What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Entry Level Illustrator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Entry Level Illustrator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA (135.1% above average), followed by Gwynn Oak, MD and Burlingame, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Berkeley, CA $139,519 $11,626 $2,683 $67.08 Gwynn Oak, MD $133,723 $11,143 $2,571 $64.29 Burlingame, CA $131,405 $10,950 $2,527 $63.18 Bellingham, WA $131,267 $10,938 $2,524 $63.11 Lafayette, CO $123,890 $10,324 $2,382 $59.56 Pennington County, SD $116,996 $9,749 $2,249 $56.25 The Colony, TX $113,941 $9,495 $2,191 $54.78 O'Fallon, MO $111,116 $9,259 $2,136 $53.42 Milford, CT $110,396 $9,199 $2,123 $53.08 Buford, GA $109,922 $9,160 $2,113 $52.85

Entry Level Illustrator

Entry Level Illustrator Salary

Q: How much does an Entry Level Illustrator make?

The average annual pay for an entry level illustrator in the United States is $59,345 a year — that works out to approximately $28.53 an hour. The middle 80% of Entry Level Illustrators earn between $35,500 (10th percentile) and $94,500 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Illustrator Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Entry Level Illustrator in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Digital Animation at $38,927 (65.6%) above Entry Level Illustrator. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Digital Animation $98,272 $8,189 $1,889 $47.25 Senior Motion Graphics Designer $76,634 $6,386 $1,473 $36.84 Graphic Design Supervisor $72,110 $6,009 $1,386 $34.67 Campaign Designer $57,610 $4,800 $1,107 $27.70 Junior Graphic Designer $48,142 $4,011 $925 $23.15

$32.5K

$57K

$95.5K

$59,345

/year

$28.53

/hour

Entry Level Illustrator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$59,345

Columbus

Ohio

$57,322

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How much does an Entry Level Illustrator make?

As of Aug 24, 2026, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Illustrator in the United States is $59,345 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.53 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,141/week or $4,945/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $95,500 and as low as $32,500, the majority of Entry Level Illustrator salaries currently range between $38,500 (25th percentile) to $68,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $94,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Entry Level Illustrator varies greatly (by as much as 29500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Entry Level Illustrator in your area makes on average $57,322 per year, or $2,023 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $59,345. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Entry Level Illustrator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Entry Level Illustrator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Entry Level Illustrator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry Level Illustrator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Entry Level Illustrator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Gwynn Oak, MD, and Burlingame, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Burlingame, CA, beats the national average by $72,060 (121.4%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $80,174 (135.1%) above the $59,345 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Entry Level Illustrator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 23% between Berkeley, CA, and Buford, GA, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for an Entry Level Illustrator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Berkeley, CA	$139,519	$11,626	$2,683	$67.08
Gwynn Oak, MD	$133,723	$11,143	$2,571	$64.29
Burlingame, CA	$131,405	$10,950	$2,527	$63.18
Bellingham, WA	$131,267	$10,938	$2,524	$63.11
Lafayette, CO	$123,890	$10,324	$2,382	$59.56
Pennington County, SD	$116,996	$9,749	$2,249	$56.25
The Colony, TX	$113,941	$9,495	$2,191	$54.78
O'Fallon, MO	$111,116	$9,259	$2,136	$53.42
Milford, CT	$110,396	$9,199	$2,123	$53.08
Buford, GA	$109,922	$9,160	$2,113	$52.85

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Illustrator Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Entry Level Illustrator category.

For example Digital Animation jobs pay as much as $38,927 (65.6%) more than the average Entry Level Illustrator salary of $59,345. If you're qualified, finding work as an Digital Animation may help you make more money than that of the average Entry Level Illustrator position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Digital Animation	$98,272	$8,189	$1,889	$47.25
Senior Motion Graphics Designer	$76,634	$6,386	$1,473	$36.84
Graphic Design Supervisor	$72,110	$6,009	$1,386	$34.67
Campaign Designer	$57,610	$4,800	$1,107	$27.70
Junior Graphic Designer	$48,142	$4,011	$925	$23.15

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Entry Level Illustrator salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $59,345 per year or $28.53 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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