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The differences between designer/art directors and graphic designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a designer/art director, becoming a graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a designer/art director has an average salary of $97,448, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a designer/art director include photography, graphic design and creative concepts. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Designer/Art Director | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
An art director collaborates with the design and art staff for books, public relations firms, advertising agencies, or newspaper publishers. Art directors create designs and layouts that embody the organization and send the message they want the audience to get. They work with producers and directors of theatres, television, and movie productions to oversee set designs. Being an art director also includes critiquing people's work, working to reach deadlines while still following the budget allocated for a certain project, and (on occasion) disciplining designers who are slacking off on the job.
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.
Designer/art directors and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 11% | 13% |