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Graphic technician vs senior graphic designer

The differences between graphic technicians and senior graphic 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 graphic designer. Additionally, a senior graphic designer has an average salary of $73,921, 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 graphic designer are sketch, adobe creative suite, and creative concepts.

Graphic technician vs senior graphic designer overview

Graphic TechnicianSenior Graphic Designer
Yearly salary$42,632$73,921
Hourly rate$20.50$35.54
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs8,85046,310
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

Graphic technician vs senior graphic designer salary

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

Graphic TechnicianSenior Graphic Designer
Average salary$42,632$73,921
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $60,000Between $51,000 And $105,000
Highest paying CityPhoenix, AZSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyVentura County Community FoundationPractice Fusion
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between graphic technician and senior graphic designer education

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

Graphic TechnicianSenior Graphic Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Graphic technician vs senior graphic designer demographics

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

Graphic TechnicianSenior Graphic Designer
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 58.3% Female, 41.7%Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8%
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 senior graphic 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 graphic designer example responsibilities.

  • Create and manage license product lines from concept sketch to production sample.
  • Manage front-end development of company website, ordering system, and JavaScript presentations.
  • Create ads, manage copywriting, respond to customer inquiries, generate brand unity, establish clear company identity.
  • Perform front-end development, navigation, IA, UI, analysis, visual design, and SEO.
  • Produce and maintain sales literature, posters, trade show materials, print ads and marketing promotional materials for print media.
  • Design and execute production of marketing collateral; including annual catalogs, brochures, and a special contest information package
  • Show more

Graphic technician vs senior graphic designer skills

Common graphic technician skills
  • Graphic Design, 16%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • PC, 7%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Computer Graphics, 5%
Common senior graphic designer skills
  • Sketch, 7%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 7%
  • Creative Concepts, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
  • Art Direction, 4%
  • HTML, 4%

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