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: a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $134,322, a CAD Supervisor (10+ years)earns $91,258, a Lead Designer (10+ years)earns $108,915, a CAD Manager (10+ years)earns $123,782, a CAD Senior Manager (10+ years)earns $151,237,

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 $121,178, California $120,718, Massachusetts $119,109. 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: $164,902; Electrical Lead Designer: $152,305; Fashion Designer Lead: $135,460; Lead Product Designer: $135,142; Lead Web Designer: $132,541.

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 May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Designer in the United States is $109,445 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): $123,216
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $100,004 to $116,653
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $91,408

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Lead Designer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$116,653	$9,721	$2,243	$56
Average	$109,445	$9,120	$2,105	$53
25th Percentile	$100,004	$8,334	$1,923	$48

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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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): $134,322
Early Career (1-2 years): $91,258
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $108,915
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $123,782
Expert (over 8 years): $151,237

Levels	Salary
CAD Draft... Level Lead Designer	$134,322
CAD Super... Level Lead Designer	$91,258
Lead Desi... Level Lead Designer	$108,915
CAD Manag... Level Lead Designer	$123,782
CAD Senio... Level Lead Designer	$151,237

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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: $121,178.
California: $120,718.
Massachusetts: $119,109.

District of Columbia $121,178 California $120,718 Massachusetts $119,109 Washington $118,671 New Jersey $118,627 Alaska $118,474 Connecticut $116,964 New York $116,351

Hawaii $114,392 Rhode Island $113,473 Maryland $112,849 Minnesota $111,995 Colorado $111,667 Illinois $111,557 Oregon $111,141 Delaware $110,835

New Hampshire $110,642 Virginia $110,211 Pennsylvania $108,952 Nevada $108,318 North Dakota $108,110 Michigan $107,781 Wisconsin $107,661 Vermont $107,420

Texas $106,753 Maine $106,709 Arizona $106,643 Ohio $106,567 Georgia $105,560 Indiana $105,056 Wyoming $104,958 Utah $104,805

Iowa $104,739 Kansas $104,214 Louisiana $104,060 North Carolina $104,006 Missouri $103,984 Florida $103,557 Montana $103,327 Nebraska $103,108

Kentucky $102,988 South Carolina $102,550 Tennessee $102,276 Idaho $102,167 New Mexico $101,368 Oklahoma $101,193 Alabama $100,547 South Dakota $99,464

Arkansas $98,873 West Virginia $98,555 Mississippi $97,603

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: $138,043
San Francisco: $136,532
Oakland: $133,654

