How much does a Freelance Designer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Freelance Designer in the United States is $75,078 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.
However, a Freelance Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $83,508
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $64,082 to $79,491
Key Factors That Influence Freelance Designer Salaries
A Freelance Designer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Freelance Designer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Freelance Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $94,695
San Francisco: $93,659
Oakland: $91,685
San Jose, CA$94,695
San Francisco, CA$93,659
Oakland, CA$91,685
New York, NY$86,444
Paramus, NJ$85,393
Queens Village, NY$85,389
Passaic, NJ$85,317
Bergenfield, NJ$85,311
Stamford, CT$85,146
Huntington, NY$85,115
Newark, NJ$84,560
Bridgeport, CT$84,401
Vallejo, CA$84,252
New Brunswick, NJ$84,222
Petaluma, CA$84,177
Middlesex, NJ$84,034
Somerset, NJ$83,982
Santa Cruz, CA$83,884
Boston, MA$83,426
Monterey, CA$83,163
Seattle, WA$82,991
Santa Rosa, CA$82,976
Los Angeles, CA$82,953
Juneau, AK$82,758
Washington, DC$82,675
Orange, CA$82,408
Santa Ana, CA$82,210
Long Beach, CA$82,135
Anaheim, CA$82,120
Anchorage, AK$82,082
Santa Maria, CA$81,857
Everett, WA$81,842
Danbury, CT$81,578
Bremerton, WA$81,474
Tacoma, WA$81,204
New Suffolk, NY$81,202
Sacramento, CA$81,181
Santa Barbara, CA$81,099
Trenton, NJ$81,016
San Diego, CA$81,016
Brockton, MA$80,934
Fairbanks, AK$80,750
Lompoc, CA$80,558
Lowell, MA$80,497
Ventura, CA$80,483
Nashua, NH$80,468
Stockton, CA$80,461
Modesto, CA$79,913
Poughkeepsie, NY$79,747
Olympia, WA$79,605
Kennewick, WA$79,605
New Haven, CT$79,575
Lawrence, MA$79,304
Hartford, CT$79,229
Riverside, CA$79,214
New Bedford, MA$79,139
Richland, WA$79,139
Bakersfield, CA$79,034
San Bernardino, CA$79,004
New Britain, CT$78,997
Atlantic City, NJ$78,997
New London, CT$78,967
Norwich, CT$78,944
Portsmouth, NH$78,929
Boulder, CO$78,770
Portland, OR$78,666
Worcester, MA$78,659
Minneapolis, MN$78,426
Philadelphia, PA$78,321
Honolulu, HI$78,073
Saint Paul, MN$78,037
Vineland, NJ$78,021
Providence, RI$77,803
Chicago, IL$77,585
Bellingham, WA$77,495
Springfield, MA$77,435
Baltimore, MD$77,413
Chico, CA$77,225
Pittsfield, MA$77,022
Manchester, NH$76,879
Spokane, WA$76,549
Denver, CO$76,542
Albany, NY$76,189
Troy, NY$76,159
Nassau, NY$76,078
Schenectady, NY$76,001
Wilmington, DE$75,941
Burlington, VT$75,836
Salem, OR$75,806
Portland, ME$75,573
Yakima, WA$75,498
Rochester, MN$75,265
Reno, NV$75,228
Fresno, CA$75,228
Milwaukee, WI$75,160
Detroit, MI$75,085
Ann Arbor, MI$75,072
Allentown, PA$75,063
Colorado Springs, CO$74,935
Syracuse, NY$74,897
Carson City, NV$74,897
Houston, TX$74,792
Eugene, OR$74,755
Gary, IN$74,665
Springfield, OR$74,605
Bismarck, ND$74,590
Galveston, TX$74,537
Medford, OR$74,424
Fort Collins, CO$74,394
Concord, NH$74,357
Austin, TX$74,334
Mesa, AZ$74,177
Reading, PA$74,169
Phoenix, AZ$74,162
Dallas, TX$74,139
Saint Cloud, MN$74,067
Madison, WI$73,966
Utica, NY$73,764
Rochester, NY$73,644
Des Moines, IA$73,636
Raleigh, NC$73,629
Atlanta, GA$73,516
Battle Creek, MI$73,493
Salt Lake City, UT$73,471
Lancaster, PA$73,358
Harrisburg, PA$73,253
Kansas City, MO$73,178
Champaign, IL$73,163
Kansas City, KS$73,163
Fort Worth, TX$73,156
Columbus, OH$73,143
Boca Raton, FL$73,126
Pittsburgh, PA$73,096
Richmond, VA$73,066
Indianapolis, IN$73,051
Cleveland, OH$73,043
Las Vegas, NV$72,953
Cincinnati, OH$72,953
Petersburg, VA$72,840
Huntsville, AL$72,728
Lansing, MI$72,677
Lebanon, PA$72,668
Pueblo, CO$72,660
