What are the main factors that influence a Design Lead's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Design Lead's salary?

A Design Lead's salary grows with experience: a Product Design Engineer I (0-2 years)earns $79,866, a Design Lead (2-4 years)earns $90,605, a Product Design Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $113,247, a Product Design Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $138,280, a Product Design Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $162,011,

What are the highest paying states for a Design Lead?

Design Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Design Lead roles are District of Columbia $100,959, California $100,576, Massachusetts $99,235. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Design Lead roles make?

Salaries for Design Lead level roles vary by specialization: UX Design Lead: $149,132; Product Design Lead: $146,843; Lead Design Engineer: $138,581; Graphic Design Lead: $119,579; Lead Design Researcher: $118,762.

How do different companies affect a Design Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Design Lead roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Design Lead Salary in the United States

How much does a Design Lead make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Design Lead in the United States is $91,184 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

However, a Design Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $106,217
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,097 to $99,053
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,913

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

Smart Recruiting

AI Onboarding

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Design Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$99,053	$8,254	$1,905	$48
Average	$91,184	$7,599	$1,754	$44
25th Percentile	$81,097	$6,758	$1,560	$39

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Design Lead Job Openings in the United States

Senior Specialist, Electrical Engineering (Harness Design)

L3Harris Technologies - Convoy, OH

Lead, Electrical Engineering (Harness Design)

L3Harris Technologies - Hicksville, OH

Senior Specialist, Electrical Engineering (Harness Design)

L3Harris Technologies - Convoy, OH

Senior Specialist, Electrical Engineering (Harness Design)

L3Harris Technologies - Hicksville, OH

Search More Design Lead Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Design Lead Salaries

A Design Lead'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 Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Design Lead'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $79,866
Early Career (1-2 years): $90,605
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $113,247
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $138,280
Expert (over 8 years): $162,011

Levels	Salary
Product D... Level Design Lead	$79,866
Design Le... Level Design Lead	$90,605
Product D... Level Design Lead	$113,247
Product D... Level Design Lead	$138,280
Product D... Level Design Lead	$162,011

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Design Lead 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 Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $100,959.
California: $100,576.
Massachusetts: $99,235.

District of Columbia $100,959 California $100,576 Massachusetts $99,235 Washington $98,870 New Jersey $98,834 Alaska $98,706 Connecticut $97,448 New York $96,937

Hawaii $95,305 Rhode Island $94,539 Maryland $94,020 Minnesota $93,308 Colorado $93,035 Illinois $92,944 Oregon $92,597 Delaware $92,342

New Hampshire $92,181 Virginia $91,822 Pennsylvania $90,773 Nevada $90,245 North Dakota $90,071 Michigan $89,798 Wisconsin $89,697 Vermont $89,497

Texas $88,941 Maine $88,904 Arizona $88,849 Ohio $88,786 Georgia $87,947 Indiana $87,527 Wyoming $87,445 Utah $87,318

Iowa $87,263 Kansas $86,825 Louisiana $86,697 North Carolina $86,652 Missouri $86,634 Florida $86,278 Montana $86,087 Nebraska $85,904

Kentucky $85,804 South Carolina $85,439 Tennessee $85,211 Idaho $85,120 New Mexico $84,454 Oklahoma $84,308 Alabama $83,770 South Dakota $82,868

Arkansas $82,375 West Virginia $82,111 Mississippi $81,318

Top Paying Cities for Design Leads

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: $115,010
San Francisco: $113,751
Oakland: $111,354

San Jose, CA $115,010

San Francisco, CA $113,751

Oakland, CA $111,354

New York, NY $104,988

Paramus, NJ $103,711

Queens Village, NY $103,707

Passaic, NJ $103,620

Bergenfield, NJ $103,612

Stamford, CT $103,411

Huntington, NY $103,374

Newark, NJ $102,700

Bridgeport, CT $102,508

Vallejo, CA $102,326

New Brunswick, NJ $102,290

Petaluma, CA $102,235

Middlesex, NJ $102,062

Somerset, NJ $101,998

Santa Cruz, CA $101,880

Boston, MA $101,323

Monterey, CA $101,003

Seattle, WA $100,794

Santa Rosa, CA $100,776

Los Angeles, CA $100,749

Juneau, AK $100,512

Washington, DC $100,411

Orange, CA $100,087

Santa Ana, CA $99,846

Long Beach, CA $99,755

Anaheim, CA $99,737

Anchorage, AK $99,691

Santa Maria, CA $99,418

Everett, WA $99,399

Danbury, CT $99,078

Bremerton, WA $98,953

Tacoma, WA $98,624

New Suffolk, NY $98,622

Sacramento, CA $98,597

Santa Barbara, CA $98,497

Trenton, NJ $98,396

San Diego, CA $98,396

Brockton, MA $98,296

Fairbanks, AK $98,073

Lompoc, CA $97,840

Lowell, MA $97,766

Ventura, CA $97,749

Nashua, NH $97,731

Stockton, CA $97,722

Modesto, CA $97,056

Poughkeepsie, NY $96,855

Olympia, WA $96,682

Kennewick, WA $96,682

New Haven, CT $96,646

Lawrence, MA $96,317

Hartford, CT $96,226

Riverside, CA $96,208

New Bedford, MA $96,117

Richland, WA $96,117

Bakersfield, CA $95,989

San Bernardino, CA $95,953

New Britain, CT $95,943

Atlantic City, NJ $95,943

New London, CT $95,907

Norwich, CT $95,880

Portsmouth, NH $95,861

Boulder, CO $95,668

Portland, OR $95,542

Worcester, MA $95,533

Minneapolis, MN $95,250

Philadelphia, PA $95,123

Honolulu, HI $94,822

Saint Paul, MN $94,778

Vineland, NJ $94,758

Providence, RI $94,494

Chicago, IL $94,229

Bellingham, WA $94,120

Springfield, MA $94,047

Baltimore, MD $94,020

Chico, CA $93,792

Pittsfield, MA $93,545

Manchester, NH $93,372

Spokane, WA $92,971

Denver, CO $92,962

Albany, NY $92,533

Troy, NY $92,497

Nassau, NY $92,399

Schenectady, NY $92,305

Wilmington, DE $92,232

Burlington, VT $92,105

Salem, OR $92,068

Portland, ME $91,786

Yakima, WA $91,694

Rochester, MN $91,412

Reno, NV $91,366

Fresno, CA $91,366

Milwaukee, WI $91,284

Detroit, MI $91,193

Ann Arbor, MI $91,177

Allentown, PA $91,165

Colorado Springs, CO $91,010

Syracuse, NY $90,965

Carson City, NV $90,965

Houston, TX $90,837

Eugene, OR $90,792

Gary, IN $90,682

Springfield, OR $90,609

Bismarck, ND $90,591

Galveston, TX $90,527

Medford, OR $90,390

Fort Collins, CO $90,354

Concord, NH $90,308

Austin, TX $90,281

Mesa, AZ $90,089

Reading, PA $90,080

Phoenix, AZ $90,071

Dallas, TX $90,044

Saint Cloud, MN $89,956

Madison, WI $89,834

Utica, NY $89,588

Rochester, NY $89,442

Des Moines, IA $89,433

Raleigh, NC $89,424

Atlanta, GA $89,287

Battle Creek, MI $89,260

Salt Lake City, UT $89,232

Lancaster, PA $89,096

Harrisburg, PA $88,968

Kansas City, MO $88,877

Champaign, IL $88,859

Kansas City, KS $88,859

Fort Worth, TX $88,849

Columbus, OH $88,834

Boca Raton, FL $88,813

Pittsburgh, PA $88,776

Richmond, VA $88,740

Indianapolis, IN $88,722

Cleveland, OH $88,713

Las Vegas, NV $88,603

Cincinnati, OH $88,603

Petersburg, VA $88,466

Huntsville, AL $88,330

Lansing, MI $88,269

Lebanon, PA $88,257

Pueblo, CO $88,248

Appleton, WI $88,220

Buffalo, NY $88,184

Dayton, OH $88,156

Racine, WI $88,138

Charlotte, NC $88,129

Saint Louis, MO $88,102

