How much does a web designer make?
a year · about $50 an hour
A typical web designer in the United States makes $104,000 a year, about $50 an hour, about 2× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They meet with clients or teammates to learn what a site needs, then plan its colors, pictures, fonts, and layout. They create and test screens and menus on different devices, fixing anything confusing or broken.
Did you know? Some web designers plan for people who can’t use a mouse: US design guidance says important controls should work with a keyboard, too.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $53,750 and $201,550How do you become one?
In the US, study web or digital design, graphic arts, or computing; employers may accept a high-school diploma or prefer a bachelor’s degree. Build a portfolio of projects, or consider an apprenticeship; a license is usually not required.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like figuring things out and creating
Why does pay differ?
In the US, pay varies with experience, education, responsibility, location, and industry or employer; big-city wages and some industries can be higher. Some employers value software-tool certificates, but a license is usually not needed. Most work full time; official guidance emphasizes experience, location, and industry, not fame or shifts.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in California ($136,110), lowest in Indiana ($63,430).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $53,750 | $104,000 | $201,550 | about 113,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $136,110 | about 27,000 |
| Washington | $130,480 | about 12,000 |
| New York | $120,990 | about 17,000 |
| Massachusetts | $113,540 | about 3,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $104,160 | about 3,000 |
Official definition: Design digital user interfaces or websites. Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May use web framework applications as well as client-side code and processes. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web use metrics and optimize websites for marketability and search engine ranking. May design and test interfaces that facilitate the human-computer interaction and maximize the usability of digital devices, websites, and software with a focus on aesthetics and design. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links. Excludes “Special Effects Artists and Animators” (27-1014) and “Graphic Designers” (27-1024).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1255.00
- www.onetonline.org/skills/zone/15-1255.00
- www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/Web_and_Digital_Interface_Designer_Nat
- designsystem.digital.gov/documentation/accessibility/
- www.bls.gov/oes/earnings.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY