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The differences between apparel designers and graphics specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an apparel designer, becoming a graphics specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an apparel designer has an average salary of $65,467, which is higher than the $56,007 average annual salary of a graphics specialist.
The top three skills for an apparel designer include adobe illustrator, tech packs and sketch. The most important skills for a graphics specialist are graphic design, adobe illustrator, and adobe photoshop.
| Apparel Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,467 | $56,007 |
| Hourly rate | $31.47 | $26.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,436 | 12,267 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 37 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
Apparel designers, also known as clothing or fashion designers, conceptualize and produce items of clothing. They frequently specialize in one type of design, like active, casual, or evening wear. Typical duties include monitoring current fashion trends and forecast future ones, sketching new designs, choosing patterns and fabrics to utilize in garments, and supervising production. They may present items to creative directors, clients, or retailers to determine if the garments are to be conventionally designed or mass-produced.
A graphics specialist is an expert at conceptualizing and developing visual art for businesses or individuals, typically for marketing or information purposes. Moreover, there are also opportunities for employment in the web and media industry. As a graphics specialist, their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify their needs, understanding the purpose and message of the project, developing proposals, coordinating with team members, and conducting revisions as needed, all while adhering to the goals and deadlines set by the client or management.
Apparel designers and graphics specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Apparel Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Average salary | $65,467 | $56,007 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $105,000 | Between $38,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Fanatics | ZeniMax Media |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an apparel designer and a graphics specialist in terms of educational background:
| Apparel Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between apparel designers' and graphics specialists' demographics:
| Apparel Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.8% Female, 67.2% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.6% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 13% |