Quick answer: The Chicago metro employs about 6,590 graphic designers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through target employers or clients on the portfolio work they expect.
Compare graphic design programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Graphic design is not licensed and has no required certification. The portfolio is the credential - the degree’s value is sustained critique, production coursework and client process built around it.
See the Illinois licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with target employers or clients on the portfolio work they expect.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 18 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Graphic Designers in the Chicago area earn a median $66,490 per year, above the national median of $62,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Graphic Design Pay in Chicago, IL
Metric
Chicago metro
Illinois
National
Median annual wage
$66,490
$62,560
$62,960
10th percentile
$43,750
$36,060
$39,520
25th percentile
$52,030
$47,530
$49,040
75th percentile
$83,590
$81,320
$81,830
90th percentile
$100,620
$98,750
$104,910
Employment
6,590
8,960
197,830
Location quotient
1.15
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Chicago median of $66,490 is above the national median of $62,960, and above the Illinois statewide median of $62,560 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.15 means graphic designers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Design employment concentrates around agency markets, corporate marketing departments and publishing, and a meaningful share of the work is freelance and remote.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do graphic designers make in Chicago?
The median annual wage for graphic designers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $66,490, above the national median of $62,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many graphic designers work in the Chicago area?
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area employs about 6,590 graphic designers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do graphic designers in Chicago need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Graphic design is not licensed and has no required certification. The portfolio is the credential - the degree's value is sustained critique, production coursework and client process built around it. Confirm current requirements with target employers or clients on the portfolio work they expect.
Can I study graphic design online from Chicago?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies target employers or clients on the portfolio work they expect.
Is Chicago a better market than the rest of Illinois?
The Chicago metro median is $66,490 against a statewide median of $62,560 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Graphic Designers (SOC 27-1024), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
