The Highest Paying Design Jobs and Salaries for 2024

Thanks to technological innovations and web proliferation, designers have more outlets than ever to exercise the creative process. From product designers and visual designers to video game designers and exhibit designers, there are countless different ways to pursue your design career. But which are the best paying design jobs?

You can start your pursuit of a design career with a look at the best liberal arts degrees. Or you can read on to learn more about your options...

What can you do with a design degree?

Design can cover a lot of ground. From web design to digital design, from visual design to video game design, there are countless in demand design jobs built for creative professionals like you. Your art and design degree will usually be highly tailored to your intended career path.

As a design student, you can typically choose a specific track in order to become a graphic designer, web designer, or visual designer. Likewise, you may be able to incorporate the leadership training required to become an art director, creative director, senior designer, and more. Many aspiring leaders in the field will also pursue their master’s degree in art and design.

Some design degrees are also highly technical. For instance, most graphic designers or UX designers will complete an array of courses in areas like computer graphics, computer engineering, UI design, and adaptation of design for mobile apps and mobile devices. In this regard, the design industry is often directly linked with technological advances in computer science, digital design, the mobile design process, and more.

For this reason, many future art and design professionals will get their start with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Arts.

How We Identified the Highest Paying Design Degrees

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, we’ve identified and ranked the highest paying degrees for students with a design degree. The highest paying design degrees and jobs are ranked using the median salary for 2021.

The 8 Highest Paying Design Jobs and Salaries

Below, we’ve ranked the following jobs based on median designer salary. A four-year degree is the basic academic threshold for many of the below-noted design occupations. However, in many cases, you may be required to earn certain professional certifications or licenses in addition to your undergraduate degree.

1. 1

   Art Directors

   • 2021 Median Pay- $100,890

   Art directors command the highest designer salary. Art direction is a leadership role, often performed in the context of a publication, media production, product design, web design, and more. Art directors typically preside over design teams. This will usually mean overseeing a team of other designers and coordinating work between product designers, graphic designers, UX designers, content developers, and others to ensure a cohesive visual style and a shared sense of final design goals.

   The basic threshold for becoming an art director is a four-year degree in art, design, or a related subject. Because art director is a leadership role, significant industry experience is typically expected. Your path into art direction may begin with graphic design work, illustration, copy editing, photography, and more.

2. 2

   Special Effects Artists and Animators

   • 2021 Median Pay-$$78,790

   Special effects artists and animators create images and visual effects to be used in various motion design based contexts. This may include animation for web design, movie production, mobile apps, and much more. Special effects artists and animators increasingly work in the context of digital designs.

   To become a special effects artist, animator, or UI designer you would typically need a four year degree in an area like computer graphics. You will generally be expected to master visual design principles, user interface design, and the use of Adobe illustrator. Some aspiring artists and animators will pursue a concentrated design degree in an area like Digital Media.

3. 3

   Fashion Designers

   • 2021 Median Pay-$77,450

   Fashion designers create, showcase, and market clothing, footwear and other attire both in fine arts and mainstream retail contexts.

   The basic threshold for becoming a fashion designer is a four-year degree. Most fashion designers are also expected to demonstrate some technical expertise as well. This may include the practical elements of clothing product design and manufacturing.

4. 4

   Industrial Designers

   • 2021 Median Pay-$77, 030

   Industrial designers help to create and develop products and materials for manufacturing and mass production. Industrial design generally merges art and design concepts with engineering principles and business objectives.

   The basic threshold for becoming an industrial design pro or product designer is a four-year undergraduate degree. However, most aspiring industrial designers must also present a portfolio of projects or ideas. This means that work is particularly important, and may play a determinant role in the average salary range.


6. 5

   Interior Designers

   • 2021 Median Pay-$60,340

   Interior designers apply their creative talents to interior spaces like homes, hotels, restaurants and retail establishments. Interior designers are responsible for overseeing the visual touchpoints of a given space. This may include envisioning, coordinating, and executing design that conforms with safety standards, spatial requirements, aesthetic desires, and practical functionality. Interior designers will also help to coordinate the efforts of a wide range of design professionals involved in executing visual concepts. This can include builders, painters, art hangers, exhibit designers, and much more.

   In most cases, a bachelor’s degree would be sufficient to find entry-level work in interior design. However, many interior decorators will pursue an advanced degree in order to improve their leadership qualifications.

7. 6

   Graphic Designers

   • 2021 Median Pay- $50,710

   Graphic designers are among the most versatile art and design professionals. This is because graphic art is a critical dimension of digital design. Given the proliferation of media requiring digital designers—such as mobile apps, user interface design, and interactive design for gaming, graphic designers are in high demand.

   To this end, the average graphic designer salary may not reflect the full earning potential for this subdiscipline. In reality, a freelance graphic designer may wear a lot of design hats. Graphic designers often also function as UI designers.

   Graphic designers may work on advertising campaigns, developing marketing materials and coordinating with marketing teams, or alongside video game designers in the development of interactive gaming experiences, or as the lead user interface designer on an innovative mobile app.

   It is generally possible to become a graphic designer with an accredited four-year degree in graphic design or a related field. Graphic designers are also expected to present a portfolio to prospective employers or clients. And if you’re interested in a video game designer, consider a more concentrated degree in game design.

8. 7

   Craft and Fine Artists

   • 2021 Median Pay-$49,960

   The job description for craft and fine art professionals is extremely varied. Craft and fine artists may work in a wide range of visual media including inks, paints, sculpture, woodworking, and much more. These multimedia artists may work with an extremely wide spectrum of materials and techniques, creating works of art for exhibition, performance, and sale.

   While many craft and fine artists will hold an undergraduate degree, there is no technical academic threshold for this field. Most fine artists will improve their craft and professional opportunities through practice, refinement, and portfolio development.

9. 8

   Florists

   • 2021 Median Pay-$29,880

   Florists provide design and arrangement of flowers, greenery, and assorted staying materials to create decorative works for use in event spaces, residences, gardens, arboretums, and more.

   It may be possible to begin your career in floral design with a high school diploma. On the job training and apprenticeship are common in this field.