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The differences between graphic artists and assistant 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 graphic artist and an assistant designer. Additionally, a graphic artist has an average salary of $54,900, which is higher than the $52,475 average annual salary of an assistant designer.
The top three skills for a graphic artist include graphic design, adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator. The most important skills for an assistant designer are sketch, tech packs, and adobe illustrator.
| Graphic Artist | Assistant Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,900 | $52,475 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $25.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 8,752 | 47,598 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Assistant designers act as administrative support to senior designers in creating innovative designs by negotiating with the vendors about the prices of decoration materials. They are keen and up-to-date to the latest fashion and trends by conducting surveys and research. They are exceptionally creative and innovative and have excellent IT skills as they use illustration, typography, and photography layouts in the design process. However, being an assistant designer, career development relies on his/her /her specialism, reputation, and experience depending on how its opportunities are influenced by the company he/she works for.
Graphic artists and assistant designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphic Artist | Assistant Designer | |
| Average salary | $54,900 | $52,475 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $84,000 | Between $37,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Parsons | PVH |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Construction |
There are a few differences between a graphic artist and an assistant designer in terms of educational background:
| Graphic Artist | Assistant Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between graphic artists' and assistant designers' demographics:
| Graphic Artist | Assistant Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| 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% |