Graphic Designer.
Des Moines.
$52,000
median salary, 15% below the national average
$40,000 to $67,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
The median Graphic Designer salary in Des Moines is $52,000, 15% below the national average. Entry level starts near $40,000. Experienced professionals push past $67,000. Des Moines is a major insurance and financial services hub, home to Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, and a growing fintech community. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Graphic Designer in Des Moines, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $56,520 for Graphic Designers (SOC 27-1024) in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan area, based on 740 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$37,570
25th percentile
$46,380
Median
$56,520
75th percentile
$68,140
90th percentile
$79,640
Workers surveyed
740
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Graphic Designers (SOC 27-1024) rather than Graphic Designer specifically. The Des Moines range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 27-1024Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $47,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$34,000
to $42,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$44,000
to $55,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$57,000
to $68,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$65,000
to $81,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $14,000 to the total package.
Base
$52,000
Equity
$8,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $66,000
How Des Moines compares.
Des Moines, IA
$52,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
National Average
$61,000
Des Moines is $9,000 below
Graphic Designer salary by city.
Salary by role in Des Moines.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Graphic Designer roles in Des Moines, here is what you are walking into. Des Moines is a major insurance and financial services hub, home to Principal Financial, EMC Insurance, and a growing fintech community. The metro's extremely low cost of living and strong job market make it one of the best value cities for finance professionals. Tech employment is growing as insurtech companies expand. Industry (tech and advertising pay the most), specialization (brand identity, motion graphics, or 3D), and portfolio quality are the primary drivers. Designers who can demonstrate measurable business impact through their work (conversion rates, engagement metrics) earn significantly more. Proficiency in emerging tools like Figma and After Effects also adds value.
Junior graphic designers start at $40,000 to $52,000, reaching mid level at $55,000 to $72,000 in two to three years. Senior designers earn $72,000 to $95,000. Art directors reach $95,000 to $130,000, and creative directors at agencies or large companies can earn $140,000 to $200,000+. In Des Moines, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 14% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses of 5 to 10% are common in corporate and agency roles. Freelance graphic designers can earn 30 to 50% more per hour but sacrifice benefits and income stability. Benefits at design firms often include creative software subscriptions, portfolio development time, and conference budgets. And on the tax side: iowa has a flat 3.8% state income tax. Des Moines has no city income tax. The low tax rate and affordable housing create strong purchasing power. When someone quotes you $52,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against national insurance industry pay scales. Des Moines insurance employers must compete with remote offers from larger metros and will often match. The range for Graphic Designers in Des Moines runs from $40,000 to $67,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Clinical Research Coordinator in Des Moines earns $51,000 (2% less)
- The highest-paying role in Des Moines is CTO at $263,000
Common questions.
Graphic Designer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Des Moines.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Graphic Designers in Des Moines.
Related tools.
Do you work as a graphic designer in Des Moines?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Graphic Designer Salary in Des Moines, IA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/graphic-designer/des-moines
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools