Graphic Designers Salary — Santa Rosa, California

The average Graphic Designers in Santa Rosa, California earns $82,320 a year.

$82,320 / year, mean
↑ 15.3% above national average 85th percentile in California

Santa Rosa pays well above most of California for this role, landing in the top third statewide. That's a solid premium over the national average for graphic designers. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a reasonably reliable estimate, though the underlying sample is moderate in size.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
210
Estimate confidence
RSE 5.6%
Cost of living 108 #17 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $796,761 #11 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $102,840 #9 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Santa Rosa ranks #17 for cost of living and #11 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $107,360 San Francisco $102,130 Portland $92,530 New York $85,950 Santa Maria $84,370 Santa Rosa $82,320 Seattle $82,290 Los Angeles $81,680 Vallejo $81,440 Kennewick $80,400 Sacramento $80,000 Napa $79,990 Oxnard $79,010 Baltimore $76,720 Trenton $75,470 Riverside $74,730 Bremerton $73,890 Modesto $73,700 Santa Cruz $73,440 Salinas $73,390 Kiryas Joel $73,220 Naples $72,560 Miami $71,980 Lexington Park $71,910 Chicago $71,470 Palm Bay $70,940 Rochester $70,930 Richmond $70,860 Olympia $70,580 Crestview $70,430 Austin $70,170 Atlantic City $70,080 Philadelphia $69,820 Albany $69,460 Charlottesville $69,400 Bakersfield $69,300 Gettysburg $69,280 Visalia $68,330 Stockton $68,010 Indianapolis $67,880 Merced $67,450 Jacksonville $67,240 Orlando $66,830 Sebastian $66,470 Ithaca $66,330 Tallahassee $66,020 Tampa $66,000 Dallas $65,930 Bellingham $65,560 Salem $65,470 Virginia Beach $65,450 Winchester $65,150 Fresno $64,870 Buffalo $64,820 Jackson $64,630 Port St. Lucie $64,570 Lafayette $64,180 San Antonio $63,980 Bloomington $63,960 Bend $63,830 Detroit $63,800 Gainesville $63,490 Chico $63,400 Bloomington $63,330 Fort Myers $63,210 Utica $62,780 Kingston $62,520 Yakima $62,430 Midland $61,880 Ann Arbor $61,640 Panama City $61,550 Erie $61,300 Spokane $61,210 Roanoke $61,180 Salisbury $61,060 Punta Gorda $61,020 Pittsburgh $61,000 Harrisburg $60,970 Allentown $60,960 Harrisonburg $60,790 Glens Falls $60,730 Eugene $60,710 Niles $60,590 Lexington $60,530 Peoria $60,530 Battle Creek $60,300 Champaign $60,300 Williamsport $60,230 Lansing $59,870 York $59,870 Pensacola $59,850 Louisville $59,810 Grand Rapids $59,770 Lakeland $59,700 Kalamazoo $59,550 Killeen $59,530 Houston $59,400 Lancaster $59,370 Sarasota $59,170 Waco $59,140 Fort Wayne $59,120 Deltona $58,580 State College $58,570 Albany $58,550 Staunton $58,520 Reading $58,460 Lebanon $58,180 Syracuse $58,180 Ocala $57,940 El Centro $57,800 Springfield $57,720 Blacksburg $57,510 Elizabethtown $57,340 Rockford $56,460 Hagerstown $56,230 San Angelo $56,220 Scranton $56,150 Decatur $56,080 Evansville $55,910 Binghamton $55,510 Elkhart $55,220 South Bend $55,090 College Station $54,990 Muskegon $54,810 Altoona $54,730 Dover $54,360 Traverse City $54,340 Michigan City $54,300 Flint $54,160 Chambersburg $54,090 Midland $53,660 Lynchburg $52,910 Longview $52,880 Saginaw $51,880 Amarillo $51,120 Brownsville $51,110 Bowling Green $51,050 Corpus Christi $51,040 Texarkana $50,770 Abilene $50,590 Beaumont $50,530 El Paso $50,310 Terre Haute $50,030 Sherman $49,800 Johnstown $49,000 Tyler $48,920 Muncie $48,290 Lubbock $48,020 Parkersburg $47,620 Wichita Falls $46,780 Odessa $46,580 McAllen $46,380 Morgantown $45,500 Owensboro $44,650 Laredo $44,290 Wheeling $43,870 Huntington $42,600 Charleston $42,550
