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The differences between assistant technical designers and lead 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 lead designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $55,660 average annual salary of an assistant technical designer.
The top three skills for an assistant technical designer include sketch, tech packs and apparel. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Assistant Technical Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $55,660 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $26.76 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 115,280 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Assistant technical designers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Technical Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $55,660 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $88,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Ralph Lauren | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an assistant technical designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Technical Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 lead designers' demographics:
| Assistant Technical Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| 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% |