Graphic Designers
Also called: Artist, Designer, Graphic Artist, Graphic DesignerDesign 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 12 of its 16 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 1.7% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 45% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $51,070 | $39,030 to $67,430 | 1,760 |
| Alaska | $62,570 | $45,190 to $77,980 | 180 |
| Arizona | $58,510 | $50,250 to $75,290 | 3,560 |
| Arkansas | $46,220 | $37,530 to $58,230 | 1,390 |
| California | $75,130 | $55,500 to $99,240 | 27,390 |
| Colorado | $66,330 | $55,000 to $85,810 | 4,200 |
| Connecticut | $72,700 | $58,510 to $84,790 | 1,930 |
| Delaware | $60,130 | $49,050 to $76,820 | 360 |
| District of Columbia | $87,920 | $75,300 to $114,280 | 1,150 |
| Florida | $61,660 | $49,510 to $80,680 | 12,660 |
| Georgia | $60,250 | $44,750 to $77,670 | 5,920 |
| Guam | $33,800 | $28,890 to $37,210 | 70 |
| Hawaii | $58,070 | $46,140 to $78,420 | 520 |
| Idaho | $50,350 | $40,930 to $64,550 | 920 |
| Illinois | $62,560 | $47,530 to $81,320 | 8,960 |
| Indiana | $55,480 | $46,600 to $70,260 | 3,450 |
| Iowa | $50,310 | $44,610 to $63,640 | 2,100 |
| Kansas | $53,630 | $43,770 to $64,560 | 1,730 |
| Kentucky | $52,960 | $42,210 to $65,330 | 2,060 |
| Louisiana | $49,910 | $42,640 to $62,570 | 1,750 |
| Maine | $60,030 | $47,840 to $74,120 | 560 |
| Maryland | $75,120 | $57,600 to $94,930 | 3,050 |
| Massachusetts | $76,710 | $60,030 to $95,990 | 4,450 |
| Michigan | $57,350 | $46,370 to $70,400 | 6,070 |
| Minnesota | $63,860 | $51,570 to $78,380 | 5,570 |
| Mississippi | $45,640 | $37,380 to $57,720 | 830 |
| Missouri | $56,750 | $45,420 to $70,920 | 4,500 |
| Montana | $56,890 | $43,640 to $70,980 | 610 |
| Nebraska | $56,700 | $46,400 to $65,590 | 1,670 |
| Nevada | $62,890 | $49,540 to $79,510 | 1,570 |
| New Hampshire | $60,490 | $52,830 to $78,190 | 790 |
| New Jersey | $73,790 | $59,150 to $92,040 | 5,670 |
| New Mexico | $56,730 | $41,980 to $70,520 | 850 |
| New York | $77,340 | $58,610 to $100,370 | 14,530 |
| North Carolina | $58,450 | $46,710 to $74,410 | 5,660 |
| North Dakota | $56,470 | $45,270 to $63,760 | 460 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | $47,380 to $77,150 | 7,280 |
| Oklahoma | $53,630 | $39,410 to $65,980 | 2,040 |
| Oregon | $66,040 | $57,420 to $103,220 | 4,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,730 | $47,670 to $80,480 | 8,150 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,180 | $28,220 to $48,630 | 1,280 |
| Rhode Island | $78,220 | $62,050 to $93,370 | 750 |
| South Carolina | $57,170 | $44,740 to $72,530 | 1,930 |
| South Dakota | $48,390 | $40,990 to $57,560 | 470 |
| Tennessee | $57,270 | $47,510 to $75,170 | 3,880 |
| Texas | $60,150 | $45,990 to $75,540 | 13,670 |
| Utah | $62,310 | $49,960 to $79,000 | 2,720 |
| Vermont | $65,690 | $50,200 to $92,790 | 410 |
| Virginia | $72,310 | $52,470 to $95,420 | 4,740 |
| Washington | $72,710 | $57,390 to $93,490 | 3,960 |
| West Virginia | $40,350 | $35,260 to $48,550 | 520 |
| Wisconsin | $59,900 | $48,390 to $73,360 | 4,130 |
| Wyoming | $45,150 | $39,960 to $57,010 | 240 |
Nationally: $62,960. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 12 of its 16 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts. | 0.03% |
| AI + software | Use computer software to generate new images. | 0.01% |
See all 19 tasks
| Not rated | Prepare digital files for printing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design. | under 0.01% |
| Not rated | Research the target audience of projects. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Draw and print charts, graphs, illustrations, and other artwork, using computer. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Study illustrations and photographs to plan presentation of materials, products, or services. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Maintain archive of images, photos, or previous work products. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Prepare illustrations or rough sketches of material, discussing them with clients or supervisors and making necessary changes. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare notes and instructions for workers who assemble and prepare final layouts for printing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Research new software or design concepts. | 0.03% |
| Not much | Mark up, paste, and assemble final layouts to prepare layouts for printer. | Not published |
| Not much | Photograph layouts, using camera, to make layout prints for supervisors or clients. | Not published |
| Not rated | Write or edit copy for clients. | 0.97% |
| AI + software | Produce still and animated graphics for on-air and taped portions of television news broadcasts, using electronic video equipment. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 12 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #9 Edit written materials or documents
- #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
- and 5 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Study details of artistic productions | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Edit written materials or documents | |||
| Write material for artistic or commercial purposes | |||
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities |
Show all 13 activities
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Collect data about consumer needs or opinions | |||
| Operate audiovisual or related equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Marketing or social media content26%
- An email or message26%
- A resume or job application17%
- A document or report11%
- A blog post or article2%
How they worked with Claude
75% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for graphic designers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 169,363 moves out
- 1 Art Directors Very high +4.2% 6%
- 2 Web Developers (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Designers, All Other High +1.2% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 5 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators High -2.9% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 147,508 moves in
- 1 Web Developers (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Art Directors Very high +4.2% 5%
- 3 Designers, All Other High +1.2% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators High -2.9% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 15% high school
- 5% some college
- 5% associate's
- 65% bachelor's
- 10% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 6% high school
- 13% some college
- 11% associate's
- 59% bachelor's
- 8% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,458 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
7 programs, such as Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design, Computer Graphics and Digital Arts.
See all
- Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
- Computer Graphics
- Digital Arts
- Design and Visual Communications, General
- Commercial and Advertising Art
- Industrial and Product Design
- Graphic Design
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
12.1% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (GRAPHIC DESIGNER). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Graphic Designers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/27-1024.00