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The differences between concept artists and 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 concept artist, becoming a graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a concept artist has an average salary of $85,713, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a concept artist include storyboards, maya and animation. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Concept Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,713 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,596 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
The job of a concept artist is to make visual representations of creatures, characters, environments, vehicles, and other artistic assets. You should know about the design and how to create one that needs to blend well with any creative project. Your typical job includes drawing or painting these creative assets and providing references for any ideas you need to illustrate. The general qualifications needed to become a successful concept artist include illustration skills, design understanding, and knowledge of Photoshop.
Graphic designers are visual communicators who create graphic ideas to deliver a message through art and images which inspire, inform, and motivate consumers with the use of computer software, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or by hand. They have the ability to design stunning illustrations that are easily understood, even without a lot of thinking or based on the demand of their clients. It is very crucial to them as well to be flexible and to stay on top of the design trends. They create websites, posters, packaging, logos, advertising, and marketing materials, depending on the nature of the business.
Concept artists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Concept Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $85,713 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $130,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a concept artist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Concept Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | 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 concept artists' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Concept Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 11% | 13% |