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Graphic designer internship vs graphic artist

The differences between graphic designer interns 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 internship and a graphic artist. Additionally, a graphic artist has an average salary of $54,900, 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 a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.

Graphic designer internship vs graphic artist overview

Graphic Designer InternshipGraphic Artist
Yearly salary$35,800$54,900
Hourly rate$17.21$26.39
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs93,2928,752
Job satisfaction2-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
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 a graphic artist do?

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 internship vs graphic artist salary

Graphic designer interns and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Graphic Designer InternshipGraphic Artist
Average salary$35,800$54,900
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $47,000Between $35,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WABellevue, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyRiverbed Holdings, Inc.Parsons
Best paying industryProfessionalNon Profits

Differences between graphic designer internship and graphic artist education

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

Graphic Designer InternshipGraphic Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Graphic designer internship vs graphic artist demographics

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

Graphic Designer InternshipGraphic Artist
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 40.6% Female, 59.4%Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4%
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 graphic artist 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.
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Graphic artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage external communications such as brochures and other sales collateral for direct mail from inception to circulation.
  • Develop, debug, and maintain client websites using HTML & CSS, WordPress, and basic use of JavaScript.
  • Flash & Dreamweaver software assisting in production of the company website.
  • Create custom graphic art for cars, windows, store fronts, business signs.
  • Design and implement the company's first Facebook app and engages in designing everything encompassing pixels and print.
  • Design, develop and maintain websites as projects present themselves with the use of HTML and WYSIWYG web development tools.
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Graphic designer internship vs graphic artist 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 graphic artist skills
  • Graphic Design, 12%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 10%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 9%
  • Art Direction, 7%
  • Photography, 5%
  • Brochures, 4%

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