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The differences between graphic artists and graphic design managers 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 a graphic design manager. Additionally, a graphic design manager has an average salary of $66,975, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a graphic artist include graphic design, adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator. The most important skills for a graphic design manager are graphic design, project management, and customer service.
| Graphic Artist | Graphic Design Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $54,900 | $66,975 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $32.20 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 8,752 | 48,269 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
A graphic design manager is primarily in charge of leading and overseeing the efforts of a graphic design team, ensuring adherence to goals and deadlines. It is their duty to learn and analyze the purpose of design, coordinate staff, liaise with internal and external parties, set goals and objectives, manage schedules, and conceptualize plans. Furthermore, as a graphic design manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
Graphic artists and graphic design managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphic Artist | Graphic Design Manager | |
| Average salary | $54,900 | $66,975 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $84,000 | Between $49,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between a graphic artist and a graphic design manager in terms of educational background:
| Graphic Artist | Graphic Design Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | 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 graphic artists' and graphic design managers' demographics:
| Graphic Artist | Graphic Design Manager | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% |
| 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% |