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

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

How does experience change a Lead Designer's salary?

A Lead Designer's salary grows with experience: starting around $105,242 for beginners, reaching about $107,153 at mid-level, and approach $111,570 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Designer?

Lead Designer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Designer roles are District of Columbia $121,180, California $120,720, Massachusetts $119,111. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Designer roles make?

Salaries for Lead Designer level roles vary by specialization: Lead Visual Designer: $164,741; Electrical Lead Designer: $152,314; Lead Product Designer: $135,134; Lead Web Designer: $132,523; Fashion Designer Lead: $125,440.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Designer 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.

Lead Designer Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Designer in the United States is $109,447 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $53.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $123,239
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $99,951 to $116,666
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $91,305

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Lead Designer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$116,666	$9,722	$2,244	$56
Average	$109,447	$9,121	$2,105	$53
25th Percentile	$99,951	$8,329	$1,922	$48

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Designer Salaries

A Lead Designer'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 Lead Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Designer'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): $105,242
Early Career (1-2 years): $105,683
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $107,153
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $110,190
Expert (over 8 years): $111,570

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Lead Designer	$105,242
Intermediate Level Lead Designer	$105,683
Senior Level Lead Designer	$107,153
Specialist Level Lead Designer	$110,190
Expert Level Lead Designer	$111,570

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $121,180.
California: $120,720.
Massachusetts: $119,111.

District of Columbia $121,180 California $120,720 Massachusetts $119,111 Washington $118,673 New Jersey $118,630 Alaska $118,476 Connecticut $116,966 New York $116,353

Hawaii $114,394 Rhode Island $113,475 Maryland $112,851 Minnesota $111,997 Colorado $111,669 Illinois $111,559 Oregon $111,143 Delaware $110,837

New Hampshire $110,644 Virginia $110,213 Pennsylvania $108,954 Nevada $108,320 North Dakota $108,112 Michigan $107,783 Wisconsin $107,663 Vermont $107,422

Texas $106,755 Maine $106,711 Arizona $106,645 Ohio $106,569 Georgia $105,562 Indiana $105,058 Wyoming $104,960 Utah $104,806

Iowa $104,741 Kansas $104,215 Louisiana $104,062 North Carolina $104,007 Missouri $103,986 Florida $103,559 Montana $103,329 Nebraska $103,110

Kentucky $102,990 South Carolina $102,552 Tennessee $102,278 Idaho $102,169 New Mexico $101,370 Oklahoma $101,195 Alabama $100,549 South Dakota $99,465

Arkansas $98,874 West Virginia $98,557 Mississippi $97,605

Top Paying Cities for Lead Designers

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: $138,046
San Francisco: $136,688
Oakland: $133,657

