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The differences between creative specialists and 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 specialist and a graphic designer. Additionally, a creative specialist has an average salary of $59,079, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a creative specialist include graphic design, digital marketing and marketing campaigns. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,079 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $28.40 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 29,855 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
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.
Creative specialists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $59,079 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $102,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative specialist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | 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 creative specialists' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Creative Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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% |