CityMean salaryvs. Santa Rosa
Abilene, Texas$50,590-38.5%
Albany, Oregon$58,550-28.9%
Albany, New York$69,460-15.6%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$60,960-25.9%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$54,730-33.5%
Amarillo, Texas$51,120-37.9%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$61,640-25.1%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$70,080-14.9%
Austin, Texas$70,170-14.8%
Bakersfield, California$69,300-15.8%
Baltimore, Maryland$76,720-6.8%
Battle Creek, Michigan$60,300-26.7%
Beaumont, Texas$50,530-38.6%
Bellingham, Washington$65,560-20.4%
Bend, Oregon$63,830-22.5%
Binghamton, New York$55,510-32.6%
Blacksburg, Virginia$57,510-30.1%
Bloomington, Illinois$63,960-22.3%
Bloomington, Indiana$63,330-23.1%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$51,050-38.0%
Bremerton, Washington$73,890-10.2%
Brownsville, Texas$51,110-37.9%
Buffalo, New York$64,820-21.3%
Fort Myers, Florida$63,210-23.2%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$54,090-34.3%
Champaign, Illinois$60,300-26.7%
Charleston, West Virginia$42,550-48.3%
Charlottesville, Virginia$69,400-15.7%
Chicago, Illinois$71,470-13.2%
Chico, California$63,400-23.0%
College Station, Texas$54,990-33.2%
Corpus Christi, Texas$51,040-38.0%
Crestview, Florida$70,430-14.4%
Dallas, Texas$65,930-19.9%
Decatur, Illinois$56,080-31.9%
Deltona, Florida$58,580-28.8%
Detroit, Michigan$63,800-22.5%
Dover, Delaware$54,360-34.0%
El Centro, California$57,800-29.8%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$57,340-30.3%
Elkhart, Indiana$55,220-32.9%
El Paso, Texas$50,310-38.9%
Erie, Pennsylvania$61,300-25.5%
Eugene, Oregon$60,710-26.3%
Evansville, Indiana$55,910-32.1%
Flint, Michigan$54,160-34.2%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$59,120-28.2%
Fresno, California$64,870-21.2%
Gainesville, Florida$63,490-22.9%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$69,280-15.8%
Glens Falls, New York$60,730-26.2%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$59,770-27.4%
Hagerstown, Maryland$56,230-31.7%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$60,970-25.9%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$60,790-26.2%
Houston, Texas$59,400-27.8%
Huntington, West Virginia$42,600-48.3%
Indianapolis, Indiana$67,880-17.5%
Ithaca, New York$66,330-19.4%
Jackson, Michigan$64,630-21.5%
Jacksonville, Florida$67,240-18.3%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$49,000-40.5%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$59,550-27.7%
Kennewick, Washington$80,400-2.3%
Killeen, Texas$59,530-27.7%
Kingston, New York$62,520-24.1%
Kiryas Joel, New York$73,220-11.1%
Lafayette, Indiana$64,180-22.0%
Lakeland, Florida$59,700-27.5%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$59,370-27.9%
Lansing, Michigan$59,870-27.3%
Laredo, Texas$44,290-46.2%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$58,180-29.3%
Lexington, Kentucky$60,530-26.5%
Lexington Park, Maryland$71,910-12.6%
Longview, Texas$52,880-35.8%
Los Angeles, California$81,680-0.8%