San Jose, CA $138,046

San Francisco, CA $136,688

Oakland, CA $133,657

New York, NY $126,838

Queens Village, NY $126,017

Paramus, NJ $125,142

Passaic, NJ $125,032

Bergenfield, NJ $124,923

Stamford, CT $124,759

Huntington, NY $124,649

Newark, NJ $123,938

Bridgeport, CT $123,719

New Brunswick, NJ $123,358

Vallejo, CA $123,128

Middlesex, NJ $123,062

Somerset, NJ $122,964

Petaluma, CA $122,712

Santa Cruz, CA $122,285

Boston, MA $122,066

Monterey, CA $121,519

Fairbanks, AK $121,442

Los Angeles, CA $121,234

Washington, DC $121,180

Seattle, WA $120,983

Santa Rosa, CA $120,961

Juneau, AK $120,643

Orange, CA $120,282

Anchorage, AK $120,085

Anaheim, CA $120,009

Santa Ana, CA $119,844

Nassau, NY $119,779

Long Beach, CA $119,735

Danbury, CT $119,702

Santa Maria, CA $119,330

Everett, WA $119,308

Bremerton, WA $118,772

Trenton, NJ $118,564

Sacramento, CA $118,520

San Diego, CA $118,465

Brockton, MA $118,422

Tacoma, WA $118,378

Santa Barbara, CA $118,225

Lowell, MA $117,787

New Suffolk, NY $117,743

Nashua, NH $117,612

Lompoc, CA $117,437

Ventura, CA $117,327

Stockton, CA $117,294

New Haven, CT $117,075

Atlantic City, NJ $116,791

Hartford, CT $116,550

Modesto, CA $116,495

Poughkeepsie, NY $116,255

New Britain, CT $116,200

Olympia, WA $116,047

Kennewick, WA $116,047

New London, CT $116,025

Norwich, CT $115,992

Lawrence, MA $115,937

Bakersfield, CA $115,631

Riverside, CA $115,478

New Bedford, MA $115,478

Richland, WA $115,368

Portsmouth, NH $115,281

Vineland, NJ $115,259

San Bernardino, CA $115,171

Boulder, CO $114,865

Worcester, MA $114,777

Portland, OR $114,679

Saint Paul, MN $114,547

Minneapolis, MN $114,547

Philadelphia, PA $114,394

Honolulu, HI $113,814

Springfield, MA $113,431

Providence, RI $113,420

Chicago, IL $113,103

Bellingham, WA $112,971

Baltimore, MD $112,851

Chico, CA $112,577

Wilmington, DE $112,391

Pittsfield, MA $112,282

Manchester, NH $112,074

Spokane, WA $111,592

Denver, CO $111,581

Albany, NY $111,067

Troy, NY $111,023

Schenectady, NY $110,793

Burlington, VT $110,552

Portland, ME $110,169

Salem, OR $110,082

Yakima, WA $110,060

Ann Arbor, MI $110,027

Rochester, MN $109,721

Fresno, CA $109,666

Reno, NV $109,666

Milwaukee, WI $109,567

Detroit, MI $109,458

Allentown, PA $109,425

Carson City, NV $109,414

Houston, TX $109,250

Colorado Springs, CO $109,239

Syracuse, NY $109,184

Eugene, OR $108,976

Bismarck, ND $108,845

Gary, IN $108,845

Galveston, TX $108,845

Springfield, OR $108,757

Medford, OR $108,495

Fort Collins, CO $108,451

Austin, TX $108,363

Mesa, AZ $108,134

Phoenix, AZ $108,112

Dallas, TX $108,079

Reading, PA $108,013

Saint Cloud, MN $107,969

Concord, NH $107,871

Madison, WI $107,827

Utica, NY $107,532

Raleigh, NC $107,444

Las Vegas, NV $107,433

Rochester, NY $107,357

Des Moines, IA $107,346

Atlanta, GA $107,171

Battle Creek, MI $107,138

Salt Lake City, UT $107,105

Lancaster, PA $106,941

Champaign, IL $106,919

Harrisburg, PA $106,787

Durham, NC $106,689

Kansas City, MO $106,678

Kansas City, KS $106,656

Fort Worth, TX $106,645

Boca Raton, FL $106,601

Cleveland, OH $106,590

Columbus, OH $106,569

Pittsburgh, PA $106,558

Richmond, VA $106,514

Indianapolis, IN $106,492

Cincinnati, OH $106,350

Petersburg, VA $106,185

Billings, MT $105,945

Lansing, MI $105,945

Huntsville, AL $105,945

Lebanon, PA $105,934

Dayton, OH $105,923

Pueblo, CO $105,923

Appleton, WI $105,890

Buffalo, NY $105,846

Racine, WI $105,791

Charlotte, NC $105,781

Saint Louis, MO $105,748

Springfield, IL $105,704

Elkhart, IN $105,682

York, PA $105,682

Gastonia, NC $105,671

Benton Harbor, MI $105,671

Beaumont, TX $105,605

Lorain, OH $105,584

Toledo, OH $105,540

Binghamton, NY $105,485

Rock Hill, SC $105,474

Rockford, IL $105,419

Fargo, ND $105,365

Elyria, OH $105,365

Flagstaff, AZ $105,288

Fort Lauderdale, FL $105,222

Miami, FL $105,157

Duluth, MN $104,982

Bangor, ME $104,839

Cedar Rapids, IA $104,719

Louisville, KY $104,664

Grand Rapids, MI $104,642

Hialeah, FL $104,631

Casper, WY $104,478

Scranton, PA $104,347

New Orleans, LA $104,314

Virginia Beach, VA $104,303

Akron, OH $104,248

Peoria, IL $104,106

Sarasota, FL $104,084

Green Bay, WI $104,007

Baton Rouge, LA $103,953

Charleston, SC $103,931

Nashville, TN $103,898

Jamestown, NY $103,876

Davenport, IA $103,876

Tucson, AZ $103,821

Cheyenne, WY $103,789

Saint Petersburg, FL $103,756

Tampa, FL $103,734

Omaha, NE $103,712

Port Arthur, TX $103,668

Evansville, IN $103,668

Bradenton, FL $103,624

Santa Fe, NM $103,427

Orlando, FL $103,318

Clearwater, FL $103,198

Canton, OH $102,968

La Crosse, WI $102,968

Grand Forks, ND $102,935

Albuquerque, NM $102,902

Tulsa, OK $102,902

Newport News, VA $102,891

High Point, NC $102,858

Ogden, UT $102,815

Corpus Christi, TX $102,727

Laramie, WY $102,661

Norfolk, VA $102,661

Rock Island, IL $102,596

Saginaw, MI $102,574

Jacksonville, FL $102,563

Salisbury, NC $102,541

Memphis, TN $102,519

Moline, IL $102,464

Fort Myers, FL $102,431

Waterloo, IA $102,289

Spartanburg, SC $102,180

Lincoln, NE $102,125

Fort Wayne, IN $102,103

Birmingham, AL $101,983

Cedar Falls, IA $101,961

Provo, UT $101,950

