Comic vs cartoonist

The differences between comics and cartoonists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a comic and a cartoonist. Additionally, a comic has an average salary of $85,586, which is higher than the $73,859 average annual salary of a cartoonist.

The top three skills for a comic include comic-con, comics and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a cartoonist are adobe photoshop, student newspaper, and comics.

Comic vs cartoonist overview

	Comic	Cartoonist
Yearly salary	$85,586	$73,859
Hourly rate	$41.15	$35.51
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	36	42
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	6	6

Comic vs cartoonist salary

Comics and cartoonists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Comic	Cartoonist
Average salary	$85,586	$73,859
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $176,000	Between $47,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between comic and cartoonist education

There are a few differences between a comic and a cartoonist in terms of educational background:

	Comic	Cartoonist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Photography	Graphic Design
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Comic vs cartoonist demographics

Here are the differences between comics' and cartoonists' demographics:

	Comic	Cartoonist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between comic and cartoonist duties and responsibilities

Comic example responsibilities.

Manage acquisition of photography and illustrations, including selection of freelance photographers and illustrators.
Create book of comics complete in workshop
Sketch or draw objects to be craft.
Perform at comedy clubs, colleges and theatres throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Select and design endsheets, ad, and main book content including typesetting and photo placement.
Design, work with typesetting shops, and pasted-up mechanicals (pre-computer era) for a wide range of books.

Cartoonist example responsibilities.

Used Applescript, Javascript, and Photoshop actions to automate tasks.
Publish a series of comics short stories about the local music scene in Columbus.
Design posters, signage, print advertisements.
Create monthly political comic strips in ASL and English.
Illustrate relevant political cartoons each week for UB's student-run newspaper
Create signs for print production for in-store product ads and POS.

Comic vs cartoonist skills

Common comic skills

Comic-Con, 43%
Comics, 17%
Adobe Photoshop, 12%
Facebook, 10%
Comedy, 7%
Crowd Control, 4%

Common cartoonist skills

Adobe Photoshop, 25%
Student Newspaper, 24%
Comics, 17%
Graphic Design, 7%
Comic Books, 7%
Logo, 6%

Comic vs. similar jobs

Comic related careers

Comic related jobs

What similar roles do

Fine Artist responsibilities

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Comic vs Cartoonist

Updated January 8, 2025

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