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The differences between creative directors & designer and lead graphic 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 graphic designer. Additionally, a creative director & designer has an average salary of $108,589, which is higher than the $76,009 average annual salary of a lead graphic designer.
The top three skills for a creative director & designer include graphic design, sketch and photography. The most important skills for a lead graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and design concepts.
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,589 | $76,009 |
| Hourly rate | $52.21 | $36.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,688 | 46,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team. It is essential for the lead graphic designer must be creative, willing to think outside the box, and brave to dare novel ideas. The lead graphic designer is also responsible for leading the creative department in accomplishing assigned tasks from management.
Creative directors & designer and lead graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $108,589 | $76,009 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $163,000 | Between $44,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative director & designer and a lead graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 graphic designers' demographics:
| Creative Director & Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% |
| 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% |