Graphic Designers Salary
The median pay for a graphic designers in Eau Claire, WI is $56,230/year ($27.03/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.8), which stretches that salary to about $60,593 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,181/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $56K actually covers in Eau Claire, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Eau Claire’s Regional Price Parity (92.8). 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 Eau Claire
Pay for graphic designers in Eau Claire runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $63K. Rent runs $1,181/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.8 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for graphic designers in metros near Eau Claire, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $62K | $64K |
| Madison | $64K | $66K |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $59K | $63K |
| Green Bay | $59K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Eau Claire, WI
Entry-level graphic designers (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $40K 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
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Related careers in Arts & Media
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a graphic designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Eau Claire?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 31.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,181/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for graphic designers in Eau Claire?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new graphic designers typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,813/month. At HUD’s $1,181/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Eau Claire?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $56K here vs. $63K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Eau Claire compare to the national average for graphic designers?
Eau Claire pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $63K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — below the national median.
How much do graphic designers make in Eau Claire, WI?
The median is $56,230 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,880, and experienced graphic designers can clear $80,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Eau Claire?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,774/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,181/month, which eats 31.3% 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 Eau Claire?
Eau Claire has a Regional Price Parity of 92.8 (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 $60,593 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.