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Graphic designer internship vs assistant designer

The differences between graphic designer interns 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 internship and an assistant designer. Additionally, an assistant designer has an average salary of $52,475, which is higher than the $35,800 average annual salary of a graphic designer internship.

The top three skills for a graphic designer internship include graphic design intern, adobe photoshop and blog posts. The most important skills for an assistant designer are sketch, tech packs, and adobe illustrator.

Graphic designer internship vs assistant designer overview

Graphic Designer InternshipAssistant Designer
Yearly salary$35,800$52,475
Hourly rate$17.21$25.23
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs93,29247,598
Job satisfaction2-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

What does a graphic designer internship do?

In a graphic design internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to accomplish tasks while under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. An aspiring graphic designer may use this opportunity to observe and participate in designing for various industries, handle different clients, participate in creative meetings, and learn strategies from experts. Furthermore, there may also be technical tasks involving research and analysis, gathering materials, coordinating with vendors, and producing reports and other necessary documentation. They may also be responsible for maintaining a database and responding to calls and inquires.

What does an assistant designer do?

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 internship vs assistant designer salary

Graphic designer interns and assistant designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Graphic Designer InternshipAssistant Designer
Average salary$35,800$52,475
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $47,000Between $37,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyRiverbed Holdings, Inc.PVH
Best paying industryProfessionalConstruction

Differences between graphic designer internship and assistant designer education

There are a few differences between a graphic designer internship and an assistant designer in terms of educational background:

Graphic Designer InternshipAssistant Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Graphic designer internship vs assistant designer demographics

Here are the differences between graphic designer interns' and assistant designers' demographics:

Graphic Designer InternshipAssistant Designer
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 40.6% Female, 59.4%Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between graphic designer internship and assistant designer duties and responsibilities

Graphic designer internship example responsibilities.

  • Manage the company's Joomla website with content & design updates.
  • Attend various B2C and B2B brand trade-shows identifying new distribution channels and sales leads
  • Create, implement and manage customer activation campaigns and loyalty programs tracking ROI and retention.
  • Manage all aspects of the creative process with includes; sketch formation, client collaboration, production coordination.
  • Manage an in-house advertisement/mailer for a vendor.
  • Manage data migrations and SharePoint integration for corporate Intranet with external consultants.
  • Show more

Assistant designer example responsibilities.

  • Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
  • Direct yarn development team.- propose PLM transitional initiatives.- Collaboratively work to evaluate and elevate in-house design process efficiency.
  • Work in mac format adobe suite programs and pc format u4ia.
  • Generate and update style numbers and BOM's in WebPDM system BlueCherry.
  • Research fashion, textile, make up, accessory, and footwear trends.
  • Acquire in depth training in the PLM and used this system on a daily basis.
  • Show more

Graphic designer internship vs assistant designer skills

Common graphic designer internship skills
  • Graphic Design Intern, 11%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 6%
  • Blog Posts, 6%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 6%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 5%
  • Photography, 5%
Common assistant designer skills
  • Sketch, 15%
  • Tech Packs, 9%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 7%
  • Line Sheets, 5%
  • Trend Research, 4%
  • Garment Construction, 4%

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