11 Cities with the Highest Demand for Web Designers

Knowing the 11 cities with the highest demand for web designers is crucial when deciding a career change, move, or a place to become more creative. Tech jobs are on the rise in current app and web culture, so it’s no surprise that many of these jobs are in big cities.

It’s important to note that web designers and web developers are different. Designers create the way a webpage is going to look; developers write the codes that yield the created design.

Value Penguin compiled information on popular cities for web designers and ranked them based on an average of the location quotient, average salary, number of jobs available, and cost of living in that particular city. The most important thing to consider, however, is the number of jobs available. Salary is important as well, but for an entry level designer getting a foot in the door at a job likely takes precedence. This shows that a city demands web designers, regardless of the salary. The national average is about $50,670.

Because of today’s design-centric marketplace led by Apple, Facebook, and Square, web design has become increasingly more important this past decade. This has led to over 150,000 open web design jobs. Design and planning are so increasingly important to employers who want to take their company to the next level. People are less likely to interact with a webpage that has poor design than they are with one that’s designed to not only look beautiful but work well. Bigger cities tend to have a greater demand for web designers simply because more companies are based in these areas.

The great thing about this career path is a large amount of people in this field who don’t have college degrees or coding experience. The most important thing is the portfolio, which shows you can get the job done and have a unique style and skill set to bring to a position. Most employers desire designers who are skilled in Photoshop, but others prefer skills in Sketch. Regardless, having a solid portfolio will put you above other candidates.

If you’re a software engineer looking for a city suited to your needs, you might want to check out the 11 Cities with the Highest Demand for Software Engineers.

Without further ado, let’s start with our list of 11 cities with the highest demand for web designers!

11. Seattle, WA

Jobs: 2,850

Home of Microsoft’s offices, Seattle has a great need for web designers. While not necessarily all for Microsoft, this city is a hub for creative individuals inspired by such a unique place. The average salary here falls around $60,230.

10. San Francisco, CA

Jobs: 3,030

While the Bay Area is teeming with jobs in tech, it falters a little when it comes to its demand for web designers. Even so, it makes the top 11, as app and web developers need someone to design the pages they put to life. The average salary in this area is the highest at $77,940, which helps to balance out the fact that this city also has the highest cost of living.

9. Boston, MA

Jobs: 3,100

Even though the salary here is just above the national average at $55,320, there are plenty of jobs available. This makes it a great city demanding web designer presence.

8. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA

Jobs: 3,290

This is another city where the salary isn’t too far above the average, coming in at about $52,880. However, it’s a place with a lot of job opportunities and it’s not too terribly expensive to live. It’s a nice city to get started on the job search.

7. Philadelphia, PA

Jobs: 3,820

The average salary for web designers here is about $55,580, and it’s a city with a fairly average cost of living. Philadelphia is home to a lot of creativity and need for design.

6. Washington, DC

Jobs: 4,450

We’re halfway through our list of the cities with the highest demand for web designers and the salary in this city comes in on the higher end at $64,430. With such a demand for jobs as well it’s no wonder this city is in the top 10. 

5. Minneapolis, MN

Jobs: 4,270

Despite the salary being closer to the average, around $53,800, there’s a lot of job opportunity. Minneapolis may not be popular, but it sure has one of the largest demands for web designers.

4. Atlanta, GA

Jobs: 4,930

Atlanta has a surprisingly high number of jobs available. The salary here is also on the lower end at $52,890, but the cost of living is low to help balance it out and provide a comfortable lifestyle for a southern designer.

3. Chicago, IL

Jobs: 7,130

While the average salary in Chicago is just a touch above the national average at $53,190, it still ranks as a city with a high demand for web design. Big cities like this one crave creativity and fresh design for webpages.

2. Los Angeles, CA

Jobs: 9,600

Home to Hollywood filmmaking and the stars, Los Angeles is one of the cities with high demand for web designers. Most of the design work here is for the movie industry. The average salary here is moderate, coming in at about $57,500.

1. New York, NY

Jobs: 14,620

It’s no surprise that New York is at the top of the list of cities with the highest demand for web designers, as the city is so populated there are plenty of available jobs. New companies and creatives always have the highest demand for web designers. New York City has the second-highest cost of living, but fortunately, the average salary is fairly above the average at $65,430.