Of the 1,080 design professionals employed in West Virginia, 190 work in Charleston. There has been a 5% decline in the number of design professionals in Charleston between the years 2006 and 2010. As the employment for design professionals in Charleston has decreased, overall employment in Charleston has increased.

• Grey: West Virginia
• Dark Yellow: Charleston

• Light Blue: Design in Charleston
• Dark Yellow: All Professions in Charleston

As the number of design professionals in Charleston has shrunk, salaries for design professionals have also decreased. In 2010 Charleston design professionals earned an average yearly salary of $30,275. Four years earlier in 2006, design professionals in Charleston made an average salary of $31,390 per year. The decline in the salary of design professionals in Charleston is slower than the salary trend for all careers in the city.

Design professionals make a median salary of $29,815 per year in Charleston. The difference in pay between the design professionals in the lowest pay bracket and those in the highest pay bracket is approximately 115%. Those in the lowest 10% of the pay bracket earn less than $20,190 per year, while those in the highest 10% of the pay bracket earn more than $43,380 per year.

On average design professionals in Charleston earn salaries that are lower than the salaries earned by other professionals in Charleston.

There is only one accredited design school in the city. Many of Charleston's design professionals are graduates of this school.

Charleston's design school offers one design degree and certificate program.

In 2010 approximately 5 students completed design courses.