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The differences between exhibition designers and visual designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an exhibition designer, becoming a visual designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, which is higher than the $62,371 average annual salary of an exhibition designer.
The top three skills for an exhibition designer include CAD, design concepts and concept development. The most important skills for a visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Exhibition Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $62,371 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $29.99 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,425 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
An exhibition designer creates appealing and creative display stands, meeting the practical, budgetary, and aesthetic requirements. Besides organizing and participating in meetings, explaining design issues, and producing competitive and realistic quotes, exhibition designers also respond to clients' queries and transport their display 'stands' to the required exhibition venues. They deliver finished display stands to clients for reviewing, erecting, and dismantling the stands at different locations and create sketches and 3D computer-produced images. Also, they negotiate and agree on time-scales and budgets.
A visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Exhibition designers and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Exhibition Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $62,371 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $99,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an exhibition designer and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Exhibition Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between exhibition designers' and visual designers' demographics:
| Exhibition Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.4% White, 70.6% 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 | 12% | 13% |