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The differences between design managers and design specialists 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 specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a design manager has an average salary of $102,637, which is higher than the $56,917 average annual salary of a design specialist.
The top three skills for a design manager include sketch, project management and visualization. The most important skills for a design specialist are customer service, sketch, and CAD.
| Design Manager | Design Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $102,637 | $56,917 |
| Hourly rate | $49.34 | $27.36 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 61,273 | 68,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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 specialist is responsible for creating engaging visual images and digital content to improve customers' brand awareness about the organization's products and services. Design specialists may also work for media production, creating graphic animations for viewers depending on production requirements and media demands. A design specialist must have excellent knowledge of utilizing various software tools and programs, coordinating with the whole design team on adjusting plans, improving layouts according to budget limitations, and submitting deliverables within the set deadlines.
Design managers and design specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manager | Design Specialist | |
| Average salary | $102,637 | $56,917 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $150,000 | Between $35,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a design manager and a design specialist in terms of educational background:
| Design Manager | Design Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between design managers' and design specialists' demographics:
| Design Manager | Design Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% |
| 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, 1.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 23% |