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Designer Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Designers expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Designers in a startup is 94k per year, with a range from 45k to 205k. The salary range for Designers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
94.3k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Designer salary is $94,292, which is 26.9% lower than the average startup salary of $129,000. Designer salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$164,958/yr
Range $106k - $205k
Average
$94,292/yr
Range $78k - $110k
Below Average
$74,792/yr
Range $45k - $93k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Designer can get in Chicago, that is $200,000. This pay is 112.1% higher than the average Designer salary in startups, which is $94,292. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Chicago (avg $200,000 per year), Minneapolis (avg $200,000 per year), San Francisco Bay Area (avg $165,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Chicago
$200k
Minneapolis
$200k
Toronto
$150k
Remote
$135k
Denver
$92.5k
San Diego
View SalariesSydney
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View SalariesSanta Monica
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View SalariesNew York
View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Designer can get in Social Commerce, that is $490,000. This pay is 99.1% higher than the average Designer salary, which is $246,100. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Social Commerce (avg $490,000 per year), Online Shopping (avg $262,500 per year), Internet Infrastructure (avg $232,500 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Designer can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $102,000. This pay is 8.2% higher than the average Designer salary, which is $94,292. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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