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The differences between design managers and design coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a design manager, becoming a design coordinator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a design manager has an average salary of $102,637, which is higher than the $53,594 average annual salary of a design coordinator.
The top three skills for a design manager include sketch, project management and visualization. The most important skills for a design coordinator are revit, sketch, and BIM.
| Design Manager | Design Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $102,637 | $53,594 |
| Hourly rate | $49.34 | $25.77 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 61,273 | 57,107 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
A design coordinator is responsible for collating and analyzing designs for construction that meet business requirements and budget limitations. Design coordinators create expenses forecasting by identifying the resources and materials to be used and the estimated duration for project deliverables. They also coordinate with the clients to share progress updates and modify plans as needed according to specifications. A design coordinator negotiates contract offers with suppliers and third-party vendors, minimize excessive costings, and ensure high-quality outputs.
Design managers and design coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manager | Design Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $102,637 | $53,594 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $150,000 | Between $38,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design manager and a design coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Design Manager | Design Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between design managers' and design coordinators' demographics:
| Design Manager | Design Coordinator | |
| Average age | 48 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 9% | 13% |