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Designer vs graphic designer/production

The differences between designers and graphic designer/productions can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a designer and a graphic designer/production. Additionally, a designer has an average salary of $66,347, which is higher than the $48,619 average annual salary of a graphic designer/production.

The top three skills for a designer include sketch, customer service and graphic design. The most important skills for a graphic designer/production are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.

Designer vs graphic designer/production overview

DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Yearly salary$66,347$48,619
Hourly rate$31.90$23.37
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs52,43395,831
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

What does a designer do?

A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences. Designers are creative thinkers with a great eye to configure the skeletal and structural properties of the targeted output. They work in several fields, such as fashion, architecture, web graphics, and user experience. In spite of the variety of professionals in the design industry, all of them are artistic, passionate, inspiring, and emotionally connected to their projects and brands.

What does a graphic designer/production do?

A Graphics Designer in production is the person in charge of designing and interpreting ideas pointed out by the client or the company. The graphics designer must use market standard applications and techniques to produce attention-grabbing designs intended to market a product, service, or company. Graphic designers are an integral part of a company's digital marketing, especially over the internet. The graphic designer must have a good eye for style, typesetting, and the use of colors.

Designer vs graphic designer/production salary

Designers and graphic designer/productions have different pay scales, as shown below.

DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average salary$66,347$48,619
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $97,000Between $35,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonMaryland
Best paying companyMetaOptimum Nutrition
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between designer and graphic designer/production education

There are a few differences between a designer and a graphic designer/production in terms of educational background:

DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Designer vs graphic designer/production demographics

Here are the differences between designers' and graphic designer/productions' demographics:

DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 56.9% Female, 43.1%Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between designer and graphic designer/production duties and responsibilities

Designer example responsibilities.

  • Lead & design all creative content stemming from apparel design to web identity.
  • Manage various PCB designs utilizing state of the art DFM techniques and comply with company standards.
  • Utilize CSS, DHTML, HTML, and JavaScript for cross browser, cross platform compatibility and consistency.
  • Develop different kinds of functions globally, locally for the development of forms using JavaScript, CSS.
  • Transform customer specifications into usable SolidWorks 3D models and assemblies from which all manufacturing are derived.
  • Process ECR's and ECO's using Windchill.
  • Show more

Graphic designer/production example responsibilities.

  • Manage production of products; custom banners, t-shirts, satin flags, from concept to final product.
  • Manage various publications including catalogs, catalog inserts, brochures, mailers and advertising material.
  • Develop and update conference materials, including PowerPoint presentations, posters, handouts, badges, table tents, and folders.
  • Produce corporate identity systems and collateral print materials, print advertising, product/capabilities brochures, direct mail and newsletters.
  • Produce daily, weekly and monthly newsletters in both print and HTML.
  • Create cleaner HTML email templates and help others within the group improve their HTML skills.
  • Show more

Designer vs graphic designer/production skills

Common designer skills
  • Sketch, 10%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 6%
  • CSS, 5%
  • HTML, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
Common graphic designer/production skills
  • Graphic Design, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 8%
  • Art Direction, 6%
  • Adobe Indesign, 5%
  • Signage, 5%

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