Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between color and materials 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 a color and materials designer and a lead designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $83,086 average annual salary of a color and materials designer.
The top three skills for a color and materials designer include photoshop, apparel and CMF. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Color And Materials Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,086 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $39.95 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,032 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 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.
Color and materials designers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Color And Materials Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,086 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $117,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a color and materials designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Color And Materials Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | 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 color and materials designers' and lead designers' demographics:
| Color And Materials Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5% | 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% |