Appleton, WI$72,638
Buffalo, NY$72,608
Dayton, OH$72,585
Racine, WI$72,570
Charlotte, NC$72,563
Saint Louis, MO$72,540
York, PA$72,495
Elkhart, IN$72,495
Gastonia, NC$72,481
Billings, MT$72,463
Beaumont, TX$72,442
Lorain, OH$72,427
Benton Harbor, MI$72,412
Toledo, OH$72,397
Binghamton, NY$72,360
Rock Hill, SC$72,352
Rockford, IL$72,315
Springfield, IL$72,285
Elyria, OH$72,277
Fargo, ND$72,277
Flagstaff, AZ$72,225
Fort Lauderdale, FL$72,180
Duluth, MN$72,135
Miami, FL$72,135
Cheyenne, WY$72,082
Grand Forks, ND$72,082
Bangor, ME$71,917
Cedar Rapids, IA$71,834
Durham, NC$71,803
Louisville, KY$71,797
Grand Rapids, MI$71,782
Hialeah, FL$71,774
Casper, WY$71,669
Scranton, PA$71,579
New Orleans, LA$71,556
Virginia Beach, VA$71,549
Akron, OH$71,511
Peoria, IL$71,414
Sarasota, FL$71,399
Nashville, TN$71,346
Omaha, NE$71,346
Green Bay, WI$71,346
Baton Rouge, LA$71,309
Charleston, SC$71,294
Jamestown, NY$71,256
Davenport, IA$71,256
Tucson, AZ$71,219
Saint Petersburg, FL$71,174
Tampa, FL$71,159
Evansville, IN$71,114
Port Arthur, TX$71,114
Bradenton, FL$71,083
Santa Fe, NM$70,948
Orlando, FL$70,813
Clearwater, FL$70,791
Canton, OH$70,633
La Crosse, WI$70,633
Albuquerque, NM$70,588
Newport News, VA$70,580
High Point, NC$70,558
Ogden, UT$70,528
Corpus Christi, TX$70,468
Norfolk, VA$70,423
Laramie, WY$70,423
Rock Island, IL$70,378
Saginaw, MI$70,363
Jacksonville, FL$70,355
Salisbury, NC$70,340
Boise, ID$70,325
Moline, IL$70,288
Fort Myers, FL$70,265
Memphis, TN$70,250
Tulsa, OK$70,213
Waterloo, IA$70,168
Spartanburg, SC$70,092
Lincoln, NE$70,055
Fort Wayne, IN$70,040
Provo, UT$70,032
Cedar Falls, IA$69,942
San Antonio, TX$69,912
Greensboro, NC$69,882
South Bend, IN$69,875
Savannah, GA$69,792
Muskegon, MI$69,762
Birmingham, AL$69,755
Winston Salem, NC$69,718
Lake Charles, LA$69,537
Anderson, IN$69,522
Lexington, KY$69,499
Augusta, GA$69,477
Greenville, SC$69,477
Lima, OH$69,417
Wichita, KS$69,409
Tuscaloosa, AL$69,409
Columbia, SC$69,342
Springfield, OH$69,327
Asheville, NC$69,207
Bloomington, IN$69,154
Knoxville, TN$68,884
Shreveport, LA$68,876
Wilmington, NC$68,779
Roanoke, VA$68,779
Topeka, KS$68,643
Frankfort, KY$68,635
Oklahoma City, OK$68,583
Chillicothe, OH$68,553
Longview, TX$68,546
Melbourne, FL$68,538
Sioux Falls, SD$68,418
Mobile, AL$68,411
Terre Haute, IN$68,381
Altoona, PA$68,336
Amarillo, TX$68,283
Killeen, TX$68,261
Fayetteville, AR$68,200
Chattanooga, TN$68,178
Sioux City, IA$68,110
Idaho Falls, ID$68,095
Lynchburg, VA$68,035
Gainesville, FL$67,938
Portsmouth, OH$67,900
Little Rock, AR$67,885
Lafayette, LA$67,855
Youngstown, OH$67,855
Daytona Beach, FL$67,810
Clarksville, TN$67,803
Pensacola, FL$67,795
Temple, TX$67,790
Hopkinsville, KY$67,570
Erie, PA$67,555
Florence, SC$67,525
Charleston, WV$67,405
Great Falls, MT$67,367
Macon, GA$67,262
Tallahassee, FL$67,255
Fayetteville, NC$67,239
Waco, TX$67,224
Helena, MT$67,172
Pine Bluff, AR$67,143
Vincennes, IN$67,052
Lubbock, TX$67,022
Alamogordo, NM$66,977
Twin Falls, ID$66,909
Rapid City, SD$66,887
Jackson, MS$66,751
Huntington, WV$66,746
Greenville, MS$66,744
Parkersburg, WV$66,667
Montgomery, AL$66,654
Wichita Falls, TX$66,579
Springfield, MO$66,579
Biloxi, MS$66,541
Monroe, LA$66,466
Johnstown, PA$66,414
Sumter, SC$66,384
Columbus, GA$66,376
Pascagoula, MS$66,233
Abilene, TX$66,233
Kingsport, TN$66,038
Albany, GA$66,038
Gulfport, MS$66,016
Alexandria, LA$65,768
Fort Smith, AR$65,580
El Paso, TX$65,378
Las Cruces, NM$65,040
Harlingen, TX$64,849
Pocatello, ID$64,837
Florence, AL$64,739
Brownsville, TX$64,724
Mcallen, TX$64,567
Dothan, AL$64,462
Columbus, MS$64,016
Altus, OK$63,666
Lawton, OK$63,523
Pierre, SD$63,253
What Skills Can Increase a Freelance Designer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 8.13% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Retail Banking (Mentioned in 2.56% Job Postings): Retail banking, also known as consumer banking, is the provision of services by a bank to the general public, rather than to companies, corporations or other banks, which are often described as wholesale banking. Banking services which are regarded as retail include provision of savings and transactional accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, and credit cards. Retail banking is also distinguished from investment banking or commercial banking. It may also refer to a division or department of a bank which deals with individual customers. In the U.S., the term commercial bank is used for a normal bank to distinguish it from an investment bank. After the Great Depression, the Glass–Steagall Act restricted normal banks to banking activities, and investment banks were limited to engaging capital market activities. That distinction was repealed in the 1990s. Commercial bank can also refer to a bank or a division of a bank that deals mostly with deposits and loans from corporations or large businesses, as opposed to individual members of the public (retail banking).
Commercial Loans (Mentioned in 1.36% Job Postings): A commercial loan is a debt-based funding arrangement between a business and a financial institution such as a bank. It is typically used to fund major capital expenditures and/or cover operational costs that the company may otherwise be unable to afford.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Freelance Designer's salary.
Process Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Continuous Monitoring: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Credit Risk: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Freelance Designer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Freelance Designer roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Financial Services,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Freelance Designer positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Freelance Designer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Freelance Designer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services
$90,093
$43.0
20%
How Education impacts a Freelance Designer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Freelance Designers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Freelance Designer with a Associate's Degree is between
$64,128
and $71,301).
Freelance Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Freelance Designer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Freelance Designer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $59,478 in 2023
to around $58,982 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Freelance Designer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Freelance Designer Over Time
$???
$59,478
$59,370
$58,982
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$59,478
2024
$59,370
2025
$58,982
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Freelance Designer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Freelance Designer
Here are companies hiring for Freelance Designer and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Freelance Designer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Freelance Designer?
The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Freelance Designer roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
