Graphic Designers salary in Honolulu, HI
Median pay for graphic designers in Honolulu, HI: $51,150/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $37,220 – $92,360 · about 350 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($50,005) by +$1,145 (+2%).
What it's really worth in Honolulu
With Honolulu's cost of living at 111 (US=100), that $51,150 has the buying power of about $45,906 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $99,816 · median home $851,163 · median rent $2,980/mo.
How Honolulu ranks for this job
On raw pay, Honolulu, HI is 80th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once Honolulu's cost of living is applied, it ranks 173rd.
The headline number flatters Honolulu. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, graphic designers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Honolulu
A median home in Honolulu, HI costs $851,163 — about 16.6× 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 $2,980/mo works out at 70% 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 Honolulu.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Honolulu | Rent vs Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $96,260 | +88% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $92,380 | +81% | 1.1× |
| Washington, DC | $80,100 | +57% | 0.8× |
| New York, NY | $75,900 | +48% | 1.2× |
Other jobs in Honolulu
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.