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Graphic designer internship vs visual designer

The differences between graphic designer interns and visual 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 a visual designer. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, 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 visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.

Graphic designer internship vs visual designer overview

Graphic Designer InternshipVisual Designer
Yearly salary$35,800$86,495
Hourly rate$17.21$41.58
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs93,29246,815
Job satisfaction2-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
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 visual designer do?

A visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.

Graphic designer internship vs visual designer salary

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

Graphic Designer InternshipVisual Designer
Average salary$35,800$86,495
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $47,000Between $51,000 And $143,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASan Bruno, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyRiverbed Holdings, Inc.ByteDance
Best paying industryProfessionalStart-up

Differences between graphic designer internship and visual designer education

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

Graphic Designer InternshipVisual Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Graphic designer internship vs visual designer demographics

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

Graphic Designer InternshipVisual Designer
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 40.6% Female, 59.4%Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9%
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 visual 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

Visual designer example responsibilities.

  • Design, project manage, and build retail stores from sketch to completion.
  • Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
  • Produce and deliver HTML5, CSS3 and graphical items.
  • Design team brand and logo for organization.
  • Provide approved design in HTML5 to web developer for publishing.
  • Utilize expertise in Photoshop CS6, HTML5/CSS, Squarespace, and JavaScript.
  • Show more

Graphic designer internship vs visual 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 visual designer skills
  • Sketch, 19%
  • Visual Design, 8%
  • Graphic Design, 5%
  • UI, 5%
  • User Experience, 4%
  • Visualization, 4%

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