Post job

Graphic technician vs senior designer

The differences between graphic technicians and senior 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 technician and a senior designer. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, 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 senior designer are sketch, graphic design, and human centered design.

Graphic technician vs senior designer overview

Graphic TechnicianSenior Designer
Yearly salary$42,632$102,058
Hourly rate$20.50$49.07
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs8,85047,503
Job satisfaction-1
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

Graphic technician vs senior designer salary

Graphic technicians and senior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Graphic TechnicianSenior Designer
Average salary$42,632$102,058
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $60,000Between $72,000 And $143,000
Highest paying CityPhoenix, AZSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyVentura County Community FoundationLyft
Best paying industryTechnologyMedia

Differences between graphic technician and senior designer education

There are a few differences between a graphic technician and a senior designer in terms of educational background:

Graphic TechnicianSenior Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Graphic technician vs senior designer demographics

Here are the differences between graphic technicians' and senior designers' demographics:

Graphic TechnicianSenior Designer
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 58.3% Female, 41.7%Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0%
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 senior designer 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

Senior designer example responsibilities.

  • Identify, plan and lead brainstorming sessions for new blue-sky product opportunities across all boys' lines.
  • Design all marketing collateral within those standards including flyers, ads, conference materials, brochures, and design mailed pieces.
  • Implement HTML and CSS tags.
  • Format designs and media for use in print and web applications; deliver production-ready graphics in HTML and CSS.
  • Design and production of marketing materials, PowerPoint templates for pitch decks, event graphics, various collateral and HTML e-mails.
  • Lead the team in brainstorming sessions and assist with market research and testing.
  • Show more

Graphic technician vs senior designer skills

Common graphic technician skills
  • Graphic Design, 16%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • PC, 7%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Computer Graphics, 5%
Common senior designer skills
  • Sketch, 15%
  • Graphic Design, 5%
  • Human Centered Design, 4%
  • User Experience, 4%
  • UI, 4%
  • CAD, 4%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs