Graphic Designers salary in Fort Collins, CO
Median pay for graphic designers in Fort Collins, CO: $55,380/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $40,980 – $85,330 · about 400 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($50,005) by +$5,375 (+11%).
What it's really worth in Fort Collins
With Fort Collins's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $55,380 has the buying power of about $56,912 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $87,199 · median home $556,500 · median rent $1,928/mo.
How Fort Collins ranks for this job
On raw pay, Fort Collins, CO is 57th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once Fort Collins's cost of living is applied, it ranks 51st.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Fort Collins sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Fort Collins
A median home in Fort Collins, CO costs $556,500 — about 10× 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 $1,928/mo works out at 42% 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 Fort Collins.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Collins | Rent vs Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $96,260 | +74% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $92,380 | +67% | 1.7× |
| Washington, DC | $80,100 | +45% | 1.3× |
| New York, NY | $75,900 | +37% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in CO
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Collins | Rent vs Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $65,520 | +18% | 1× |
| Boulder, CO | $62,000 | +12% | 1.2× |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $56,930 | +3% | 0.9× |
| Greeley, CO | $53,990 | −3% | 0.9× |
Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires graphic designers around Fort Collins
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Broadcom Inc · Tech
- Hewlett Packard Enterprises · Tech
- Intel Corporation · Tech
Other jobs in Fort Collins
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.