How to hire a graphic design assistant

How to hire a graphic design assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graphic design assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a graphic design assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new graphic design assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a graphic design assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the graphic design assistant you need to hire. Certain graphic design assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A graphic design assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, graphic design assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of graphic design assistants.

   Type of Graphic Design Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Graphic Design Assistant	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$13-27
   Visual Merchandiser	A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more	$12-25
   Production Artist	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... Show more	$19-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design
   • CAD
   • Sketch
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • Customer Service
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Photography
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Flyers
   • PowerPoint
   • Design Projects
   • Mac
   • Brochures
   • Design Concepts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Administer company website using PHP coding and manage Instagram/Facebook profiles.
   • Approve lab dips, embroidery size and placement, strike offs, screen prints, and appliques.
   • Supervise production staff that used embroidery machines.
   • Produce: technical drawings, illustrations, animations, PowerPoint presentations and relate graphics for organization.
   • Design PowerPoint presentations with sound/video; replace low-resolution images with high-resolution images in presentations and client proposals.
   • Coordinate photography orders with vendors at direction of creative staff and negotiate image license contracts to maximize company profits.

   More graphic design assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the graphic design assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A graphic design assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a graphic design assistant in Oklahoma may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level graphic design assistant. Additionally, a graphic design assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average graphic design assistant salary

   $40,835yearly

   $19.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level graphic design assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average graphic design assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$52,589	$25
   2	Alaska	$45,518	$22
   3	New Jersey	$44,792	$22
   4	Washington	$44,727	$22
   5	Virginia	$43,216	$21
   6	California	$43,011	$21
   7	Pennsylvania	$41,726	$20
   8	Michigan	$40,799	$20
   9	Ohio	$39,599	$19
   10	North Dakota	$38,007	$18
   11	Colorado	$37,376	$18
   12	Texas	$36,896	$18
   13	Wisconsin	$34,217	$16
   14	Nebraska	$33,165	$16
   15	Georgia	$32,879	$16
   16	Florida	$32,066	$15

   Average graphic design assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$68,236	$32.81	76
   2	San Francisco University High School	$52,728	$25.35	1
   3	Drees Homes	$52,541	$25.26	2
   4	WestRock	$51,375	$24.70	2
   5	Penguin Random House	$49,083	$23.60
   6	Structural Component Systems	$48,015	$23.08	1
   7	Calvin Klein	$47,890	$23.02
   8	Faherty Brand	$47,534	$22.85
   9	Colorado State Express	$47,399	$22.79
   10	Coach	$46,473	$22.34
   11	Chapman University	$46,429	$22.32	3
   12	University of Alaska	$45,826	$22.03	1
   13	Builders FirstSource	$44,679	$21.48	33
   14	Neiman Marcus Group	$44,510	$21.40
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$43,582	$20.95	4
   16	Tapestry Salon & Day Spa	$42,649	$20.50	4
   17	Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City	$42,076	$20.23
   18	Express Employment Indy South	$40,317	$19.38	1
   19	University of Georgia Small Business Development Center	$39,426	$18.95	1
   20	WinShape Teams	$38,314	$18.42

4. Writing a graphic design assistant job description

   A good graphic design assistant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a graphic design assistant job description:

   Graphic design assistant job description example

   Founded in 1961, WEG is recognized as one of the largest electric machine manufacturers in the world. WEG employs over 30,000 people around the globe and offers a diversified and integrated product line, with sales to more than 135 countries worldwide. Our U.S. operations are growing at an impressive rate and we're looking for talented individuals to help us move forward with this aggressive growth plan.

   
   

   WEG is committed to building quality products and providing efficient solutions. To achieve this goal, we strive for continuous investment in innovation and team work. Helping people reach their goals by living the values of the company is a passion shared by everyone at WEG.

   
   

   At WEG, our Values stand as: Human Company, Team Work, Efficiency, Flexibility, Innovation and Leadership.

   
   

   As a Human Company, we value each individual contribution to our success, and we motivate people by means of integrity, ethics and constant support to personal development.

   
   

   WEG, also, supports Green Initiatives such as the implementation of a company-wide recycling program, the use of green chemicals for office cleaning, the elimination of Styrofoam cups, and installation of HVAC economizers on rooftop units and an energy management system to improve overall energy efficiency.

   
   

   Job Description :

   Duties include

   • Development of database for control design software
   • Creating to the scale drawings for components
   • Creating part numbers for database
   • Creating documentation of the development of Instruction manuals, library
   • Testing of software and components to real life implementation

   WEG offers competitive compensation, meaningful and exciting career options, as well as excellent benefits, including paid vacation, medical, and dental, vision, 401(k), health savings accounts, life insurance, disability insurance and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Read about our career opportunities below and inquire about being a member of our first-class team.

   
   

   Apply Today:

   Is drafting your passion?

   
   

   Do you want to be part of a growing company?

   
   

   If you answered "Yes" & meet our qualifications, we invite you to apply today to join the WEG Transformers Team!

   
   

   We are Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

   Requirements:

   Basic :

   At least two (2) years of drafting of electrical control wiring schemes using AutoCAD 2D software.

   Knowledge of AutoCAD 3D.

   Resides within reasonable commuting distance of Washington, Missouri.

   Has current work authorization for employment in the United States.

   
   

   Preferred :

   Associates Degree in Engineering Technologies or similar degree.

   Highly competent in teamwork and collaboration.

   Passionate and energetic self-starter.

   Transformer industry experience.

   
   
   

   PI

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find graphic design assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any graphic design assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level graphic design assistants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your graphic design assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit graphic design assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit graphic design assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new graphic design assistant

   Once you've found the graphic design assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new graphic design assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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