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The differences between designers and lead designers 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 lead designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $66,347 average annual salary of a designer.
The top three skills for a designer include sketch, customer service and graphic design. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $66,347 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $31.90 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,433 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Designers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $66,347 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $97,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between designers' and lead designers' demographics:
| Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |