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Designer
Chicago
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Designer Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026

How much does a Designer expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for Designers in Chicago-based startups is 110k per year, with a range from 45k to 200k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Designers in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.

110.0k

Average Salary

2 years

Average years of experience

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Salary

By quarter
The average salary for a Designer in Chicago is $110,000, which is 2.5% lower than the average Chicago startup salary of$112,875. Designer salaries in Chicago are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.

Top of market

$110,000/yr

Range $73k - $200k

Average

$110,000/yr

Range $73k - $200k

Below Average

$76,500/yr

Range $45k - $93k


Industries

The highest average salary a Designer in Chicago can get in Nonprofits, that is $200,000. This pay is 93.7% higher than the average Designer salary in Chicago, which is $103,250. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Nonprofits (avg $200,000 per year), Small and Medium Businesses (avg $92,500 per year), Digital Marketing (avg $92,500 per year).

Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary a Designer in Chicago can get with 4-6 years of experience, that is $35,000. This pay is 69.0% lower than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $112,875. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.