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Digital designer vs graphic designer/production

The differences between digital 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 digital designer and a graphic designer/production. Additionally, a digital designer has an average salary of $72,987, which is higher than the $48,619 average annual salary of a graphic designer/production.

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

Digital designer vs graphic designer/production overview

Digital DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Yearly salary$72,987$48,619
Hourly rate$35.09$23.37
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs61,10995,831
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

What does a digital designer do?

A digital designer is an individual who is responsible for creating digital assets for multimedia and graphic projects that can include mobile applications, video games, and interactive displays. Digital designers must collaborate with project managers, design teams, and content experts to interpret the team's concepts into a design that will deliver an effective user experience. They must be experts in using computer software and applications to create digital designs and convert data to a graphical interface such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Digital designers must also have a bachelor's degree in graphic design or fine arts.

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.

Digital designer vs graphic designer/production salary

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

Digital DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average salary$72,987$48,619
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $114,000Between $35,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMaryland
Best paying companyLyftOptimum Nutrition
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between digital designer and graphic designer/production education

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

Digital DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Digital designer vs graphic designer/production demographics

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

Digital DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 60.0% Female, 40.0%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 digital designer and graphic designer/production duties and responsibilities

Digital designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage various clients and projects as a sole proprietor, specializing in creative design, animation, and illustration.
  • Use ASP.NET and XML to automate common workflow tasks due to extremely high volume of designs to be create.
  • Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
  • Work in SharePoint, Dreamweaver, HTML5, CSS, wireframes, storyboards, and WordPress.
  • Create weekly HTML email campaigns to generate a marketing presence and drive traffic to their social media and web sites.
  • Make clickable prototypes using InVision.
  • 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

Digital designer vs graphic designer/production skills

Common digital designer skills
  • Sketch, 12%
  • Digital Marketing, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 7%
  • Digital Design, 6%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
  • UI, 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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