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The differences between game artists and concept artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a game artist and a concept artist. Additionally, a game artist has an average salary of $86,932, which is higher than the $85,713 average annual salary of a concept artist.
The top three skills for a game artist include animation, maya and sketch. The most important skills for a concept artist are storyboards, maya, and animation.
| Game Artist | Concept Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $86,932 | $85,713 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $41.21 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,040 | 3,596 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
This individual is tasked with just one thing, and that is to create 2D or 3D art for visual elements in video games. Their task is crucial in the process of creating games. They visualize how a game will look and ensure it comes out exactly that way. They design a few preliminary sketches and develop them according to the general style of the video game. They are required to work on components like characters, textures, vehicles, colors, lighting, objects, and environment.
The job of a concept artist is to make visual representations of creatures, characters, environments, vehicles, and other artistic assets. You should know about the design and how to create one that needs to blend well with any creative project. Your typical job includes drawing or painting these creative assets and providing references for any ideas you need to illustrate. The general qualifications needed to become a successful concept artist include illustration skills, design understanding, and knowledge of Photoshop.
Game artists and concept artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Artist | Concept Artist | |
| Average salary | $86,932 | $85,713 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $133,000 | Between $56,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a game artist and a concept artist in terms of educational background:
| Game Artist | Concept Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between game artists' and concept artists' demographics:
| Game Artist | Concept Artist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |