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The differences between graphic artists and production artists 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 production artist. Additionally, a production artist has an average salary of $61,870, 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 production artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe creative suite.
| Graphic Artist | Production Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,900 | $61,870 |
| Hourly rate | $26.39 | $29.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 8,752 | 59,103 |
| 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 production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.
Graphic artists and production artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphic Artist | Production Artist | |
| Average salary | $54,900 | $61,870 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $84,000 | Between $40,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a graphic artist and a production artist in terms of educational background:
| Graphic Artist | Production Artist | |
| 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 production artists' demographics:
| Graphic Artist | Production Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% |
| 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% |