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The differences between design specialists and visual 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 visual designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, which is higher than the $56,917 average annual salary of a design specialist.
The top three skills for a design specialist include customer service, sketch and CAD. The most important skills for a visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Design Specialist | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,917 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 68,347 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Design specialists and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Specialist | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $56,917 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $91,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | - | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a design specialist and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Design Specialist | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between design specialists' and visual designers' demographics:
| Design Specialist | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| 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% |