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Content developer vs designer

The differences between content developers and designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a content developer, becoming a designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a content developer has an average salary of $72,030, which is higher than the $66,347 average annual salary of a designer.

The top three skills for a content developer include content development, digital marketing and subject matter experts. The most important skills for a designer are sketch, customer service, and graphic design.

Content developer vs designer overview

Content DeveloperDesigner
Yearly salary$72,030$66,347
Hourly rate$34.63$31.90
Growth rate13%3%
Number of jobs82,25052,433
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age3738
Years of experience412

What does a content developer do?

A content developer is responsible for creating digital content, designing technical deliverables, and developing content strategies by analyzing current market trends to attract clients, driving more revenues, and increasing the company's profitability. Content developers also manage the distribution of the contents, following the clients' specifications or the business requirements. They also coordinate with other project teams to ensure the effectiveness and accuracy of the contents, focusing on its appeal to the target audience. A content developer must have a keen eye for details, especially on doing quality content checks before publishing.

What does a designer do?

A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences. Designers are creative thinkers with a great eye to configure the skeletal and structural properties of the targeted output. They work in several fields, such as fashion, architecture, web graphics, and user experience. In spite of the variety of professionals in the design industry, all of them are artistic, passionate, inspiring, and emotionally connected to their projects and brands.

Content developer vs designer salary

Content developers and designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Content DeveloperDesigner
Average salary$72,030$66,347
Salary rangeBetween $51,000 And $101,000Between $45,000 And $97,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyGoogleMeta
Best paying industryInternetTechnology

Differences between content developer and designer education

There are a few differences between a content developer and a designer in terms of educational background:

Content DeveloperDesigner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorEnglishGraphic Design
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Pennsylvania

Content developer vs designer demographics

Here are the differences between content developers' and designers' demographics:

Content DeveloperDesigner
Average age3738
Gender ratioMale, 51.3% Female, 48.7%Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 12.9% White, 59.8% 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 Percentage9%13%

Differences between content developer and designer duties and responsibilities

Content developer example responsibilities.

  • Develop scripts to automate operations and optimize web performance (jQuery).
  • Manage, design, and create new HTML help look and feel that provide cost-effective ways to reuse content.
  • Analyze, plan, develop, QA, and deliver training courses for instructor lead training and web base training.
  • Manage social media marketing, including Instagram
  • Design a mobile-first responsive layout compliant with HTML5 and CSS3 standards.
  • Develop jQuery plugins, config files, Javascript files and CSS files.
  • Show more

Designer example responsibilities.

  • Lead & design all creative content stemming from apparel design to web identity.
  • Manage various PCB designs utilizing state of the art DFM techniques and comply with company standards.
  • Utilize CSS, DHTML, HTML, and JavaScript for cross browser, cross platform compatibility and consistency.
  • Develop different kinds of functions globally, locally for the development of forms using JavaScript, CSS.
  • Transform customer specifications into usable SolidWorks 3D models and assemblies from which all manufacturing are derived.
  • Process ECR's and ECO's using Windchill.
  • Show more

Content developer vs designer skills

Common content developer skills
  • Content Development, 10%
  • Digital Marketing, 8%
  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%
  • Digital Content, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
Common designer skills
  • Sketch, 10%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 6%
  • CSS, 5%
  • HTML, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%

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