Springfield, OH $101,939

San Antonio, TX $101,917

Greensboro, NC $101,873

South Bend, IN $101,862

Winston Salem, NC $101,851

Boise, ID $101,819

Savannah, GA $101,742

Muskegon, MI $101,545

Lima, OH $101,414

Lake Charles, LA $101,370

Anderson, IN $101,348

Lexington, KY $101,315

Augusta, GA $101,282

Greenville, SC $101,282

Wichita, KS $101,184

Tuscaloosa, AL $101,184

Columbia, SC $101,085

Bloomington, IN $100,812

Roanoke, VA $100,746

Asheville, NC $100,604

Knoxville, TN $100,418

Shreveport, LA $100,407

Wilmington, NC $100,264

Frankfort, KY $100,056

Oklahoma City, OK $99,980

Chillicothe, OH $99,936

Longview, TX $99,925

Topeka, KS $99,892

Mobile, AL $99,728

Terre Haute, IN $99,684

Erie, PA $99,673

Altoona, PA $99,619

Melbourne, FL $99,586

Amarillo, TX $99,542

Killeen, TX $99,509

Fayetteville, AR $99,422

Sioux Falls, SD $99,345

Chattanooga, TN $99,279

Idaho Falls, ID $99,268

Gainesville, FL $99,039

Portsmouth, OH $98,984

Little Rock, AR $98,962

Lynchburg, VA $98,962

Lafayette, LA $98,918

Youngstown, OH $98,918

Temple, TX $98,874

Daytona Beach, FL $98,853

Clarksville, TN $98,842

Pensacola, FL $98,831

Hopkinsville, KY $98,502

Charleston, WV $98,491

Florence, SC $98,437

Sioux City, IA $98,371

Macon, GA $98,054

Tallahassee, FL $98,043

Fayetteville, NC $98,021

Waco, TX $97,999

Wichita Falls, TX $97,999

Pine Bluff, AR $97,955

Vincennes, IN $97,747

Lubbock, TX $97,703

Great Falls, MT $97,638

Alamogordo, NM $97,627

Abilene, TX $97,539

Rapid City, SD $97,397

Monroe, LA $97,397

Albany, GA $97,331

Huntington, WV $97,320

Jackson, MS $97,309

Greenville, MS $97,298

Parkersburg, WV $97,189

Montgomery, AL $97,167

Johnstown, PA $97,145

Springfield, MO $97,058

Biloxi, MS $97,003

Sumter, SC $96,773

Columbus, GA $96,762

Twin Falls, ID $96,696

Pascagoula, MS $96,554

Kingsport, TN $96,270

Gulfport, MS $96,237

Alexandria, LA $95,876

Fort Smith, AR $95,602

El Paso, TX $95,306

Helena, MT $95,164

Las Cruces, NM $94,814

Harlingen, TX $94,507

Pocatello, ID $94,409

Florence, AL $94,376

Brownsville, TX $94,354

Dothan, AL $94,179

Mcallen, TX $94,124

Columbus, MS $93,315

Altus, OK $92,811

Lawton, OK $92,603

Pierre, SD $92,209

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Designer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Project Management (Mentioned in 11.11% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
Computer Aided Design (Mentioned in 1.59% Job Postings): CAD (computer-aided design) is the use of computer-based software to aid in design processes. CAD software is frequently used by different types of engineers and designers.
Electrical Wiring (Mentioned in 1.59% Job Postings): Connecting and repairing accessories for the distribution of electrical energy from the power source to various appliances and equipment.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Project Management	11.11%
Computer Aided Design	1.59%
Electrical Wiring	1.59%

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 Lead Designer's salary.

Engineering Services: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Negotiating: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Computer Hardware: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Engineering Services	$122,581	12%
Negotiating	$118,203	8%
Computer Hardware	$118,203	8%
Product Development	$118,203	8%
Electrical Engineering	$117,108	7%
Computer Science	$117,108	7%

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How Education impacts a Lead Designer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Designers 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 Lead Designer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $107,070 and $114,889).

Lead Designer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Designer

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 22.2%

Associates 44.0%

Bachelors 28.6%

Masters 4.1%

Doctorate 0.4%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.8%
High School	22.2%
Associates	44.0%
Bachelors	28.6%
Masters	4.1%
Doctorate	0.4%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Lead 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.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$99,951

Average $109,447/year

$116,666

$8,329

Average $9,121/month

$9,722

$1,922

Average $2,105/week

$2,244

$48

Average $53/hour

$56

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$116,666	$9,722	$2,244	$56
Average	$109,447	$9,121	$2,105	$53
25th Percentile	$99,951	$8,329	$1,922	$48

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Designer

Salary Trends for Lead Designer

Salaries for a Lead Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $103,818 in 2023 to around $104,958 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Designer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$103,818

2024

$105,857

2025

$104,958

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$103,818
2024	$105,857
2025	$104,958
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Designer

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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.)

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