Graphic Designers salary in Milwaukee, WI

Median pay for graphic designers in Milwaukee, WI: $55,760/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $38,180 – $79,980 · about 1,580 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($50,005) by +$5,755 (+12%).

What it's really worth in Milwaukee

With Milwaukee's cost of living at 96 (US=100), that $55,760 has the buying power of about $58,282 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $72,937 · median home $390,238 · median rent $1,538/mo.

Full Milwaukee cost of living & taxes →

How Milwaukee ranks for this job

On raw pay, Milwaukee, WI is 56th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once Milwaukee's cost of living is applied, it ranks 35th.

Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Milwaukee is one of the places where graphic designers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.

What that salary buys in Milwaukee

A median home in Milwaukee, WI costs $390,238 — about 7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,538/mo works out at 33% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.

Where graphic designers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Milwaukee.

Metro	Median pay	vs Milwaukee	Rent vs Milwaukee
San Jose, CA	$96,260	+73%	2.4×
San Francisco, CA	$92,380	+66%	2.1×
Washington, DC	$80,100	+44%	1.6×
New York, NY	$75,900	+36%	2.3×

Same job elsewhere in WI

Metro	Median pay	vs Milwaukee	Rent vs Milwaukee
Madison, WI	$57,380	+3%	1.1×
Appleton, WI	$52,370	−6%	0.8×
Green Bay, WI	$51,350	−8%	0.8×

Staying in WI keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Other jobs in Milwaukee