Design manager salary ranges
33 of 53 open design manager roles publish pay. Median midpoint $265k, middle half $228k–$327k.
Based on the midpoints of pay ranges that employers published in live postings, as of 2026-10-14. Mostly US ranges, which can include geographic tiers. Not a salary survey. Only groups with 3+ postings are shown.
By level
| Level | Postings | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | 15 | $170k | $228k | $261k |
| Director | 8 | $262k | $282k | $304k |
| Head | 7 | $343k | $362k | $377k |
By city
| US city | Postings | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 10 | $257k | $270k | $357k |
| San Francisco | 6 | $207k | $326k | $381k |
Highest published ranges
Head of Product Design (R5776) · Shieldai San Diego, California
HeadOnsiteManages managers$230k–$420k
HeadOnsiteManages managers$230k–$420k
Research Manager, Biological Safety · Anthropic San Francisco, CA
ManagerHybridSan Francisco$405k–$485k
ManagerHybridSan Francisco$405k–$485k
Head of Policy Design, Societal Harms · Anthropic San Francisco, CA
HeadHybridSan FranciscoManages managers$330k–$395k
HeadHybridSan FranciscoManages managers$330k–$395k
Senior Manager, Research Scientist · Scale AI San Francisco, CA; New York, NY
Senior ManagerNew York$290k–$363k
Senior ManagerNew York$290k–$363k