Graphic designer job description template

What a graphic designer does

Graphic designers turn ideas into visuals that people notice and remember, from ads and social posts to packaging and presentations. Designers judge a posting by the work it describes and the team they'd join. Say what they'll design most often, the brand maturity, and the tools you use. Asking for a portfolio is standard. Asking for unpaid spec work isn't, and it drives away strong candidates.

Graphic designer job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Graphic designer

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: [Exempt or nonexempt]
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per year]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're looking for a graphic designer to create clear, on-brand visuals for our [marketing, product, or brand] work across digital and print.

What you'll do
- Design marketing assets, including ads, social graphics, emails, and landing pages.
- Create presentations, sales materials, and print collateral.
- Apply and evolve brand guidelines across every touchpoint.
- Work with copywriters, marketers, and product teams from brief to final file.
- Prepare files for print and digital production.
- Manage several projects and deadlines at once.
- Present concepts and take feedback well.
- Keep design files and asset libraries organized.

What you'll need
- Portfolio showing strong design work across digital and print.
- Expert skills in [Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma].
- Strong typography, layout, and color skills.
- Ability to meet deadlines and handle feedback.

Nice to have
- Bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related field.
- Motion graphics or video editing skills.
- Experience in [industry].

Skills
Visual design, Typography, Layout, Brand consistency, Collaboration, Time management.

Physical demands and work environment
Office, hybrid, or remote setting. Mostly seated computer work.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per year], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• List the mix of digital and print work.
• Name the tools the team uses.
• Say how the design team is structured.
• Don't ask for unpaid spec work.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a graphic designer

Half of US graphic designers earned more than $30.27 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Depends on duties. Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Graphic designers may be exempt under the creative professional exemption if their primary duty requires invention, imagination, originality, or talent, and they're paid on a salary basis above the threshold. Designers who mostly resize, format, or produce files to set templates are often nonexempt. Clarify in the offer who owns the work, because work made by employees within the scope of their job generally belongs to the employer.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. Walk me through a project in your portfolio from brief to final.
2. How do you handle feedback you disagree with?
3. How do you keep a brand consistent across many people creating content?
4. Tell me about a time you had to deliver under a tight deadline.

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions