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The differences between digital media designers and lead 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 lead graphic designer. Additionally, a lead graphic designer has an average salary of $76,009, which is higher than the $56,476 average annual salary of a digital media 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 lead graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and design concepts.
| Digital Media Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,476 | $76,009 |
| Hourly rate | $27.15 | $36.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 67,696 | 46,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
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.
Digital media designers and lead graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Media Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $56,476 | $76,009 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $44,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | FNB | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a digital media designer and a lead graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Digital Media Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 lead graphic designers' demographics:
| Digital Media Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% |
| 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% |