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The differences between creative specialists and senior 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 senior graphic designer. Additionally, a senior graphic designer has an average salary of $73,921, which is higher than the $59,079 average annual salary of a creative specialist.
The top three skills for a creative specialist include graphic design, digital marketing and marketing campaigns. The most important skills for a senior graphic designer are sketch, adobe creative suite, and creative concepts.
| Creative Specialist | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,079 | $73,921 |
| Hourly rate | $28.40 | $35.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 29,855 | 46,310 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior graphic designer oversees all of the designing operations in a company, from conceptualization to production. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure that all designs produced are according to a client's preference and brand. They also encourage fresh ideas from the team, communicate with clients or representatives, and manage the schedules to meet all deadlines. Furthermore, as a senior graphic designer, they are responsible for leading and mentoring a team of graphic designers, all in the joint effort to reach project goals.
Creative specialists and senior graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Specialist | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $59,079 | $73,921 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $102,000 | Between $51,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Practice Fusion |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative specialist and a senior graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Creative Specialist | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between creative specialists' and senior graphic designers' demographics:
| Creative Specialist | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| 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% |