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The differences between assistant technical designers and graphic designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assistant technical designer and a graphic designer. Additionally, an assistant technical designer has an average salary of $55,660, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for an assistant technical designer include sketch, tech packs and apparel. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Assistant Technical Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $55,660 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $26.76 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 115,280 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An assistant technical designer primarily performs support tasks to assist technical designers in completing various projects. They are usually responsible for preparing and processing documents, conducting research and analyses, coordinating with different teams, organizing documents, and maintaining records. Moreover, they work together with technical designers in developing plans and strategies, creating prototypes and assessments, identifying issues and concerns, coordinating with engineers, and subjecting designs into various tests to ensure it adheres to the company's standards and policies.
Graphic designers are visual communicators who create graphic ideas to deliver a message through art and images which inspire, inform, and motivate consumers with the use of computer software, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or by hand. They have the ability to design stunning illustrations that are easily understood, even without a lot of thinking or based on the demand of their clients. It is very crucial to them as well to be flexible and to stay on top of the design trends. They create websites, posters, packaging, logos, advertising, and marketing materials, depending on the nature of the business.
Assistant technical designers and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Technical Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $55,660 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $88,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Ralph Lauren | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assistant technical designer and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Technical Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant technical designers' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Assistant Technical Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |