Declining
Creative
Graphic designer
#39Declining
Key facts
−1.7%jobs, 2025 to 2035
United StatesThis job is declining in the United States. According to the BLS, automated design tools, including AI, reduce the need for graphic designers. Future-proof jobs use similar skills: see "What next?".
The job
Creates visuals (logos, posters, illustrations, layouts) for a brand's or a project's communication.
260 job titles linked to this page
Titles from the European ESCO classification. They are also used for search.
- 2D animation artist
- 2D animation designer
- 2D animation specialist
- 2D animator
- 2D computer animation artist
- 2D hand-drawn animator
- 2D layout animator
- 2D layout artist
- 2D stop-motion animator
- 3D animation artist
- 3D animation designer
- 3D animation specialist
- 3D animator
- 3D animators
- 3D artist
- 3D computer animation artist
- 3D computer-generated imagery animator
- 3D designer
- 3D developer
- 3D digital artist
- 3D digital matte painter
- 3D layout animator
- 3D layout artist
- 3D modeller
- 3D modellers
- 3D specialist
- 3D stop-motion animator
- 3D texturing artist
- advanced desktop publilsher
- adventure film maker
- advertising art director
- advertising artist
- animated movie director
- animation artist
- animation design director
- animation designer
- animation director
- animation layout artist
- animation layout designer
- animation process director
- animation production designer
- animation specialist
- animation supervisor
- animation technical director
- animations director
- animator
- animators
- art department lead
- art department manager
- art department supervisor
- art director
- artistic projects manager
- background layout artist
- betting games creator
- betting, gambling, and lottery games designer
- betting, gaming, and lottery games designer
- betting, lottery, and gambling games designer
- betting, lottery, and gaming games designer
- book illustrator
- camera and lighting director
- cartoon animation director
- cartoon animator
- cartoon drawer
- cartoonist
- casting coordinator
- casting director
- casting recruiter
- CGI animator
- CGI designer
- CGI modeller
- character animation director
- children's book illustrator
- cinematographer
- circus director
- colorist
- colourist
- comic book illustrator
- comic drawer
- comic strip artist
- comic strip designer
- commercial designer
- commercial graphic designer
- computer animation artist
- computer animator
- computer artist
- computer games designer
- computer-generated imagery animator
- computer-generated imagery artist
- computer-generated imagery modeller
- court room sketcher
- creative director
- designer
- desktop designer
- desktop publisher
- desktop publishing graphic designer
- desktop-publishing editor
- digital artist
- digital compositor
- digital designer and animator
- digital effects artist
- digital effects specialist
- digital environment artist
- digital game designer
- digital games artist
- digital games designer
- digital games designers
- digital matte artist
- digital matte painter
- digital media designer
- digital media designers
- digital media developer
- digital media engineer
- digital multimedia designer
- digital sculptor
- digital scupltress
- director
- director of animation
- director of animations
- director of photography
- director of technical arts
- drawer
- drawing artist
- DTP operator
- electronic pre-press technician
- electronic publisher
- electronic-publishing specialist
- executive of casting
- extras casting director
- film animation director
- film casting director
- film director
- film maker
- film production designer
- film-maker
- financial desktop publisher
- gambling games creator
- gambling games designer
- gambling, betting, and lottery games designer
- gambling, lottery, and betting games designer
- games creator
- games designer
- gaming, betting, and lottery games designer
- gaming, lottery, and betting games designer
- graphic artist
- graphic design expert
- graphic design specialist
- graphic designer
- graphics & video designer
- graphics and video designer
- graphics designer
- hand-drawn animator
- head of camera and lighting crew
- head of technical
- head of technical department
- illustrator
- inker
- interactive media designer
- layout animator
- layout artist
- layout editor
- layout technical director
- lead layout artist
- lighting art director
- lighting cameraman
- lighting designer & director
- lighting designer and director
- lighting director
- lighting supervisor
- lottery games creator
- lottery games designer
- lottery, betting, and gambling games designer
- lottery, betting, and gaming games designer
- lottery, gambling, and betting games designer
- lottery, gaming, and betting games designer
- maestro
- mechanical animation director
- medical illustrator
- model animator
- motion picture casting director
- motion picture director
- motion picture lighting director
- movie casting director
- movie director
- multimedia developer
- new media designer
- penciler
- photography director
- production design manager
- production designer
- projection & video designer
- projection and video designer
- projection designer
- publications specialist
- puppet animator
- pyrographic artist
- scene director
- senior desktop publisher
- senior director of photography
- senior layout artist
- senior special effects artist
- sequence animation director
- series director
- set up technical director
- special effect image designer
- special effects animator
- special effects artist
- special effects digital artist
- special effects specialist
- special effects technician
- stage director
- stage manager
- stage supervisor
- stop motion animation artist
- stop motion animation designer
- stop motion animation specialist
- stop motion animator
- stop motion animators
- stop motion artist
- stop-motion animation artist
- stop-motion animator
- stop-motion artist
- stop-motion clay animator
- stop-motion puppet animator
- storyboard artist
- supervising animator
- talent booker
- talent director
- tattoo drawer
- technical and operations director
- technical animation supervisor
- technical director
- technical manager
- technical supervisor
- television and motion picture director
- television director
- television lighting director
- television lighting supervisor
- television production designer
- theater director
- theatre director
- traditional animator
- TV casting director
- TV director
- TV lighting director
- TV lighting supervisor
- TV production designer
- video & graphics designer
- video & projection designer
- video and graphics designer
- video and motion picture director
- video and projection designer
- video designer
- video director
- video games designer
- video jockey
- virtual games designer
- visual art director
- visual designer
- visual effects artist
- web publications designer
What next?
Future-proof jobs that draw on skills close to this one. They are leads to explore, not an assessment of your profile.
- ChangingUX / UI designer
- ChangingData scientist
- ChangingLandscape gardener
Indicative matches: at launch they will come from the skills listed in official occupational directories.
Gauges
Risk 5/5 · Very high
AI exposureVery highBLS AI exposure category "very high" (2026), higher than the ILO 2025 index (medium)
Employment outlookDeclineBLS, 2025-2035 projections (Graphic designers)
Hiring difficultyNot availableNo US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job
PayAverageBLS, 2025 median annual wage: $62,960
EntryLongBLS, typical education needed for entry
No US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job: this gauge stays empty. How countries are compared
Sources
The BLS projects 253,100 jobs in 2025 and 248,800 in 2035. It says automated design tools, including AI, make designers more productive and reduce demand. The WEF has also added graphic designers to its declining jobs. In France, by contrast, the Métiers 2030 projections expect +5% for arts and performance professionals, a family that includes graphic designers. The ILO notes rising automation scores for media and web jobs, driven by image, voice and video generation.
- AI exposure categories and employment projections, 2025-2035 (XLSX file)Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States · August 2026 · official statistics
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Graphic DesignersBureau of Labor Statistics, United States · official statistics
- Future of Jobs Report 2025World Economic Forum · January 2025 · large survey
- Generative AI and Jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposureInternational Labour Organization and NASK · May 2025 · large survey
- Jobs in 2030: projections by occupational family (summary table)Dares and France Stratégie · March 2022 · official statistics
Checked on 27 October 2026.