Best Jobs For Former Graphic Designers [2026]

As the creative landscape evolves, many graphic designers are finding themselves questioning their career paths. While the number of individuals majoring in graphic design remains stable, the appeal of traditional graphic design roles may be waning, prompting many to explore new opportunities.

This shift raises an important question:

What career paths are former graphic designers pursuing today?

To answer this, we analyzed the resumes of thousands of individuals who transitioned from graphic design to other fields. We identified the top 100 roles they moved into, focusing on the most common and intriguing options.

Best Jobs For Former GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

While some of these careers may be more appealing than others, they all present unique opportunities for those transitioning from graphic design.

The complete list of jobs can be found below.

Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Jobs of Former GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Rank	Job Title	%
1	Art Director	2.9%
2	Senior Graphic Designer	2.71%
3	Creative Director	1.8%
4	Web Designer	1.58%
5	Freelance Designer	1.57%
6	Graphic Artist	1.44%
7	Production Artist	1.32%
8	Graphic Designer Internship	1.15%
9	Sales Associate	1.08%
10	Graphic Designer/Production	1.07%
11	Designer	1.06%
12	Owner	0.77%
13	Graphic Designer, Marketing	0.77%
14	Customer Service Representative	0.72%
15	Administrative Assistant	0.71%
16	Project Manager	0.69%
17	Marketing Manager	0.68%
18	Web Graphic Designer	0.67%
19	Senior Designer	0.66%
20	Marketing Coordinator	0.64%
21	User Experience Designer	0.62%
22	Lead Graphic Designer	0.59%
23	Marketing Director	0.59%
24	Web Developer	0.59%
25	Graphic Designer/Illustrator	0.57%
26	Internship	0.56%
27	Photographer	0.56%
28	Graphic Designer and Photographer	0.5%
29	Production Designer	0.45%
30	Senior Art Director	0.43%
31	Graphic Design Manager	0.43%
32	Graphic Design Specialist	0.42%
33	Contract Graphic Designer	0.41%
34	Marketing Specialist	0.41%
35	User Interaction Designer	0.41%
36	Artist	0.39%
37	Office Manager	0.39%
38	Freelance Web Designer	0.38%
39	Visual Designer	0.38%
40	Production Manager	0.37%
41	Design Consultant	0.35%
42	Manager	0.35%
43	Web Design/Development	0.34%
44	Cashier	0.33%
45	Designer/Art Director	0.33%
46	Marketing Assistant	0.32%
47	Senior Web Designer	0.31%
48	Owner & Designer	0.31%
49	Creative Director & Designer	0.31%
50	Graphic Design Consultant	0.31%
51	Assistant Manager	0.31%
52	Social Media Manager	0.3%
53	Owner/Operator	0.29%
54	Lead Designer	0.29%
55	Substitute Teacher	0.27%
56	Digital Designer	0.27%
57	Consultant	0.26%
58	Server	0.26%
59	Communications Specialist	0.26%
60	Specialist	0.25%
61	Front End Developer	0.25%
62	Design Manager	0.25%
63	Creative Designer	0.25%
64	Volunteer	0.24%
65	Freelance Photographer	0.23%
66	Sales Representative	0.23%
67	Multimedia Designer	0.23%
68	Junior Graphic Designer	0.23%
69	Freelance Art Director	0.23%
70	Instructor	0.23%
71	Marketing Internship	0.23%
72	Marketing Designer	0.22%
73	Teacher	0.22%
74	Art Teacher	0.22%
75	Production Assistant	0.22%
76	Design Director	0.21%
77	Design Internship	0.21%
78	Adjunct Professor	0.21%
79	Principal	0.21%
80	Video Editor	0.2%
81	Interactive Designer	0.2%
82	Package Designer	0.19%
83	Graphic Design Assistant	0.19%
84	Account Manager	0.19%
85	Senior Designer/Art Director	0.19%
86	Supervisor	0.19%
87	Customer Service Trainer	0.19%
88	Operations Manager	0.19%
89	Graphics Specialist	0.18%
90	Creative Services Manager	0.18%
91	Graphic Designer/Coordinator	0.18%
92	Product Designer	0.18%
93	Press Operator	0.18%
94	Technician	0.17%
95	Technical Writer	0.17%
96	3D Artist	0.17%
97	Design Specialist	0.17%
98	Photographer, Editor	0.17%
99	Store Manager	0.17%
100	Designer/Artist	0.16%

Most Common Jobs For Former GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

These roles are not only viable options for former graphic designers but also leverage the skills they possess or serve as stepping stones to new careers.

How We Determined the Best Jobs of Former GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

We utilized resume data from our extensive database, comprising over 7 million entries, to assess which positions individuals transitioned into after working as graphic designers. The results were organized based on frequency, helping us compile our ranked list.

Additionally, to create a list of unique and interesting jobs, we sifted through the ranked data for positions that:

Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new jobs
Were not part of the 100 most common roles in our database

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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