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The differences between graphics illustrators 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 graphics illustrator and a production artist. Additionally, a graphics illustrator has an average salary of $64,943, which is higher than the $61,870 average annual salary of a production artist.
The top three skills for a graphics illustrator include adobe photoshop, graphic design and adobe indesign. The most important skills for a production artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe creative suite.
| Graphics Illustrator | Production Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $64,943 | $61,870 |
| Hourly rate | $31.22 | $29.75 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 2,854 | 59,103 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A graphics illustrator is an artist that is skilled in drawing, painting, digital illustration, art history, and sometimes marketing. Your job as an illustrator is to create a visual representation of an idea or associated text. Unlike a graphic designer, a graphic illustrator does a lot more drawing, product package design, book illustrations, and graphic novels. As a graphics illustrator, you may be required to lead lots of projects that deal with advertising design and publishing initiatives. In addition to that, you may be expected to produce mockups, wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications.
A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.
Graphics illustrators and production artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphics Illustrator | Production Artist | |
| Average salary | $64,943 | $61,870 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $101,000 | Between $40,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a graphics illustrator and a production artist in terms of educational background:
| Graphics Illustrator | Production Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between graphics illustrators' and production artists' demographics:
| Graphics Illustrator | Production Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 13% | 13% |