Prevailing Wage for Graphic Designers
Prevailing wage for Graphic Designers is set by the Department of Labor across four experience levels, and the floor varies significantly depending on where the worksite is located. Whether your job title reads Artist, Brand Designer, or Graphic Artist, the sponsoring employer must meet the DOL threshold for your level and city.
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Entry-level designers with limited professional experience, typically recent graduates or those new to commercial design work. Scope involves routine tasks performed under direct supervision with minimal independent judgment expected.
Designers with a moderate track record in commercial or brand work who apply established methods with some independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Graphic Designers, reflecting standard professional practice.
Experienced designers who handle complex projects, exercise considerable independent judgment, and may guide junior staff. Typically several years of demonstrated portfolio work across campaigns, identities, or production pipelines.
Senior or lead designers responsible for directing creative output, setting standards, and exercising full professional competence. Scope includes strategic brand decisions, client ownership, or oversight of a design team.
Prevailing Wage for Graphic Designers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Graphic Designers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Check whether your title aliases a different SOC
Titles like Brand Designer or Graphic Design Coordinator sometimes get filed under SOC 27-1021 (Commercial and Industrial Designers) by employers, which carries a different prevailing wage floor. Confirm your LCA lists SOC 27-1024 before comparing offers.
Separate base pay from production bonuses
In-house agency and marketing roles often bundle project bonuses or creative incentives into total compensation. DOL counts only guaranteed wages toward the prevailing wage floor, so strip out variable production bonuses before assessing whether an offer clears.
Look for sponsors in high-concentration tech markets
San Jose and San Francisco set the highest prevailing wage floors for this occupation, but they also concentrate the employers most experienced with H-1B filings for design roles. Use Migrate Mate to filter by location and see which companies have sponsored Graphic Designers there before.
Watch the level gap between agency and in-house roles
Agency roles frequently file at Level 1 or Level 2 even for designers with several years of experience, citing supervised client workflows. In-house brand and tech roles more commonly file at Level 2 or Level 3, reflecting greater autonomy and strategic ownership.
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Find Jobs for Graphic DesignersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 27-1024.00 alongside Graphic Designers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Artist Prevailing Wage
Artist Prevailing Wage
Artist positions fall under SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Brand Designer Prevailing Wage
Brand Designer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Brand Designer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Designer Prevailing Wage
Designer Prevailing Wage
Designer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Graphic Artist Prevailing Wage
Graphic Artist Prevailing Wage
Graphic Artist positions fall under SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Graphic Design Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Graphic Design Coordinator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Graphic Design Coordinator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Online Producer Prevailing Wage
Online Producer Prevailing Wage
Online Producer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Production Artist Prevailing Wage
Production Artist Prevailing Wage
Production Artist positions fall under SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Publications Designer Prevailing Wage
Publications Designer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Publications Designer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Technical Illustrator Prevailing Wage
Technical Illustrator Prevailing Wage
Technical Illustrator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1024.00 (Graphic Designers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Graphic Designers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 27-1024, four wage levels are calculated from that regional data. Employers filing an LCA with OFLC must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and required experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry positions under direct supervision. Level 2 reflects qualified professionals applying standard methods with some independence. Level 3 is for experienced designers exercising judgment on complex work. Level 4 applies to fully competent senior or lead roles. The level should match the duties and supervision described in the job description, not just the years of experience claimed.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same design role differ so much between cities?
DOL derives prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage floor. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's floor applies, not where the company is headquartered. Dense employer markets like San Jose and San Francisco generate higher survey wages, while smaller metros produce lower floors, sometimes less than half the San Jose figure for the same level.
What happens if a sponsored offer falls below the prevailing wage floor?
OFLC will not certify an LCA with a wage below the applicable prevailing wage. For H-1B petitions, USCIS requires a certified LCA before approving the petition, so an underpaying offer blocks the whole sponsorship. Employers must either raise the offered wage to meet the floor or reclassify the role at a lower level whose floor the wage does clear.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Graphic Designers at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 27-1024 by state and metropolitan area. Select the relevant wage level and confirm the figure matches what the employer has listed on the LCA. O*NET provides occupational context if you need to verify whether the role's duties align with this SOC code. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have historically sponsored Graphic Designers, so you can identify companies already experienced with this process.
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