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The differences between designer/art directors and lead 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 lead 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 $76,009 average annual salary of a lead graphic designer.
The top three skills for a designer/art director include photography, graphic design and creative concepts. The most important skills for a lead graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and design concepts.
| Designer/Art Director | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $76,009 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $36.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 46,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A lead graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team. It is essential for the lead graphic designer must be creative, willing to think outside the box, and brave to dare novel ideas. The lead graphic designer is also responsible for leading the creative department in accomplishing assigned tasks from management.
Designer/art directors and lead graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $76,009 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $44,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and a lead graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and lead graphic designers' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% |
| 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% |