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The differences between creative specialists and graphic artists 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 specialist and a graphic artist. Additionally, a creative specialist has an average salary of $59,079, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a creative specialist include graphic design, digital marketing and marketing campaigns. The most important skills for a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $59,079 | $54,900 |
| Hourly rate | $28.40 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 29,855 | 8,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Creative specialists are professionals who are responsible for enhancing the effectiveness of their online content by improving the layout of their web page using graphic design and layout techniques. These specialists must possess skills in using various software such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Creative Suite to be used for their web page development, online media, and graphic design. Creative specialists are also hired by marketing companies to assist them in developing the online presence of their advertising campaigns.
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Creative specialists and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Artist | |
| Average salary | $59,079 | $54,900 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $102,000 | Between $35,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a creative specialist and a graphic artist in terms of educational background:
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between creative specialists' and graphic artists' demographics:
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |