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Artist vs graphic design assistant

The differences between artists and graphic design assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an artist has an average salary of $68,690, which is higher than the $40,835 average annual salary of a graphic design assistant.

The top three skills for an artist include maya, adobe photoshop and customer service. The most important skills for a graphic design assistant are graphic design, CAD, and sketch.

Artist vs graphic design assistant overview

ArtistGraphic Design Assistant
Yearly salary$68,690$40,835
Hourly rate$33.02$19.63
Growth rate6%3%
Number of jobs3,87054,021
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4038
Years of experience-12

What does an artist do?

An Artist specializes in creating various artworks or prose; the audience can vary from individuals or the general public. An artist's responsibility depends on the industry, company, or position where they are assigned. However, most of the time, Artists are expected to work under specific guidelines, deliver materials in a required format within an allotted time and perform revisions according to what is preferred by an editor or client. Furthermore, independent artists may work freelance and receive commissions for their craft.

What does a graphic design assistant do?

Graphic Design Assistants help graphic designers in creating art, fulfilling orders, and managing the studio. They may be budding graphic designers looking for industry experience or creative professionals interested in getting into the graphic designing industry. They should be familiar with the different tools and concepts involved in graphic design. Graphic Design Assistants help lead graphic designers to complete different activities. They may assist by lining, coloring, rendering, and adding finishing touches to the designs. They may also be in charge of packaging physical art and booking shipments to buyers. Graphic Design Assistants should be able to showcase their creative prowess. They are welcome to pitch in designs, critique art, and provide input.

Artist vs graphic design assistant salary

Artists and graphic design assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

ArtistGraphic Design Assistant
Average salary$68,690$40,835
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $110,000Between $28,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CitySan Rafael, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyMetaGoogle
Best paying industryTechnologyFinance

Differences between artist and graphic design assistant education

There are a few differences between an artist and a graphic design assistant in terms of educational background:

ArtistGraphic Design Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorFine ArtsGraphic Design
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Artist vs graphic design assistant demographics

Here are the differences between artists' and graphic design assistants' demographics:

ArtistGraphic Design Assistant
Average age4038
Gender ratioMale, 45.2% Female, 54.8%Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%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 Percentage11%13%

Differences between artist and graphic design assistant duties and responsibilities

Artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage studio workload and advise print direction to in-house and freelance cad artists.
  • Manage online product catalog using Dreamweaver.
  • Assist customers with product selection and process POS transactions.
  • Provide comparative analysis on traditional vs. Mac vs. PC production.
  • Animate in-game characters, user interface assets and particle effects.
  • Own & operate a specialize faux painting, mural and art business.
  • Show more

Graphic design assistant example responsibilities.

  • Administer company website using PHP coding and manage Instagram/Facebook profiles.
  • Approve lab dips, embroidery size and placement, strike offs, screen prints, and appliques.
  • Supervise production staff that used embroidery machines.
  • Produce: technical drawings, illustrations, animations, PowerPoint presentations and relate graphics for organization.
  • Design PowerPoint presentations with sound/video; replace low-resolution images with high-resolution images in presentations and client proposals.
  • Coordinate photography orders with vendors at direction of creative staff and negotiate image license contracts to maximize company profits.
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Artist vs graphic design assistant skills

Common artist skills
  • Maya, 13%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 7%
  • Photography, 7%
  • VFX, 6%
Common graphic design assistant skills
  • Graphic Design, 14%
  • CAD, 6%
  • Sketch, 5%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 5%

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