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The differences between color and materials designers and production 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 production artist. Additionally, a color and materials designer has an average salary of $83,086, which is higher than the $61,870 average annual salary of a production artist.
The top three skills for a color and materials designer include photoshop, apparel and CMF. The most important skills for a production artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe creative suite.
| Color And Materials Designer | Production Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $83,086 | $61,870 |
| Hourly rate | $39.95 | $29.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,032 | 59,103 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.
Color and materials designers and production artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Color And Materials Designer | Production Artist | |
| Average salary | $83,086 | $61,870 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $117,000 | Between $40,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a color and materials designer and a production artist in terms of educational background:
| Color And Materials Designer | Production Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | 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 color and materials designers' and production artists' demographics:
| Color And Materials Designer | Production Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5% | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% |
| 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% |