Creative pay 2026
Graphic designer salary in Maryland (2026)
Graphic designers in Maryland earn a median $75,120 a year ($36.12 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 19% more than the US median of $62,960, and 6th of 53 states and territories with published figures. The median for every job in Maryland is $59,510, so this pays 26% more than the typical job there.
- $75,120median a year in Maryland
- $36.12median an hour
- +19%vs the US median ($62,960)
- 3,050employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a graphic designer in Maryland?
Half of graphic designers in Maryland earn between $57,600 and $94,930. The gap between the top and bottom 10% (2.4 times) is about the national spread.
| 10th percentile | $44,810 | $39,520 | $21.54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $57,600 | $49,040 | $27.69 |
| Median | $75,120 | $62,960 | $36.12 |
| 75th | $94,930 | $81,830 | $45.64 |
| 90th percentile | $109,630 | $104,910 | $52.71 |
The mean (average) is $77,770, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Maryland compare with other states?
Maryland sits 6th of 53, between California ($75,130) and New Jersey ($73,790).
| Delaware | $60,130 | −20% | 360 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $60,730 | −19% | 8,150 |
| Virginia | $72,310 | −4% | 4,740 |
| West Virginia | $40,350 | −46% | 520 |
| District of Columbia | $87,920 | +17% | 1,150 |
Which cities in Maryland pay graphic designers best?
Of the 6 metro areas in Maryland where BLS publishes a median for the job, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays most, at $85,420, 14% above the state median.
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,420 | $85,420 | $41.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,360 | $63,090 | $30.33 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 1,350 | $75,790 | $36.44 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 90 | $47,670 | $22.92 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 60 | $67,570 | $32.49 |
| Salisbury, MD | 40 | $61,950 | $29.79 |
How many graphic designers work in Maryland?
BLS estimates 3,050 employee jobs, 1.1 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 0.87).
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in Maryland?
4 of the 6 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in Maryland.
| Copywriter | $104,330 | 540 |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI designer | $96,760 | 1,310 |
| Motion designer | $85,830 | 170 |
| Video editor | $78,380 | 250 |
| Videographer | $65,870 | 290 |
| Photographer | $46,450 | 790 |
What do freelance graphic designers charge?
Upwork, graphic designers list $15 to $35 an hour, worldwide. Maryland's employee median of $36.12 an hour is above that range, and a freelancer also has to cover unpaid hours, kit and tax. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average graphic designer salary in Maryland?
The median is $75,120 a year and the mean is $77,770, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 3,050 employee jobs.
How much does a graphic designer make an hour in Maryland?
The median hourly wage is $36.12. The bottom 10% earn under $21.54 and the top 10% over $52.71.
What does a starting graphic designer earn in Maryland?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of graphic designers in Maryland earn under $57,600 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $44,810, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
Get the Slice Weekly
One free email every Friday: tools for creators and the best advice we found from people who make things.
Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-1024, Graphic Designers. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 3,050 jobs in the Maryland estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
Get the data
Free · CSV and JSON · 2 files
This page’s own figures as a CSV, and the full files behind What creative jobs pay in 2026. One email unlocks every download on Slice’s data pages.
- This page’s figures (CSV) Every table and figure on this page, with its source line.
- Every role, country and source (CSV) One row per role, country and measure: percentiles for employees and every published freelance rate, with its source.
- The full dataset (JSON) Everything above plus every US state and metro table, the outlook figures and the source records.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “Slice (tryslicemedia.com)” and link to this page. Leave the box unticked and we send you nothing. Everything on this page stays free to read without an email.
Graphic designer pay in other states
- District of Columbia $87,920
- Rhode Island $78,220
- New York $77,340
- Massachusetts $76,710
- California $75,130
- New Jersey $73,790
- Washington $72,710
- Connecticut $72,700
- Virginia $72,310
- Colorado $66,330
- Oregon $66,040
- Vermont $65,690