There are a lot of people who are interested in getting into graphic design, and the graphic design salary may be a driving factor. However, the range of salaries is quite wide depending on what exactly you are designing and what company employs you.

Graphic designers are generally very creative people who are interested in producing interesting designs that get used for advertising purposes. They generally follow one of two paths; either self-employment as a freelance designer or the corporate route.

According to the Department of Labor Statistics, the bottom 10% of corporate graphic designers make around $26,110, but the median annual wage was $42,400.

It usually takes a few years to advance towards a senior design position, and those positions earn around $60,000 per year. Top level earners are usually business owners or stakeholders who earn on average $95,000 annually.

The incentive to be a freelance designer is the freedom involved or the potential to get enough work to establish a design business and become one of the aforementioned owner/stakeholders. Solo entrepreneurial designers average around $57,000 annually, but generally speaking it takes a few years to build a client base and have consistent income.

The other thing that impacts designers is what industry you are working in. If you are working in the computer systems design industry, the median income is $47,860. The median income in advertising services is $43,540. On the bottom of the stack is printing and related support activities with a median income of $36,100.

The graphic design sector, as a whole, is expected to grow at a rate of about 13% annually. Most companies require a Bachelor’s Degree for most entry level positions, although a technical certificate or an Associate’s degree can be sufficient for other opportunities.

Overall, because of the continuing employment opportunities and the baseline graphic design salary, this field is considered to be attractive.