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The differences between graphic designer/illustrators and graphic 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 designer/illustrator and a graphic artist. Additionally, a graphic artist has an average salary of $54,900, 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 a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Graphic Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $45,124 | $54,900 |
| Hourly rate | $21.69 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,853 | 8,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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.
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.
Graphic designer/illustrators and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Graphic Artist | |
| Average salary | $45,124 | $54,900 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $63,000 | Between $35,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Parsons | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a graphic designer/illustrator and a graphic artist in terms of educational background:
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Graphic Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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 graphic artists' demographics:
| Graphic Designer/Illustrator | Graphic Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.1% Female, 39.9% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |