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The differences between game artists and graphic artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a game artist, becoming a graphic artist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a game artist has an average salary of $86,932, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a game artist include animation, maya and sketch. The most important skills for a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Game Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $86,932 | $54,900 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 5,040 | 8,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Game artists and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Average salary | $86,932 | $54,900 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $133,000 | Between $35,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a game artist and a graphic artist in terms of educational background:
| Game Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between game artists' and graphic artists' demographics:
| Game Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 13% |