San Jose, CA $138,043

San Francisco, CA $136,532

Oakland, CA $133,654

New York, NY $126,014

Paramus, NJ $124,482

Queens Village, NY $124,476

Passaic, NJ $124,372

Bergenfield, NJ $124,362

Stamford, CT $124,122

Huntington, NY $124,077

Newark, NJ $123,268

Bridgeport, CT $123,037

Vallejo, CA $122,819

New Brunswick, NJ $122,775

Petaluma, CA $122,710

Middlesex, NJ $122,502

Somerset, NJ $122,425

Santa Cruz, CA $122,283

Boston, MA $121,615

Monterey, CA $121,231

Seattle, WA $120,981

Santa Rosa, CA $120,959

Los Angeles, CA $120,926

Juneau, AK $120,641

Washington, DC $120,521

Orange, CA $120,131

Santa Ana, CA $119,842

Long Beach, CA $119,733

Anaheim, CA $119,711

Anchorage, AK $119,656

Santa Maria, CA $119,328

Everett, WA $119,306

Danbury, CT $118,921

Bremerton, WA $118,770

Tacoma, WA $118,376

New Suffolk, NY $118,374

Sacramento, CA $118,343

Santa Barbara, CA $118,222

Trenton, NJ $118,102

San Diego, CA $118,102

Brockton, MA $117,982

Fairbanks, AK $117,714

Lompoc, CA $117,434

Lowell, MA $117,346

Ventura, CA $117,325

Nashua, NH $117,303

Stockton, CA $117,292

Modesto, CA $116,493

Poughkeepsie, NY $116,252

Olympia, WA $116,045

Kennewick, WA $116,045

New Haven, CT $116,001

Lawrence, MA $115,607

Hartford, CT $115,497

Riverside, CA $115,475

New Bedford, MA $115,366

Richland, WA $115,366

Bakersfield, CA $115,213

San Bernardino, CA $115,169

New Britain, CT $115,158

Atlantic City, NJ $115,158

New London, CT $115,114

Norwich, CT $115,081

Portsmouth, NH $115,060

Boulder, CO $114,828

Portland, OR $114,676

Worcester, MA $114,666

Minneapolis, MN $114,326

Philadelphia, PA $114,173

Honolulu, HI $113,812

Saint Paul, MN $113,759

Vineland, NJ $113,735

Providence, RI $113,418

Chicago, IL $113,100

Bellingham, WA $112,969

Springfield, MA $112,882

Baltimore, MD $112,849

Chico, CA $112,575

Pittsfield, MA $112,280

Manchester, NH $112,072

Spokane, WA $111,590

Denver, CO $111,579

Albany, NY $111,065

Troy, NY $111,021

Nassau, NY $110,904

Schenectady, NY $110,791

Wilmington, DE $110,704

Burlington, VT $110,550

Salem, OR $110,507

Portland, ME $110,167

Yakima, WA $110,058

Rochester, MN $109,719

Reno, NV $109,664

Fresno, CA $109,664

Milwaukee, WI $109,565

Detroit, MI $109,456

Ann Arbor, MI $109,437

Allentown, PA $109,423

Colorado Springs, CO $109,237

Syracuse, NY $109,182

Carson City, NV $109,182

Houston, TX $109,029

Eugene, OR $108,974

Gary, IN $108,843

Springfield, OR $108,755

Bismarck, ND $108,734

Galveston, TX $108,657

Medford, OR $108,493

Fort Collins, CO $108,449

Concord, NH $108,394

Austin, TX $108,361

Mesa, AZ $108,132

Reading, PA $108,121

Phoenix, AZ $108,110

Dallas, TX $108,077

Saint Cloud, MN $107,972

Madison, WI $107,825

Utica, NY $107,530

Rochester, NY $107,355

Des Moines, IA $107,344

Raleigh, NC $107,333

Atlanta, GA $107,169

Battle Creek, MI $107,136

Salt Lake City, UT $107,103

Lancaster, PA $106,939

Harrisburg, PA $106,785

Kansas City, MO $106,676

Champaign, IL $106,654

Kansas City, KS $106,654

Fort Worth, TX $106,643

Columbus, OH $106,625

Boca Raton, FL $106,599

Pittsburgh, PA $106,556

Richmond, VA $106,512

Indianapolis, IN $106,490

Cleveland, OH $106,479

Las Vegas, NV $106,348

Cincinnati, OH $106,348

Petersburg, VA $106,184

Huntsville, AL $106,019

Lansing, MI $105,946

Lebanon, PA $105,932

Pueblo, CO $105,921

Appleton, WI $105,888

Buffalo, NY $105,844

Dayton, OH $105,811

Racine, WI $105,790

Charlotte, NC $105,779

Saint Louis, MO $105,746

York, PA $105,680

Elkhart, IN $105,680

Gastonia, NC $105,659

Billings, MT $105,633

Beaumont, TX $105,603

Lorain, OH $105,582

Benton Harbor, MI $105,560

Toledo, OH $105,538

Binghamton, NY $105,483

Rock Hill, SC $105,472

Rockford, IL $105,417

Springfield, IL $105,374

Elyria, OH $105,363

Fargo, ND $105,363

Flagstaff, AZ $105,286

Fort Lauderdale, FL $105,220

Duluth, MN $105,155

Miami, FL $105,155

Cheyenne, WY $105,078

Grand Forks, ND $105,078

Bangor, ME $104,837

Cedar Rapids, IA $104,717

Durham, NC $104,671

Louisville, KY $104,662

