As of August 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Production Designer in the US is $57,940, equivalent to $28 per hour, $1,114 weekly, or $4,828 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Production Designer in cities like San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for Production Designer in the US vary widely, spanning from $50,667 to $72,119. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($54,133) and 75th percentile ($65,362), while top earners (90th percentile) make $72,119 per year. This $11,229 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Presentation or Photoshop, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Production Designer often earn 10.7% above national averages due to demand from Fortune 59 companies and industry startups. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Production Designer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Production Designer Salary $50,667 US August 01, 2026
25th Percentile Production Designer Salary $54,133 US August 01, 2026
50th Percentile Production Designer Salary $57,940 US August 01, 2026
75th Percentile Production Designer Salary $65,362 US August 01, 2026
90th Percentile Production Designer Salary $72,119 US August 01, 2026
25% $54,133 10% $50,667 90% $72,119 75% $65,362 $57,940 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Production Designer ?

In film and television, a production designer (PD) is the person responsible for the overall visual look of the production. Production designers have a key creative role in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the director, cinematographer, and producer, they must select the settings and style to visually tell the story. The term production designer was coined by William Cameron Menzies while he was working on the film Gone with the Wind. Previously (and often subsequently) the people with the same responsibilities were called art directors. It is sometimes als...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Production Designer.

Job Openings for Production Designer

Career Path for this job

  1. This Job:

    Production Designer

    0 - 2 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. Up a level:

    Art Designer II

    2 - 4 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Production Designer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
54133
65362
57940

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
62260
81385
70961
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Production Designer in the United States. The base salary for Production Designer ranges from $54,133 to $65,362 with the average base salary of $57,940. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $62,260 to $81,385 with the average total cash compensation of $70,961.
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54133
65362

 

Skills associated with Production Designer: Design, Basis, Create, Timely

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