Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between computer hardware designers and computer graphic designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a computer hardware designer, becoming a computer graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a computer hardware designer has an average salary of $134,713, which is higher than the $55,644 average annual salary of a computer graphic designer.
The top three skills for a computer hardware designer include CAD, PCB and FPGA. The most important skills for a computer graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and adobe illustrator.
| Computer Hardware Designer | Computer Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $134,713 | $55,644 |
| Hourly rate | $64.77 | $26.75 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 59,580 | 56,896 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Computer hardware designers and computer graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Hardware Designer | Computer Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $134,713 | $55,644 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $189,000 | Between $31,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Tippett Studio |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a computer hardware designer and a computer graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Computer Hardware Designer | Computer Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between computer hardware designers' and computer graphic designers' demographics:
| Computer Hardware Designer | Computer Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% | Male, 67.4% Female, 32.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 30.0% White, 51.0% 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 | 4% | 13% |