York, PA $88,047

Elkhart, IN $88,047

Gastonia, NC $88,030

Billings, MT $88,008

Beaumont, TX $87,983

Lorain, OH $87,965

Benton Harbor, MI $87,947

Toledo, OH $87,928

Binghamton, NY $87,883

Rock Hill, SC $87,874

Rockford, IL $87,828

Springfield, IL $87,792

Elyria, OH $87,783

Fargo, ND $87,783

Flagstaff, AZ $87,719

Fort Lauderdale, FL $87,664

Duluth, MN $87,609

Miami, FL $87,609

Cheyenne, WY $87,545

Grand Forks, ND $87,545

Bangor, ME $87,345

Cedar Rapids, IA $87,245

Durham, NC $87,206

Louisville, KY $87,199

Grand Rapids, MI $87,181

Hialeah, FL $87,172

Casper, WY $87,044

Scranton, PA $86,935

New Orleans, LA $86,907

Virginia Beach, VA $86,898

Akron, OH $86,852

Peoria, IL $86,734

Sarasota, FL $86,716

Nashville, TN $86,652

Omaha, NE $86,652

Green Bay, WI $86,652

Baton Rouge, LA $86,606

Charleston, SC $86,588

Jamestown, NY $86,542

Davenport, IA $86,542

Tucson, AZ $86,497

Saint Petersburg, FL $86,442

Tampa, FL $86,424

Evansville, IN $86,369

Port Arthur, TX $86,369

Bradenton, FL $86,333

Santa Fe, NM $86,169

Orlando, FL $86,004

Clearwater, FL $85,977

Canton, OH $85,786

La Crosse, WI $85,786

Albuquerque, NM $85,731

Newport News, VA $85,722

High Point, NC $85,694

Ogden, UT $85,658

Corpus Christi, TX $85,585

Norfolk, VA $85,530

Laramie, WY $85,530

Rock Island, IL $85,476

Saginaw, MI $85,457

Jacksonville, FL $85,448

Salisbury, NC $85,430

Boise, ID $85,412

Moline, IL $85,366

Fort Myers, FL $85,339

Memphis, TN $85,321

Tulsa, OK $85,275

Waterloo, IA $85,220

Spartanburg, SC $85,129

Lincoln, NE $85,084

Fort Wayne, IN $85,065

Provo, UT $85,056

Cedar Falls, IA $84,947

San Antonio, TX $84,910

Greensboro, NC $84,874

South Bend, IN $84,865

Savannah, GA $84,764

Muskegon, MI $84,728

Birmingham, AL $84,719

Winston Salem, NC $84,674

Lake Charles, LA $84,454

Anderson, IN $84,436

Lexington, KY $84,409

Augusta, GA $84,381

Greenville, SC $84,381

Lima, OH $84,308

Wichita, KS $84,299

Tuscaloosa, AL $84,299

Columbia, SC $84,217

Springfield, OH $84,199

Asheville, NC $84,053

Bloomington, IN $83,989

Knoxville, TN $83,661

Shreveport, LA $83,652

Wilmington, NC $83,533

Roanoke, VA $83,533

Topeka, KS $83,369

Frankfort, KY $83,359

Oklahoma City, OK $83,296

Chillicothe, OH $83,260

Longview, TX $83,251

Melbourne, FL $83,242

Sioux Falls, SD $83,096

Mobile, AL $83,087

Terre Haute, IN $83,050

Altoona, PA $82,995

Amarillo, TX $82,932

Killeen, TX $82,904

Fayetteville, AR $82,831

Chattanooga, TN $82,804

Sioux City, IA $82,722

Idaho Falls, ID $82,704

Lynchburg, VA $82,631

Gainesville, FL $82,512

Portsmouth, OH $82,467

Little Rock, AR $82,448

Lafayette, LA $82,412

Youngstown, OH $82,412

Daytona Beach, FL $82,357

Clarksville, TN $82,348

Pensacola, FL $82,339

Temple, TX $82,332

Hopkinsville, KY $82,065

Erie, PA $82,047

Florence, SC $82,011

Charleston, WV $81,865

Great Falls, MT $81,819

Macon, GA $81,691

Tallahassee, FL $81,682

Fayetteville, NC $81,664

Waco, TX $81,646

Helena, MT $81,582

Pine Bluff, AR $81,547

Vincennes, IN $81,436

Lubbock, TX $81,400

Alamogordo, NM $81,345

Twin Falls, ID $81,263

Rapid City, SD $81,236

Jackson, MS $81,071

Huntington, WV $81,065

Greenville, MS $81,062

Parkersburg, WV $80,969

Montgomery, AL $80,953

Wichita Falls, TX $80,862

Springfield, MO $80,862

Biloxi, MS $80,816

Monroe, LA $80,725

Johnstown, PA $80,661

Sumter, SC $80,625

Columbus, GA $80,616

Pascagoula, MS $80,442

Abilene, TX $80,442

Kingsport, TN $80,205

Albany, GA $80,205

Gulfport, MS $80,178

Alexandria, LA $79,877

Fort Smith, AR $79,649

El Paso, TX $79,403

Las Cruces, NM $78,992

Harlingen, TX $78,761

Pocatello, ID $78,746

Florence, AL $78,628

Brownsville, TX $78,609

Mcallen, TX $78,418

Dothan, AL $78,290

Columbus, MS $77,749

Altus, OK $77,324

Lawton, OK $77,151

Pierre, SD $76,822

What Skills Can Increase a Design Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Collaboration (Mentioned in 4.33% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
Agile (Mentioned in 2.55% Job Postings): Agile is a development process where feedback is continuously gathered from users to create the best user experience.
Design Thinking (Mentioned in 1.75% Job Postings): Developing software solutions to understand and target customer needs in a repetitive process.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Collaboration	4.33%
Agile	2.55%
Design Thinking	1.75%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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 Lead's salary.

Storytelling: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Product Strategy: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Information Architecture: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Storytelling	$99,390	9%
Product Strategy	$99,390	9%
Information Architecture	$99,390	9%
Product Management	$98,478	8%
Collaborating	$98,478	8%
Product Engineering	$97,567	7%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Design Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Design Leads enter the field with a Bachelor'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 Lead with a Bachelor's Degree is between $88,377 and $92,682).

Design Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Design Lead

No Diploma 0.3%

High School 4.4%

Associates 7.7%

Bachelors 51.7%

Masters 31.5%

Doctorate 4.4%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.3%
High School	4.4%
Associates	7.7%
Bachelors	51.7%
Masters	31.5%
Doctorate	4.4%

view as graph

Design Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Design Lead'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.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$81,097

Average $91,184/year

$99,053

$6,758

Average $7,599/month

$8,254

$1,560

Average $1,754/week

$1,905

$39

Average $44/hour

$48

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$99,053	$8,254	$1,905	$48
Average	$91,184	$7,599	$1,754	$44
25th Percentile	$81,097	$6,758	$1,560	$39

Salaries of jobs related to Design Lead

Salary Trends for Design Lead

Salaries for a Design Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $100,978 in 2023 to around $98,812 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Design Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Design Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$100,978

2024

$100,231

2025

$98,812

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$100,978
2024	$100,231
2025	$98,812
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Design Lead

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Biotechnology

the United States

Find Your Next Design Lead Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Design Lead job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about