Education and Training

• Graphic artists with a bachelor's degree in their field have an edge in the job market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Undergraduate graphic arts degree programs teach design theory and specialized software skills essential to a working graphic designer. Graphic artists prepare a portfolio of their best work to show to prospective employers.
  
  

Entry Level Salaries

• Salaries for entry level graphic artists with a bachelors degree averaged $36,000 per year, according to the AIGA Aquent Survey of Design Salaries 2010. This figure was up 2.9 percent from an average of $35,000 for 2009. AIGA is a professional association of designers.
  
  

Geographic Differences

• The salary a graphic artist makes in a year varies according to location. Graphic artists in Minnesota took home $46,220 per year, with Utah graphic artists earning $42,550, according to the May 2009 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. California graphic artists earned an average of $57,180 per year, with 27,990 jobs in the state. San Francisco area graphic artists did even better with an average annual salary of $74,660.
  
  

Pay by Industry

• Graphic artist pay varies by industry. Those in the federal executive branch earned the highest rate by at $74,030 per year, according to the bureau. Graphic artists working in the advertising and public relations industry earned an average annual salary of $48,210, while graphic designers working in the traditional print and publishing industry earned an average annual salary of $41,600. According to the AIGA 2010 survey, graphic artists working at web design firms earned an average of $42,500 per year.
  
  

Senior Design Salaries

• Those graphic artists who advance to supervisory or senior positions can expect to make more. Senior graphic designers earned an average salary of $61,500. Art directors made an average of $70,000 per year, with creative directors earning an average of $91,000. Salary figures are from the AIGA 2010 survey.