Desktop Publishers · SOC 43-9031
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Desktop Publisherss
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for desktop publishers. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (1 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 17 of 17 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $83,280 | 60 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82,010 | Not published | Not published |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $80,960 | 60 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77,750 | 60 | 0.1 |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $77,740 | Not published | Not published |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $72,590 | 120 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $68,060 | 90 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $63,030 | 60 | 0.0 |
| 9 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,020 | 320 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $61,020 | 40 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $58,130 | 120 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $57,310 | 50 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $54,980 | 40 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $50,980 | 60 | 0.1 |
| 15 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $50,770 | 50 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $42,730 | 140 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Anchorage, AK | $35,690 | 70 | 0.4 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Desktop Publishers overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.