How much does a Design Associate make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Design Associate in the United States is $84,704 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.
However, a Design Associate's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $101,127
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,805 to $93,300
Key Factors That Influence Design Associate Salaries
A Design Associate's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Design Associate Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Design Associate's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Design Associate 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 Design Associates. 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: $106,837
San Francisco: $105,667
Oakland: $103,440
San Jose, CA$106,837
San Francisco, CA$105,667
Oakland, CA$103,440
New York, NY$97,527
Paramus, NJ$96,341
Queens Village, NY$96,337
Passaic, NJ$96,256
Bergenfield, NJ$96,249
Stamford, CT$96,062
Huntington, NY$96,028
Newark, NJ$95,402
Bridgeport, CT$95,223
Vallejo, CA$95,054
New Brunswick, NJ$95,020
Petaluma, CA$94,970
Middlesex, NJ$94,809
Somerset, NJ$94,749
Santa Cruz, CA$94,639
Boston, MA$94,123
Monterey, CA$93,825
Seattle, WA$93,631
Santa Rosa, CA$93,614
Los Angeles, CA$93,589
Juneau, AK$93,369
Washington, DC$93,276
Orange, CA$92,974
Santa Ana, CA$92,750
Long Beach, CA$92,666
Anaheim, CA$92,649
Anchorage, AK$92,606
Santa Maria, CA$92,352
Everett, WA$92,335
Danbury, CT$92,037
Bremerton, WA$91,920
Tacoma, WA$91,615
New Suffolk, NY$91,614
Sacramento, CA$91,590
Santa Barbara, CA$91,497
Trenton, NJ$91,404
San Diego, CA$91,404
Brockton, MA$91,310
Fairbanks, AK$91,103
Lompoc, CA$90,887
Lowell, MA$90,818
Ventura, CA$90,802
Nashua, NH$90,785
Stockton, CA$90,777
Modesto, CA$90,159
Poughkeepsie, NY$89,972
Olympia, WA$89,811
Kennewick, WA$89,811
New Haven, CT$89,777
Lawrence, MA$89,472
Hartford, CT$89,388
Riverside, CA$89,371
New Bedford, MA$89,286
Richland, WA$89,286
Bakersfield, CA$89,167
San Bernardino, CA$89,134
New Britain, CT$89,125
Atlantic City, NJ$89,125
New London, CT$89,091
Norwich, CT$89,066
Portsmouth, NH$89,049
Boulder, CO$88,869
Portland, OR$88,752
Worcester, MA$88,744
Minneapolis, MN$88,481
Philadelphia, PA$88,363
Honolulu, HI$88,083
Saint Paul, MN$88,043
Vineland, NJ$88,024
Providence, RI$87,778
Chicago, IL$87,533
Bellingham, WA$87,431
Springfield, MA$87,363
Baltimore, MD$87,338
Chico, CA$87,126
Pittsfield, MA$86,897
Manchester, NH$86,736
Spokane, WA$86,364
Denver, CO$86,355
Albany, NY$85,957
Troy, NY$85,923
Nassau, NY$85,833
Schenectady, NY$85,745
Wilmington, DE$85,678
Burlington, VT$85,559
Salem, OR$85,525
Portland, ME$85,263
Yakima, WA$85,178
Rochester, MN$84,915
Reno, NV$84,873
Fresno, CA$84,873
Milwaukee, WI$84,797
Detroit, MI$84,712
Ann Arbor, MI$84,698
Allentown, PA$84,687
Colorado Springs, CO$84,543
Syracuse, NY$84,500
Carson City, NV$84,500
Houston, TX$84,382
Eugene, OR$84,339
Gary, IN$84,238
Springfield, OR$84,170
Bismarck, ND$84,153
Galveston, TX$84,094
Medford, OR$83,967
Fort Collins, CO$83,933
Concord, NH$83,890
Austin, TX$83,865
Mesa, AZ$83,687
Reading, PA$83,679
Phoenix, AZ$83,670
Dallas, TX$83,645
Saint Cloud, MN$83,563
Madison, WI$83,450
Utica, NY$83,221
Rochester, NY$83,086
Des Moines, IA$83,077
Raleigh, NC$83,069
Atlanta, GA$82,942
Battle Creek, MI$82,916
Salt Lake City, UT$82,891
Lancaster, PA$82,764
Harrisburg, PA$82,645
Kansas City, MO$82,561
Champaign, IL$82,544
Kansas City, KS$82,544
Fort Worth, TX$82,535
Columbus, OH$82,521
Boca Raton, FL$82,501
Pittsburgh, PA$82,467
Richmond, VA$82,434
Indianapolis, IN$82,417
Cleveland, OH$82,408
Las Vegas, NV$82,306
Cincinnati, OH$82,306
Petersburg, VA$82,179
Huntsville, AL$82,052
Lansing, MI$81,996
Lebanon, PA$81,985
Pueblo, CO$81,976
