salaries from this location

$75,212

 / yr
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
Graphic DesignerSee 4 salaries from this location

$64,100

 / yr
DCG Communications
4
Graphic DesignerSee 4 salaries from this location

$60,044

 / yr
Download as data table

Graphic Designer in Washington, DC Salaries

Job TitleLocationSalary
Design Army Graphic Designer salaries - 10 salaries reportedWashington, DC $62,322/yr
Cushman & Wakefield Graphic Designer salaries - 9 salaries reportedWashington, DC $66,530/yr
American University Graphic Designer salaries - 8 salaries reportedWashington, DC $63,628/yr
National Geographic Society Graphic Designer salaries - 8 salaries reportedWashington, DC $63,952/yr
Booz Allen Hamilton Graphic Designer salaries - 7 salaries reportedWashington, DC $73,151/yr
Jones Lang LaSalle Graphic Designer salaries - 6 salaries reportedWashington, DC $74,535/yr
Mothership Strategies Graphic Designer salaries - 6 salaries reportedWashington, DC $63,027/yr
Edelman Graphic Designer salaries - 6 salaries reportedWashington, DC $63,736/yr
Creative Circle Graphic Designer salaries - 6 salaries reportedWashington, DC $31/hr
Bluemercury Graphic Designer salaries - 5 salaries reportedWashington, DC $61,472/yr
APCO Worldwide Graphic Designer salaries - 5 salaries reportedWashington, DC $61,996/yr
Hanley Wood Graphic Designer salaries - 5 salaries reportedWashington, DC $63,900/yr
Freelancer Graphic Designer salaries - 5 salaries reportedWashington, DC $64,979/yr
Illustria Graphic Designer salaries - 5 salaries reportedWashington, DC $59,494/yr
International Arts & Artists Graphic Designer salaries - 5 salaries reportedWashington, DC $57,784/yr
Fathom Creative Graphic Designer salaries - 4 salaries reportedWashington, DC $70,199/yr
APA Graphic Designer salaries - 4 salaries reportedWashington, DC $69,770/yr
Gensler Graphic Designer salaries - 4 salaries reportedWashington, DC $75,212/yr
SelfEmployed.com Graphic Designer salaries - 4 salaries reportedWashington, DC $64,100/yr
DCG Communications Graphic Designer salaries - 4 salaries reportedWashington, DC $60,044/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 460

Top Paying Industries

For a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC

The top 5 paying industries for a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC are Real Estate with a median total pay of $70,533, Management & Consulting with a median total pay of $67,574, Human Resources & Staffing with a median total pay of $64,563, Education with a median total pay of $63,628, and Media & Communication with a median total pay of $63,381.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Real EstateReal Estate$70,533

    9% Higher than other industries

  • Management & ConsultingManagement & Consulting$67,574

    5% Higher than other industries

  • Human Resources & StaffingHuman Resources & Staffing$64,563

    1% Higher than other industries

  • EducationEducation$63,628

    1% Lower than other industries

  • Media & CommunicationMedia & Communication$63,381

    1% Lower than other industries

Real Estate

Top paying companies in Real Estate for Graphic Designer are Jones Lang LaSalle and Cushman & Wakefield.

Jones Lang LaSalleJones Lang LaSalle$74,535/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Arts & Design?

Jobs in arts & design are growing due to increased access to remote work. These jobs often require a bachelor’s degree and technical skills such as graphic design software, web-development and research. Salaries vary, as jobs tend to be short-term and contractual, offering workers flexible schedules and the opportunity to manage multiple projects at once.

How does the Graphic designer salary in Washington, DC compare to the national average salary in US for the same job?

The average salary for a Graphic designer in US is $50,226 per year based on 22,929 salary contributions, which is 13.28% less than the salary for a Graphic designer in Washington, DC . The cost of living and the local demand for the work are among the factors affecting wages. The top 3 companies in US where a Graphic designer gets the highest compensation are Sprinklr, Warner Media, LLC and SMA, Inc.. Bigger companies typically pay 65.9% less than smaller companies for a Graphic designer.

Recent Salaries Shared

For graphic designer in Washington, DC

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 4-6 years

$51,800

/yr

$52K | $300

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 1-3 years

$53,000

/yr

Submitted 2 days ago

1-3 years
2 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 15+ years

$95,000

/yr

Submitted 2 days ago

15+ years
2 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 1-3 years

$5,000

/mo

Submitted 3 days ago

1-3 years
3 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 1-3 years

$40,000

/yr

Submitted 3 days ago

1-3 years
3 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 4-6 years

$5,000

/mo

Submitted 4 days ago

4-6 years
4 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 1-3 years

$25

/hr

Submitted 4 days ago

1-3 years
4 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 4-6 years

$30

/hr

Submitted 4 days ago

4-6 years
4 days ago
Graphic Designer

Washington, DC

 | 4-6 years

$45

/hr

Submitted 5 days ago

4-6 years
5 days ago

Graphic Designer pay FAQ in Washington, DC

The average salary for a Graphic Designer is $68,564 per year in Washington, DC . Salaries estimates are based on 51882 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Graphic Designer employees in Washington, DC .

The highest salary for a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC is $82,838 per year.

The lowest salary for a Graphic Designer in Washington, DC is $56,952 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Graphic Designer or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Graphic Designer.

Graphic designers earn similar compensation to special effects artists and animators. Some graphic designers are self-employed freelancers while others work as salaried employees across all industries. Graphic designers who work for specialized design services firms, public relations firms, or advertising firms generally have higher salaries than those who work for newspapers, printing firms or publishers. Freelancers' pay varies by the number of contracts they secure and the rates they charge.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Thanks to anonymous ratings shared on Glassdoor, we know that about 66% of graphic designers are satisfied with their salaries. Having five or more years of experience in the field can help lead to a good salary for graphic designers.

Total pay for graphic designers falls within a fairly wide range from $48,225.07 to $98,075.76. If you stick to the typical graphic designer career path, after years in the field, you may see an estimated average total pay of $68,564.09, which may include benefits such as bonuses or stock options. From that point on, it's common to move up to more senior positions, like art director.

Want to boost your earnings throughout your graphic design career? Make sure your skill set is up to par. Most graphic designers don't need to continue their formal education beyond a bachelor's degree, but it is crucial that you're knowledgeable about design-related software and programs such as HTML, CSS, Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator, Sketch, and InDesign. It's important to remember that graphic design is a highly creative field. Having a deep understanding of how to adjust your aesthetic to meet different brands' needs will help you move forward and earn more.

Before heading into any salary negotiations, it can be useful to take a look at how much other graphic designers make in your area, as well as what they earn by level of seniority. Having that baseline knowledge will help you assess where you fall and the kind of salary you should seek from employers. Next, package your work into an easy-to-navigate online portfolio that speaks to your design sensibility and ability to deliver for clients. Be prepared to talk through your experience in graphic designer roles, lessons you've learned, and skills you have that make you invaluable to clients.

Additional Resources

Graphic Designer Job Description Template

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