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The differences between game artists and graphic designers 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 designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a game artist has an average salary of $86,932, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a game artist include animation, maya and sketch. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Game Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,932 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $41.79 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 5,040 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
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.
Game artists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Game Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $86,932 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $133,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a game artist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Game Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 designers' demographics:
| Game Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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% |