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The differences between design specialists and design coordinators 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 specialist, becoming a design coordinator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a design specialist has an average salary of $56,917, which is higher than the $53,594 average annual salary of a design coordinator.
The top three skills for a design specialist include customer service, sketch and CAD. The most important skills for a design coordinator are revit, sketch, and BIM.
| Design Specialist | Design Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $56,917 | $53,594 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $25.77 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 68,347 | 57,107 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
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 specialists and design coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Specialist | Design Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $56,917 | $53,594 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $91,000 | Between $38,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design specialist and a design coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Design Specialist | Design Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between design specialists' and design coordinators' demographics:
| Design Specialist | Design Coordinator | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% | Male, 44.7% Female, 55.3% |
| 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% |