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Job Numbers and Growth

Designers in the US number about 16,000. Workers generally expect a low unemployment rate. There were about 4% of employees without jobs in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Where are jobs most numerous? Peoria (Illinois), Kalamazoo (Michigan), and Green Bay (Wisconsin). Least common? Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), and Dallas (Texas).

Salaries vary across the country, from highest in Seattle (Washington), Chicago (Illinois), and San Francisco (California) to lowest in Peoria (Illinois), Washington (District of Columbia), and Omaha (Nebraska).

Training and Education

Obtaining a bachelor's degree will help job seekers. Designers with four or more years of college are 55% of the total. An estimated 31% of workers attended college at some level but did not pursue a 4-year degree. High school was enough education for 14% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Whether by choice or necessity, 17% of designers work part-time. About 28% of workers do not work for a company or organization.

Designers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Arizona

California

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Louisiana

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Texas

Washington

Wisconsin