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The differences between creative directors & designer and lead 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 creative director & designer and a lead designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $108,589 average annual salary of a creative director & designer.
The top three skills for a creative director & designer include graphic design, sketch and photography. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,589 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $52.21 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,688 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Creative Directors and Designers are responsible for leading the creative output and brand representation of a product, service, or organization's publication. Their duties include developing visual communication strategies across design, content, graphics, artworks, and media, implement industry benchmarks, leading creative marketing campaigns, and working with the design team to create product or service design. Besides that, they are involved in setting the creative direction and message of a brand and supervising the creative team in ensuring brand touchpoints consistency. Creative Directors and Designers also monitor project delivery and assist in creative project budgeting.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Creative directors & designer and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $108,589 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $163,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a creative director & designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between creative directors & designer' and lead designers' demographics:
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| 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% |