Your work. Your records.
Graphic Designer Workplace Records Guide
A graphic designer's output may change after several rounds of layout review. An employment timeline should show the brief you received, requested revisions and approval authority rather than treating every version as a separate missed expectation.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Brief version
Record the initial deliverables and the date you received enough information to begin them.
Approval sequence
Identify who reviewed the layout and whether their feedback replaced an earlier instruction.
Production time
Separate layout work, requested revisions and final preparation in your own time notes.
Start with the work you actually do
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Graphic Designers (27-1024.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.Source task 307 · updated 08/2023
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.Source task 304 · updated 08/2023
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.Source task 300 · updated 08/2023
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.Source task 306 · updated 08/2023
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Graphic Designers (SOC 27-1024). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $18.77 | $24.55 | $32.42 | $51,070 |
| Alaska | $21.73 | $30.08 | $37.49 | $62,570 |
| Arizona | $24.16 | $28.13 | $36.20 | $58,510 |
| Arkansas | $18.04 | $22.22 | $28.00 | $46,220 |
| Connecticut | $28.13 | $34.95 | $40.77 | $72,700 |
| Delaware | $23.58 | $28.91 | $36.93 | $60,130 |
| Florida | $23.80 | $29.65 | $38.79 | $61,660 |
| Georgia | $21.51 | $28.97 | $37.34 | $60,250 |
| Hawaii | $22.18 | $27.92 | $37.70 | $58,070 |
| Idaho | $19.68 | $24.21 | $31.04 | $50,350 |
| Indiana | $22.41 | $26.67 | $33.78 | $55,480 |
| Iowa | $21.45 | $24.19 | $30.60 | $50,310 |
| Kansas | $21.05 | $25.79 | $31.04 | $53,630 |
| Kentucky | $20.29 | $25.46 | $31.41 | $52,960 |
| Louisiana | $20.50 | $23.99 | $30.08 | $49,910 |
| Maine | $23.00 | $28.86 | $35.64 | $60,030 |
| Michigan | $22.29 | $27.57 | $33.85 | $57,350 |
| Minnesota | $24.79 | $30.70 | $37.68 | $63,860 |
| Mississippi | $17.97 | $21.94 | $27.75 | $45,640 |
| Missouri | $21.84 | $27.28 | $34.10 | $56,750 |
| Montana | $20.98 | $27.35 | $34.13 | $56,890 |
| Nebraska | $22.31 | $27.26 | $31.53 | $56,700 |
| New Hampshire | $25.40 | $29.08 | $37.59 | $60,490 |
| New Mexico | $20.18 | $27.27 | $33.90 | $56,730 |
| New York | $28.18 | $37.19 | $48.25 | $77,340 |
| North Carolina | $22.46 | $28.10 | $35.78 | $58,450 |
| North Dakota | $21.77 | $27.15 | $30.66 | $56,470 |
| Ohio | $22.78 | $28.88 | $37.09 | $60,080 |
| Oklahoma | $18.95 | $25.78 | $31.72 | $53,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $22.92 | $29.20 | $38.69 | $60,730 |
| Rhode Island | $29.83 | $37.61 | $44.89 | $78,220 |
| South Dakota | $19.71 | $23.26 | $27.67 | $48,390 |
| Tennessee | $22.84 | $27.54 | $36.14 | $57,270 |
| Texas | $22.11 | $28.92 | $36.32 | $60,150 |
| Utah | $24.02 | $29.96 | $37.98 | $62,310 |
| Vermont | $24.14 | $31.58 | $44.61 | $65,690 |
| Virginia | $25.23 | $34.77 | $45.88 | $72,310 |
| West Virginia | $16.95 | $19.40 | $23.34 | $40,350 |
| Wisconsin | $23.26 | $28.80 | $35.27 | $59,900 |
| Wyoming | $19.21 | $21.71 | $27.41 | $45,150 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify the approved brief
Describe the format, audience and deliverables assigned at the start. Note which elements were fixed and which remained undecided. If a later criticism concerns a changed size, style or arrangement, record when that requirement first appeared.
Separate revisions from rework
List the dates of feedback and who approved each change in direction. Distinguish correcting an error from implementing a new preference or scope change. Include any deadline adjustment that was offered or refused in the same sequence.
Handle artwork carefully
Do not export client source files, licensed fonts, unpublished campaigns or asset libraries for personal evidence. Keep permitted assignment messages and your own time records. Identify a version history by location and date without making an unauthorized portfolio copy.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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