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The differences between design consultants and designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a design consultant, becoming a designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a design consultant has an average salary of $77,803, which is higher than the $66,347 average annual salary of a designer.
The top three skills for a design consultant include product knowledge, java and design process. The most important skills for a designer are sketch, customer service, and graphic design.
| Design Consultant | Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,803 | $66,347 |
| Hourly rate | $37.41 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 59,470 | 52,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A design consultant is an individual who provides expertise incorporating functionality and aesthetics to a space or product based on the evaluation of the needs of customers or clients. Design consultants may collaborate with other professionals such as architects, graphic designers, or fashion designers to cater to the needs of their customers. They assist in improving existing designs, either in interior designs, fashions, or graphics. Design consultants may also work in different work settings like retail stores, architectural companies, or graphic design firms.
A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences. Designers are creative thinkers with a great eye to configure the skeletal and structural properties of the targeted output. They work in several fields, such as fashion, architecture, web graphics, and user experience. In spite of the variety of professionals in the design industry, all of them are artistic, passionate, inspiring, and emotionally connected to their projects and brands.
Design consultants and designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Consultant | Designer | |
| Average salary | $77,803 | $66,347 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $119,000 | Between $45,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Washington |
| Best paying company | Slalom | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design consultant and a designer in terms of educational background:
| Design Consultant | Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Interior Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between design consultants' and designers' demographics:
| Design Consultant | Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.1% Female, 51.9% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 23% | 13% |