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The differences between color and materials designers and visual 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 visual designer. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, 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 visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Color And Materials Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,086 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $39.95 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,032 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Color and materials designers and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Color And Materials Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,086 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $117,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | - | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a color and materials designer and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Color And Materials Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 visual designers' demographics:
| Color And Materials Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| 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% |