Graphic Designers Salary
The median pay for a graphic designers in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL is $65,560/year ($31.52/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.03), that's roughly $67,567 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,785/month, about 39.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin’s Regional Price Parity (97.03). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About graphic designers
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What this looks like in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin
Graphic designers pay in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $63K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,785/month, which is 39.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.03) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for graphic designers in metros near Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $62K | $54K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $62K | $61K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $63K | $62K |
| Jacksonville | $63K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
Entry-level graphic designers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Graphic Designers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Graphic Designers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $88K | +40% | 1,150 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +24% | 750 |
| New York | $77K | +23% | 14,530 |
| Massachusetts | $77K | +22% | 4,450 |
| California | $75K | +19% | 27,390 |
| Maryland | $75K | +19% | 3,050 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +17% | 5,670 |
| Washington | $73K | +15% | 3,960 |
| Connecticut | $73K | +15% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $72K | +15% | 4,740 |
| Colorado | $66K | +5% | 4,200 |
| Oregon | $66K | +5% | 4,140 |
| Vermont | $66K | +4% | 410 |
| Minnesota | $64K | +1% | 5,570 |
| Nevada | $63K | -0% | 1,570 |
| Alaska | $63K | -1% | 180 |
| Illinois | $63K | -1% | 8,960 |
| Utah | $62K | -1% | 2,720 |
| Florida | $62K | -2% | 12,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -4% | 8,150 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | -4% | 790 |
| Georgia | $60K | -4% | 5,920 |
| Texas | $60K | -4% | 13,670 |
| Delaware | $60K | -4% | 360 |
| Ohio | $60K | -5% | 7,280 |
| Maine | $60K | -5% | 560 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -5% | 4,130 |
| Arizona | $59K | -7% | 3,560 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -7% | 5,660 |
| Hawaii | $58K | -8% | 520 |
| Michigan | $57K | -9% | 6,070 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -9% | 3,880 |
| South Carolina | $57K | -9% | 1,930 |
| Montana | $57K | -10% | 610 |
| Missouri | $57K | -10% | 4,500 |
| New Mexico | $57K | -10% | 850 |
| Nebraska | $57K | -10% | 1,670 |
| North Dakota | $56K | -10% | 460 |
| Indiana | $55K | -12% | 3,450 |
| Kansas | $54K | -15% | 1,730 |
| Oklahoma | $54K | -15% | 2,040 |
| Kentucky | $53K | -16% | 2,060 |
| Alabama | $51K | -19% | 1,760 |
| Idaho | $50K | -20% | 920 |
| Iowa | $50K | -20% | 2,100 |
| Louisiana | $50K | -21% | 1,750 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -23% | 470 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -27% | 1,390 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -28% | 830 |
| Wyoming | $45K | -28% | 240 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -36% | 520 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track graphic designers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a graphic designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 39.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,785/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for graphic designers in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new graphic designers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,350/month. At HUD’s $1,785/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is graphic designer a high-paying job in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $63K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin compare to the national average for graphic designers?
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.03), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do graphic designers make in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL?
The median is $65,560 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,170, and experienced graphic designers can clear $103,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,542/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,785/month, which eats 39.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a graphic designers salary go in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin has a Regional Price Parity of 97.03 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median graphic designers salary is worth about $67,567 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do graphic designers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.