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The differences between artists and graphics illustrators 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 $64,943 average annual salary of a graphics illustrator.
The top three skills for an artist include maya, adobe photoshop and customer service. The most important skills for a graphics illustrator are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and adobe indesign.
| Artist | Graphics Illustrator | |
| Yearly salary | $68,690 | $64,943 |
| Hourly rate | $33.02 | $31.22 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,870 | 2,854 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
A graphics illustrator is an artist that is skilled in drawing, painting, digital illustration, art history, and sometimes marketing. Your job as an illustrator is to create a visual representation of an idea or associated text. Unlike a graphic designer, a graphic illustrator does a lot more drawing, product package design, book illustrations, and graphic novels. As a graphics illustrator, you may be required to lead lots of projects that deal with advertising design and publishing initiatives. In addition to that, you may be expected to produce mockups, wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications.
Artists and graphics illustrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Artist | Graphics Illustrator | |
| Average salary | $68,690 | $64,943 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $110,000 | Between $41,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Uber Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an artist and a graphics illustrator in terms of educational background:
| Artist | Graphics Illustrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Fine Arts | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between artists' and graphics illustrators' demographics:
| Artist | Graphics Illustrator | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8% | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% |
| Race ratio | Black 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 Percentage | 11% | 13% |