Grand Rapids, MI $104,640

Hialeah, FL $104,629

Casper, WY $104,476

Scranton, PA $104,345

New Orleans, LA $104,312

Virginia Beach, VA $104,301

Akron, OH $104,246

Peoria, IL $104,104

Sarasota, FL $104,082

Nashville, TN $104,006

Omaha, NE $104,006

Green Bay, WI $104,006

Baton Rouge, LA $103,951

Charleston, SC $103,929

Jamestown, NY $103,874

Davenport, IA $103,874

Tucson, AZ $103,820

Saint Petersburg, FL $103,754

Tampa, FL $103,732

Evansville, IN $103,666

Port Arthur, TX $103,666

Bradenton, FL $103,623

Santa Fe, NM $103,426

Orlando, FL $103,229

Clearwater, FL $103,196

Canton, OH $102,966

La Crosse, WI $102,966

Albuquerque, NM $102,900

Newport News, VA $102,889

High Point, NC $102,856

Ogden, UT $102,813

Corpus Christi, TX $102,725

Norfolk, VA $102,659

Laramie, WY $102,659

Rock Island, IL $102,594

Saginaw, MI $102,572

Jacksonville, FL $102,561

Salisbury, NC $102,539

Boise, ID $102,517

Moline, IL $102,462

Fort Myers, FL $102,430

Memphis, TN $102,408

Tulsa, OK $102,353

Waterloo, IA $102,287

Spartanburg, SC $102,178

Lincoln, NE $102,123

Fort Wayne, IN $102,101

Provo, UT $102,090

Cedar Falls, IA $101,959

San Antonio, TX $101,915

Greensboro, NC $101,871

South Bend, IN $101,860

Savannah, GA $101,740

Muskegon, MI $101,696

Birmingham, AL $101,685

Winston Salem, NC $101,632

Lake Charles, LA $101,368

Anderson, IN $101,346

Lexington, KY $101,313

Augusta, GA $101,280

Greenville, SC $101,280

Lima, OH $101,193

Wichita, KS $101,182

Tuscaloosa, AL $101,182

Columbia, SC $101,083

Springfield, OH $101,062

Asheville, NC $100,886

Bloomington, IN $100,810

Knoxville, TN $100,416

Shreveport, LA $100,405

Wilmington, NC $100,263

Roanoke, VA $100,263

Topeka, KS $100,066

Frankfort, KY $100,054

Oklahoma City, OK $99,978

Chillicothe, OH $99,934

Longview, TX $99,923

Melbourne, FL $99,912

Sioux Falls, SD $99,737

Mobile, AL $99,726

Terre Haute, IN $99,683

Altoona, PA $99,617

Amarillo, TX $99,540

Killeen, TX $99,507

Fayetteville, AR $99,420

Chattanooga, TN $99,387

Sioux City, IA $99,289

Idaho Falls, ID $99,267

Lynchburg, VA $99,179

Gainesville, FL $99,037

Portsmouth, OH $98,982

Little Rock, AR $98,960

Lafayette, LA $98,916

Youngstown, OH $98,916

Daytona Beach, FL $98,851

Clarksville, TN $98,840

Pensacola, FL $98,829

Temple, TX $98,821

Hopkinsville, KY $98,501

Erie, PA $98,479

Florence, SC $98,435

Charleston, WV $98,260

Great Falls, MT $98,205

Macon, GA $98,052

Tallahassee, FL $98,041

Fayetteville, NC $98,019

Waco, TX $97,997

Helena, MT $97,920

Pine Bluff, AR $97,879

Vincennes, IN $97,745

Lubbock, TX $97,702

Alamogordo, NM $97,636

Twin Falls, ID $97,537

Rapid City, SD $97,505

Jackson, MS $97,308

Huntington, WV $97,300

Greenville, MS $97,297

Parkersburg, WV $97,185

Montgomery, AL $97,165

Wichita Falls, TX $97,056

Springfield, MO $97,056

Biloxi, MS $97,001

Monroe, LA $96,892

Johnstown, PA $96,815

Sumter, SC $96,771

Columbus, GA $96,760

Pascagoula, MS $96,552

Abilene, TX $96,552

Kingsport, TN $96,268

Albany, GA $96,268

Gulfport, MS $96,235

Alexandria, LA $95,874

Fort Smith, AR $95,600

El Paso, TX $95,305

Las Cruces, NM $94,812

Harlingen, TX $94,534

Pocatello, ID $94,517

Florence, AL $94,374

Brownsville, TX $94,353

Mcallen, TX $94,123

Dothan, AL $93,969

Columbus, MS $93,319

Altus, OK $92,809

Lawton, OK $92,601

Pierre, SD $92,207

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	$122,578	12%
Negotiating	$118,201	8%
Computer Hardware	$118,201	8%
Product Development	$118,201	8%
Electrical Engineering	$117,106	7%
Computer Science	$117,106	7%

Get Latest Data

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 May 01, 2026

$100,004

Average $109,445/year

$116,653

$8,334

Average $9,120/month

$9,721

$1,923

Average $2,105/week

$2,243

$48

Average $53/hour

$56

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$116,653	$9,721	$2,243	$56
Average	$109,445	$9,120	$2,105	$53
25th Percentile	$100,004	$8,334	$1,923	$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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