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The differences between design directors 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 design director and a senior graphic designer. Additionally, a design director has an average salary of $132,823, which is higher than the $73,921 average annual salary of a senior graphic designer.
The top three skills for a design director include sketch, human centered design and product design. The most important skills for a senior graphic designer are sketch, adobe creative suite, and creative concepts.
| Design Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $132,823 | $73,921 |
| Hourly rate | $63.86 | $35.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 48,337 | 46,310 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A design director spearheads and oversees design projects in a company or organization. They typically have the authority to lead the creative and design teams, make significant decisions, delegate responsibilities, set goals and schedules, manage budgets and resources, and direct the project's cycle from planning to execution. They also coordinate with clients and solve issues when any arise. Additionally, a design director leads and encourages teams to reach goals, all while implementing standards and policies, developing new ones when necessary.
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.
Design directors and senior graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $132,823 | $73,921 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $212,000 | Between $51,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Proenza Schouler | Practice Fusion |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design director and a senior graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Design Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | 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 design directors' and senior graphic designers' demographics:
| Design Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | 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% |