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The differences between design specialists and graphic 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 specialist, becoming a graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a design specialist has an average salary of $56,917, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a design specialist include customer service, sketch and CAD. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Design Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,917 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 68,347 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Graphic designers are visual communicators who create graphic ideas to deliver a message through art and images which inspire, inform, and motivate consumers with the use of computer software, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or by hand. They have the ability to design stunning illustrations that are easily understood, even without a lot of thinking or based on the demand of their clients. It is very crucial to them as well to be flexible and to stay on top of the design trends. They create websites, posters, packaging, logos, advertising, and marketing materials, depending on the nature of the business.
Design specialists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $56,917 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $91,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design specialist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Design Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between design specialists' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Design Specialist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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% |