Graphic Designers
SOC Code: 27-1024 Job Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Graphic Designers. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $63,107 | $91,042 | $118,976 | $146,910 |
| Merced, CA | $54,829 | $80,808 | $106,766 | $132,746 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $57,262 | $80,891 | $104,541 | $128,170 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $47,549 | $67,995 | $88,462 | $108,909 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $54,870 | $72,093 | $89,336 | $106,558 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,131 | $67,558 | $86,965 | $106,392 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $45,427 | $65,562 | $85,696 | $105,830 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $54,267 | $71,365 | $88,442 | $105,539 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $45,968 | $65,582 | $85,176 | $104,790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $55,661 | $72,030 | $88,421 | $104,790 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan | 5 | $73,284 |
| MediaMonks Inc. | 3 | $136,034 |
| 505 GO INC. | 3 | $84,311 |
| WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES | 2 | $63,458 |
| Data Theorem, Inc. | 2 | $104,150 |
| Instrument LLC | 2 | $80,500 |
| ASANA, INC. | 1 | $150,000 |
| Kunai, Inc. | 1 | $125,000 |
| LeanTaaS, Inc. | 1 | $161,000 |
| MCM Products USA Inc. | 1 | $106,080 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | $125,500 |
| 2021 | 5 | $94,308 |
| 2022 | 2 | $73,550 |
| 2023 | 5 | $83,681 |
| 2024 | 4 | $90,558 |
| 2025 | 11 | $101,700 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 | |
| Speaking | 3.4 | |
| Active Learning | 3.2 | |
| Writing | 3.2 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.2 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | |
| Coordination | 3.1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Design | 4.7 |
| Fine Arts | 4.4 |
| Computers and Electronics | 4.4 |
| Communications and Media | 4.3 |
| English Language | 3.8 |
| Sales and Marketing | 3.6 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.5 |
| Production and Processing | 3.3 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 65.0% |
| High school diploma | 15.0% |
| Doctoral degree | 10.0% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 5.0% |
| Associate's degree | 5.0% |
Typical Tasks
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Use computer software to generate new images.
- Mark up, paste, and assemble final layouts to prepare layouts for printer.
- Draw and print charts, graphs, illustrations, and other artwork, using computer.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
AJAX Adobe Acrobat Adobe After Effects Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Apple macOS Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Autodesk Revit Bentley MicroStation Cascading style sheets CSS Extensible markup language XML Facebook
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