Graphic Designers salary in Buffalo, NY

Median pay for graphic designers in Buffalo, NY: $53,670/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,960 – $86,720 · about 630 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($50,005) by +$3,665 (+7%).

What it's really worth in Buffalo

With Buffalo's cost of living at 95 (US=100), that $53,670 has the buying power of about $56,542 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $67,638 · median home $288,316 · median rent $1,444/mo.

Full Buffalo cost of living & taxes →

How Buffalo ranks for this job

On raw pay, Buffalo, NY is 64th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once Buffalo's cost of living is applied, it ranks 54th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Buffalo sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Buffalo

A median home in Buffalo, NY costs $288,316 — about 5.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,444/mo works out at 32% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.

Where graphic designers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Buffalo.

Metro	Median pay	vs Buffalo	Rent vs Buffalo
San Jose, CA	$96,260	+79%	2.5×
San Francisco, CA	$92,380	+72%	2.3×
Washington, DC	$80,100	+49%	1.7×
New York, NY	$75,900	+41%	2.4×

Same job elsewhere in NY

Metro	Median pay	vs Buffalo	Rent vs Buffalo
New York, NY	$75,900	+41%	2.4×
Rochester, NY	$59,720	+11%	1.1×
Albany, NY	$58,720	+9%	1.2×
Syracuse, NY	$54,790	+2%	1.1×

Staying in NY keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires graphic designers around Buffalo

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Tops Markets · Retail

Other jobs in Buffalo