SalaryExplorer

SOC 27-1024 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Graphic Designers — Abilene

Abilene, TX · 10 metro areas compared

$49,360 /year
$23.73per hour
50jobs in area
−21.6%vs US median

In Abilene, TX the median wage is $49,360.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $62,96010TH$35,480MEDIAN$49,36075TH$53,79090TH$72,210

How pay has moved

$54,110$25,6102019202020212022202320242025$49,360
$30,360 in 2019 to $49,360 in 2025, +62.6% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.1%
Openings per year
20,000
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

17.7% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Abilene, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Abilene, TX the median wage is $49,360. That is 21.6% lower than the national median of $62,960. Pay ranges from under $35,480 at the tenth percentile to more than $72,210 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $38,000 to $53,790.

The area has 50 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.56 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Austin records the highest median at $65,060. Of the 287 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 148th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Abilene, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$35,480−43.6%
25th$38,000−39.6%
Median (50th)$49,360−21.6%
75th$53,790−14.6%
90th$72,210+14.7%
Mean$50,590−19.6%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Graphic Designers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Austin$65,0601,880
2Dallas$63,7804,790
3San Antonio$59,710970
4Houston$58,4002,770
5Midland$57,58090
6Killeen$57,05080
7Waco$52,920110
8College Station$50,530110
9Longview$49,95050
10San Angelo$49,86030

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Abilene run 9.6% below the national average, so the median of $49,360 goes as far as $54,602 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 13.3% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$49,360as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$54,602US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $49,360 a year, 21.6% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $35,480 to $72,210 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Austin, at $65,060.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Graphic Designers in Abilene, TX?

The median annual wage is $49,360, or $23.73 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $62,960, so pay in Abilene, TX is 21.6% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Abilene, TX earns more than $72,210 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $35,480 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Austin, at $65,060 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 50 jobs in this occupation in Abilene, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.