Appleton, WI$81,951
Buffalo, NY$81,917
Dayton, OH$81,891
Racine, WI$81,874
Charlotte, NC$81,866
Saint Louis, MO$81,841
York, PA$81,790
Elkhart, IN$81,790
Gastonia, NC$81,774
Billings, MT$81,753
Beaumont, TX$81,731
Lorain, OH$81,714
Benton Harbor, MI$81,697
Toledo, OH$81,680
Binghamton, NY$81,637
Rock Hill, SC$81,629
Rockford, IL$81,587
Springfield, IL$81,553
Elyria, OH$81,544
Fargo, ND$81,544
Flagstaff, AZ$81,485
Fort Lauderdale, FL$81,434
Duluth, MN$81,383
Miami, FL$81,383
Cheyenne, WY$81,324
Grand Forks, ND$81,324
Bangor, ME$81,138
Cedar Rapids, IA$81,044
Durham, NC$81,009
Louisville, KY$81,002
Grand Rapids, MI$80,985
Hialeah, FL$80,977
Casper, WY$80,858
Scranton, PA$80,756
New Orleans, LA$80,731
Virginia Beach, VA$80,723
Akron, OH$80,680
Peoria, IL$80,570
Sarasota, FL$80,553
Nashville, TN$80,494
Omaha, NE$80,494
Green Bay, WI$80,494
Baton Rouge, LA$80,451
Charleston, SC$80,435
Jamestown, NY$80,392
Davenport, IA$80,392
Tucson, AZ$80,350
Saint Petersburg, FL$80,299
Tampa, FL$80,282
Evansville, IN$80,231
Port Arthur, TX$80,231
Bradenton, FL$80,197
Santa Fe, NM$80,045
Orlando, FL$79,892
Clearwater, FL$79,867
Canton, OH$79,689
La Crosse, WI$79,689
Albuquerque, NM$79,638
Newport News, VA$79,630
High Point, NC$79,604
Ogden, UT$79,571
Corpus Christi, TX$79,503
Norfolk, VA$79,452
Laramie, WY$79,452
Rock Island, IL$79,401
Saginaw, MI$79,384
Jacksonville, FL$79,376
Salisbury, NC$79,359
Boise, ID$79,342
Moline, IL$79,300
Fort Myers, FL$79,274
Memphis, TN$79,257
Tulsa, OK$79,215
Waterloo, IA$79,164
Spartanburg, SC$79,079
Lincoln, NE$79,037
Fort Wayne, IN$79,020
Provo, UT$79,012
Cedar Falls, IA$78,910
San Antonio, TX$78,876
Greensboro, NC$78,842
South Bend, IN$78,834
Savannah, GA$78,740
Muskegon, MI$78,707
Birmingham, AL$78,698
Winston Salem, NC$78,657
Lake Charles, LA$78,452
Anderson, IN$78,436
Lexington, KY$78,410
Augusta, GA$78,385
Greenville, SC$78,385
Lima, OH$78,317
Wichita, KS$78,308
Tuscaloosa, AL$78,308
Columbia, SC$78,232
Springfield, OH$78,215
Asheville, NC$78,080
Bloomington, IN$78,020
Knoxville, TN$77,716
Shreveport, LA$77,707
Wilmington, NC$77,597
Roanoke, VA$77,597
Topeka, KS$77,445
Frankfort, KY$77,435
Oklahoma City, OK$77,377
Chillicothe, OH$77,343
Longview, TX$77,334
Melbourne, FL$77,326
Sioux Falls, SD$77,190
Mobile, AL$77,182
Terre Haute, IN$77,148
Altoona, PA$77,097
Amarillo, TX$77,038
Killeen, TX$77,013
Fayetteville, AR$76,945
Chattanooga, TN$76,919
Sioux City, IA$76,843
Idaho Falls, ID$76,826
Lynchburg, VA$76,758
Gainesville, FL$76,648
Portsmouth, OH$76,606
Little Rock, AR$76,589
Lafayette, LA$76,555
Youngstown, OH$76,555
Daytona Beach, FL$76,504
Clarksville, TN$76,496
Pensacola, FL$76,487
Temple, TX$76,481
Hopkinsville, KY$76,233
Erie, PA$76,216
Florence, SC$76,182
Charleston, WV$76,047
Great Falls, MT$76,005
Macon, GA$75,886
Tallahassee, FL$75,877
Fayetteville, NC$75,861
Waco, TX$75,844
Helena, MT$75,784
Pine Bluff, AR$75,752
Vincennes, IN$75,649
Lubbock, TX$75,615
Alamogordo, NM$75,564
Twin Falls, ID$75,488
Rapid City, SD$75,462
Jackson, MS$75,310
Huntington, WV$75,304
Greenville, MS$75,302
Parkersburg, WV$75,215
Montgomery, AL$75,200
Wichita Falls, TX$75,115
Springfield, MO$75,115
Biloxi, MS$75,073
Monroe, LA$74,988
Johnstown, PA$74,929
Sumter, SC$74,895
Columbus, GA$74,886
Pascagoula, MS$74,726
Abilene, TX$74,726
Kingsport, TN$74,505
Albany, GA$74,505
Gulfport, MS$74,480
Alexandria, LA$74,200
Fort Smith, AR$73,989
El Paso, TX$73,760
Las Cruces, NM$73,379
Harlingen, TX$73,164
Pocatello, ID$73,150
Florence, AL$73,040
Brownsville, TX$73,023
Mcallen, TX$72,845
Dothan, AL$72,727
Columbus, MS$72,223
Altus, OK$71,829
Lawton, OK$71,668
Pierre, SD$71,363
What Skills Can Increase a Design Associate's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Presentation (Mentioned in 4.5% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
Typography (Mentioned in 2.94% Job Postings): Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing (leading), and letter-spacing (tracking), and adjusting the space between pairs of letters (kerning). The term typography is also applied to the style, arrangement, and appearance of the letters, numbers, and symbols created by the process. Type design is a closely related craft, sometimes considered part of typography; most typographers do not design typefaces, and some type designers do not consider themselves typographers. Typography also may be used as a decorative device, unrelated to communication of information. Typography is the work of typesetters (also known as compositors), typographers, graphic designers, art directors, manga artists, comic book artists, graffiti artists, and, now, anyone who arranges words, letters, numbers, and symbols for publication, display, or distribution, from clerical workers and newsletter writers to anyone self-publishing materials. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of previously unrelated designers and lay users. As the capability to create typography has become ubiquitous, the application of principles and best practices developed over generations of skilled workers and professionals has diminished. So at a time when scientific techniques can support the proven traditions (e.g., greater legibility with the use of serifs, upper and lower case, contrast, etc.) through understanding the limitations of human vision, typography as often encountered may fail to achieve its principal objective: effective communication.
HTML (Mentioned in 1.82% Job Postings): A computer language that used in creating, updating and maintaining text, graphics and links in a website.
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 Design Associate's salary.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Storytelling: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Design Associate Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Design Associate roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Design Associate positions in Telecom or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Design Associate as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Design Associate
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$110,115
$53.0
30%
Financial Services
$101,644
$49.0
20%
Healthcare
$97,409
$47.0
15%
Biotechnology
$94,868
$46.0
12%
Insurance
$91,480
$44.0
8%
How Education impacts a Design Associate's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Design Associates 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 Design Associate with a Associate's Degree is between
$83,303
and $88,091).
Design Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Design Associate'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 Design Associate can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $87,697 in 2023
to around $85,667 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Design Associate salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Design Associate Over Time
$???
$87,697
$86,904
$85,667
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$87,697
2024
$86,904
2025
$85,667
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Design Associate
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Design Associate
Here are companies hiring for Design Associate and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Design Associate
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Design Associate?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Design Associate roles,
with salaries approximately 30% 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.
