Job prospects Illustrator And Graphic Designer in British Columbia

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "illustrator and graphic designer" in British Columbia or across Canada.

Job opportunities in British Columbia

The recent trends from the past 3 years were updated on July 25, 2025. The job outlooks over the next 3 years were updated on December 10, 2025.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be Limited for graphic designers and illustrators (NOC 52120) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Digital marketing, e-commerce, e-learning and social media are driving demand for this occupation, particularly user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) designers. 

Key trends are artificial intelligence (AI) for creative support, 3D design and motion, and data visualization.

Here are some key facts about graphic designers and illustrators in British Columbia:

• Approximately 18,800 people work in this occupation.
• Graphic designers and illustrators mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 28%
  • Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 24%
  • Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 12%
  • Arts, entertainment and recreation (NAICS 71): 7%
  • Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 5%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 81% compared to 78% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 19% compared to 22% for all occupations
• 61% of graphic designers and illustrators work all year, while 39% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 43 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• 34% of graphic designers and illustrators are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 50% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 50% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 13% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 5% compared to 13% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 35% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 36% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 8% compared to 12% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in British Columbia by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

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