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The differences between color and materials designers and graphic artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a color and materials designer and a graphic artist. Additionally, a color and materials designer has an average salary of $83,086, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a color and materials designer include photoshop, apparel and CMF. The most important skills for a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Color And Materials Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $83,086 | $54,900 |
| Hourly rate | $39.95 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,032 | 8,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Color and materials designers are skilled professionals who are responsible for conceiving and executing designs related to colors and materials used to produce the finished products. These designers must create graphics such as icons and logos by using programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. In the apparel industry, color, and materials, designers must learn the technical aspects of construction techniques and fabrications for all types of apparel. They must also work with various vendors to perform screen printing on t-shirts and produce textile designs for sales representatives.
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Color and materials designers and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Color And Materials Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Average salary | $83,086 | $54,900 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $117,000 | Between $35,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a color and materials designer and a graphic artist in terms of educational background:
| Color And Materials Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between color and materials designers' and graphic artists' demographics:
| Color And Materials Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |