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The differences between digital media designers and graphic 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 digital media designer and a graphic designer. Additionally, a digital media designer has an average salary of $56,476, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a digital media designer include digital marketing, graphic design and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Digital Media Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,476 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $27.15 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 67,696 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A digital media designer specializes in designing and developing visual materials for advertisements, campaigns, film, television, and print using special computer programs. They typically work as a member of a design team and create materials such as images, effects, or even animation. As a digital media designer, their responsibilities include understanding and identifying project needs and requirements, developing drafts for client approval, revising designs as necessary, and maintaining records of all transactions. Moreover, a digital media designer must keep an open communication line with team members for an efficient workflow.
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.
Digital media designers and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Media Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $56,476 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | FNB | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a digital media designer and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Digital Media Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between digital media designers' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Digital Media Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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% |