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The differences between graphics illustrators 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 graphics illustrator and a senior designer. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, which is higher than the $64,943 average annual salary of a graphics illustrator.
The top three skills for a graphics illustrator include adobe photoshop, graphic design and adobe indesign. The most important skills for a senior designer are sketch, graphic design, and human centered design.
| Graphics Illustrator | Senior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,943 | $102,058 |
| Hourly rate | $31.22 | $49.07 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 2,854 | 47,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
Graphics illustrators and senior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graphics Illustrator | Senior Designer | |
| Average salary | $64,943 | $102,058 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $101,000 | Between $72,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a graphics illustrator and a senior designer in terms of educational background:
| Graphics Illustrator | Senior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between graphics illustrators' and senior designers' demographics:
| Graphics Illustrator | Senior Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% |
| 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% |