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Graphic technician vs production artist

The differences between graphic technicians and production 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 technician and a production artist. Additionally, a production artist has an average salary of $61,870, which is higher than the $42,632 average annual salary of a graphic technician.

The top three skills for a graphic technician include graphic design, adobe illustrator and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a production artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe creative suite.

Graphic technician vs production artist overview

Graphic TechnicianProduction Artist
Yearly salary$42,632$61,870
Hourly rate$20.50$29.75
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs8,85059,103
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

Graphic technician vs production artist salary

Graphic technicians and production artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Graphic TechnicianProduction Artist
Average salary$42,632$61,870
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $60,000Between $40,000 And $94,000
Highest paying CityPhoenix, AZSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyVentura County Community FoundationApple
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between graphic technician and production artist education

There are a few differences between a graphic technician and a production artist in terms of educational background:

Graphic TechnicianProduction Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Graphic technician vs production artist demographics

Here are the differences between graphic technicians' and production artists' demographics:

Graphic TechnicianProduction Artist
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 58.3% Female, 41.7%Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8%
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 technician and production artist duties and responsibilities

Graphic technician example responsibilities.

  • Create spec sheets, perform mathematical typesetting, proofread comps and color separations, and manage file archive.
  • Apply graphics to vehicles, windows and billboards.
  • Typeset new jobs, printing and bindery work.
  • Maintain print files for digital retrieval on PC and Macintosh computers.
  • Operate copy center, run bindery equipment, and basic typesetting.
  • Maintain Macintosh and PC network with associate output devices (plotters, printers etc . )
  • Show more

Production artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage print jobs, design, copywriting.
  • Produce and code HTML emails that are browser/email client-friendly, as well code landing pages in CSS.
  • Code web pages with HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and WordPress.
  • Update and maintain CMS website.
  • Work almost daily in the mac studio.
  • Submit sketch approvals to USDA for their review.
  • Show more

Graphic technician vs production artist skills

Common graphic technician skills
  • Graphic Design, 16%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • PC, 7%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Computer Graphics, 5%
Common production artist skills
  • Graphic Design, 12%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 7%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 7%
  • Adobe Indesign, 5%
  • Production Art, 5%

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