Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between graphic designer/illustrators 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 designer/illustrator and an assistant designer. Additionally, an assistant designer has an average salary of $52,475, which is higher than the $45,124 average annual salary of a graphic designer/illustrator.
The top three skills for a graphic designer/illustrator include adobe illustrator, adobe photoshop and logo design. The most important skills for an assistant designer are sketch, tech packs, and adobe illustrator.
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Assistant Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,124 | $52,475 |
| Hourly rate | $21.69 | $25.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,853 | 47,598 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
As a graphic designer or illustrator, your job involves working with images to create visual displays for clients. If you work as a graphic designer, you may be required to create layouts using computer software. As a graphic illustrator, your job responsibility may revolve around drawing or painting images and uploading them to make digital copies. As a graphic designer/ illustrator, your job duties revolve around understanding the needs of your clients and being able to identify your target audience.
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 designer/illustrators and assistant designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Assistant Designer | |
| Average salary | $45,124 | $52,475 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $63,000 | Between $37,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | PVH | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Construction |
There are a few differences between a graphic designer/illustrator and an assistant designer in terms of educational background:
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Assistant Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | 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 designer/illustrators' and assistant designers' demographics:
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Assistant Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.1% Female, 39.9% | 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% |