Louisville, Kentucky$59,810-27.3%
Lubbock, Texas$48,020-41.7%
Lynchburg, Virginia$52,910-35.7%
McAllen, Texas$46,380-43.7%
Merced, California$67,450-18.1%
Miami, Florida$71,980-12.6%
Michigan City, Indiana$54,300-34.0%
Midland, Michigan$53,660-34.8%
Midland, Texas$61,880-24.8%
Modesto, California$73,700-10.5%
Morgantown, West Virginia$45,500-44.7%
Muncie, Indiana$48,290-41.3%
Muskegon, Michigan$54,810-33.4%
Napa, California$79,990-2.8%
Naples, Florida$72,560-11.9%
New York, New York$85,950+4.4%
Niles, Michigan$60,590-26.4%
Sarasota, Florida$59,170-28.1%
Ocala, Florida$57,940-29.6%
Odessa, Texas$46,580-43.4%
Olympia, Washington$70,580-14.3%
Orlando, Florida$66,830-18.8%
Owensboro, Kentucky$44,650-45.8%
Oxnard, California$79,010-4.0%
Palm Bay, Florida$70,940-13.8%
Panama City, Florida$61,550-25.2%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$47,620-42.2%
Pensacola, Florida$59,850-27.3%
Peoria, Illinois$60,530-26.5%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$69,820-15.2%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$61,000-25.9%
Portland, Oregon$92,530+12.4%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$64,570-21.6%
Punta Gorda, Florida$61,020-25.9%
Reading, Pennsylvania$58,460-29.0%
Richmond, Virginia$70,860-13.9%
Riverside, California$74,730-9.2%
Roanoke, Virginia$61,180-25.7%
Rochester, New York$70,930-13.8%
Rockford, Illinois$56,460-31.4%
Sacramento, California$80,000-2.8%
Saginaw, Michigan$51,880-37.0%
Salem, Oregon$65,470-20.5%
Salinas, California$73,390-10.8%
Salisbury, Maryland$61,060-25.8%
San Angelo, Texas$56,220-31.7%
San Antonio, Texas$63,980-22.3%
San Francisco, California$102,130+24.1%
San Jose, California$107,360+30.4%
Santa Cruz, California$73,440-10.8%
Santa Maria, California$84,370+2.5%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$56,150-31.8%
Seattle, Washington$82,290-0.0%
Sebastian, Florida$66,470-19.3%
Sherman, Texas$49,800-39.5%
South Bend, Indiana$55,090-33.1%
Spokane, Washington$61,210-25.6%
Springfield, Illinois$57,720-29.9%
State College, Pennsylvania$58,570-28.9%
Staunton, Virginia$58,520-28.9%
Stockton, California$68,010-17.4%
Syracuse, New York$58,180-29.3%
Tallahassee, Florida$66,020-19.8%
Tampa, Florida$66,000-19.8%
Terre Haute, Indiana$50,030-39.2%
Texarkana, Texas$50,770-38.3%
Traverse City, Michigan$54,340-34.0%
Trenton, New Jersey$75,470-8.3%
Tyler, Texas$48,920-40.6%
Utica, New York$62,780-23.7%
Vallejo, California$81,440-1.1%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$65,450-20.5%
Visalia, California$68,330-17.0%
Waco, Texas$59,140-28.2%
Wheeling, West Virginia$43,870-46.7%
Wichita Falls, Texas$46,780-43.2%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$60,230-26.8%
Winchester, Virginia$65,150-20.9%
Yakima, Washington$62,430-24.2%
York, Pennsylvania$59,870-27.3%
Gross salary
82,320/yr
Estimated take-home
63,178/yr
Est. total withheld
23.3%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Graphic Designers salaries in California → All Graphic Designers salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Santa Rosa

These notes add local color around Santa Rosa, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 27-1024 SOC code
Official area Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 42220 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
Petaluma
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
485,642