How to hire a graphics specialist

How to hire a graphics specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graphics specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a graphics specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new graphics specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a graphics specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your graphics specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a graphics specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect graphics specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of graphics specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Graphics Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Graphics Specialist	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$18-38
   Designer	A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences... Show more	$21-46
   Freelance Designer	Freelance designers are creative, independent contractors who create visual and graphic designs for their clients. They develop text and illustrated versions of brands, messages, and communications with strong visible influence with their clients... Show more	$18-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Adobe Indesign
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Visualization
   • Photography
   • Posters
   • HTML
   • Brochures
   • Flyers
   • Motion Graphics
   • Animation
   • Mac

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the development and execution of several overhead presentations, advertising design, brochure marketing, and desktop publishing initiatives.
   • Create graphics / artwork for screen print, dye-sublimation, embroidery, apparel, fliers, and web graphics.
   • Prepare page layouts for posters, signage, handouts, brochures, business cards, stationery, and direct mail pieces.
   • Edit HTML for menu systems in CBT courses.
   • Work with large format digital printers, plotters, and lamination machines.
   • Create an HTML template defining the look and feel for UNITEC's intranet.

   More graphics specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the graphics specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A graphics specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a graphics specialist in Georgia may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level graphics specialist. Additionally, a graphics specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average graphics specialist salary

   $56,007yearly

   $26.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level graphics specialist salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average graphics specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$79,284	$38
   2	District of Columbia	$70,066	$34
   3	New York	$64,411	$31
   4	Alaska	$61,949	$30
   5	Massachusetts	$60,567	$29
   6	Maryland	$57,900	$28
   7	Virginia	$57,591	$28
   8	Texas	$56,673	$27
   9	Colorado	$53,746	$26
   10	Minnesota	$52,112	$25
   11	Illinois	$50,833	$24
   12	Kentucky	$47,337	$23
   13	Nebraska	$47,072	$23
   14	North Carolina	$45,077	$22
   15	Alabama	$43,772	$21
   16	Ohio	$43,059	$21
   17	Florida	$42,871	$21
   18	Kansas	$41,887	$20

   Average graphics specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ZeniMax Media	$81,741	$39.30	1
   2	Jacobs Engineering Group	$81,283	$39.08
   3	BGC Partners	$77,549	$37.28
   4	Boston Scientific	$68,069	$32.73
   5	Fox News	$66,690	$32.06
   6	AssuredPartners	$65,063	$31.28
   7	BluEdge	$64,497	$31.01
   8	Mcgriff, Seibels & Williams	$63,120	$30.35
   9	Gewalt Hamilton Associates	$62,987	$30.28	1
   10	Guidehouse	$62,556	$30.07
   11	Firefly Aerospace	$62,350	$29.98
   12	Matrix Service Company	$60,717	$29.19	2
   13	HAVI	$60,318	$29.00
   14	XLA	$58,791	$28.26
   15	CGS	$58,648	$28.20
   16	Hall | MileOne Autogroup	$58,034	$27.90
   17	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$57,770	$27.77	2
   18	The Freeman Company LLC	$57,559	$27.67
   19	Intrepid Solutions and Services	$57,104	$27.45
   20	Maximus	$57,095	$27.45	1

4. Writing a graphics specialist job description

   A graphics specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a graphics specialist job description:

   Graphics specialist job description example

   Under general supervision, this position produces graphic illustrations, charts, and graphs for print, web, and multimedia publications and presentations using computer graphics and word processing applications and equipment. Consults with IDA staff member requesting work to interpret project specifications.
   Responsibilities
   
   * Primary responsibilities include:
   * Consults with IDA staff member requesting graphics work to interpret project specifications; identifies the reproduction and processing methods available within IDA; evaluates the comparative merits of each process with regard to quality, speed and economy; provides creative input to help guide staff member in achieving an attractive and professional product.
   * Works with outside printing company representatives to oversee completion of specific assignments.
   * Utilizes appropriate computer software tools to produce finished graphics illustrations rendered from rough sketches and layouts prepared by other Graphics Specialists or author of the material; utilizes computer graphics to create charts and graphs for publications and visual aids.
   * Follows IDA formatting type and style standards and established security regulations and procedures.
   * Produces booklets, brochures, posters, briefing slides, photo editing and newsletters in color and black and white. Able to work on high-end print publications, such as annual reports and small book projects.
   * Performs other duties as assigned.
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   * Bachelor's degree in Graphic/Visual Arts with two or more years of progressive responsible work experience in the graphic arts field.
   * Proficient with the following applications: Word, PowerPoint, Visio, Excel, Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Blender, CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2021 and other professionally recognized applications, or equivalents; capable of working in both a PC and Mac environment.
   * Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
   * Experienced with the operation of various traditional and digital, color and black and white printers and scanners, and with network environments using both Mac and PC computers, file transfer and file format conversions.
   * Experienced in the use of traditional and digital photograph enhancement techniques.
   * Experience preparing graphics for print, web, and PowerPoint presentations.
   * Knowledge of 3D art creation, animation, printing a plus.
   * Knowledge of pre-press techniques.
   * Demonstrated ability to follow prescribed procedures in a timely and accurate manner.
   * Collaborate closely with editors, photographers, and other members of the Corporate Communications and IDA team.
   * Ability to obtain necessary security clearances.
   * Successful completion of a criminal background check is required

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right graphics specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with graphics specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit graphics specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your graphics specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit graphics specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit graphics specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new graphics specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect graphics specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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