While the computer design industry does not pay web designers the highest salary, at $53,390 it does head the list of industries with both high salaries and high employment levels.  Specialized design comes next ($50,190), followed by advertising ($8,140), publishing ($40,680), and printing ($38,910).

Whatever industry they work in, web designers are responsible for the appearance of a website, including the layout, colors, fonts, graphics, and all the other visual features of the site. Web designers combine design, communications, and artistic abilities with computer skills and business savvy to create websites that are pleasing to the eye, easy to use, and serve the purpose for which they are intended. While web designers focus on the visual rather than the technical, they do need at least basic understanding of programming and web technologies and functions.

This chart displays annual mean salaries for Web Designers in the U.S. The data was collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES - May 2008.

Accessibility is a web design function that focuses on designing for universal access so that the broadest range of people will be able to use the websites. Also called interactive design, it explores the human interface with computers, taking into account the physical and cognitive abilities and disabilities of users. With training in universal design a web designer can help companies comply with federal accessibility requirements and increase their customer base. An increasing number of graduate and undergraduate certificate programs provide training in universal, accessible, or interactive design.

The bar graph above shows the average Web Design salary in industries with the highest employment levels. The data is shown in table format below:

Industry	Annual Mean Wage
Specialized Design	50,190
Publishers	40,680
Advertising	48,140
Printing	38,910
Computer Design	53,390