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The differences between head designers and motion graphics 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 head designer and a motion graphics designer. Additionally, a head designer has an average salary of $116,986, which is higher than the $62,558 average annual salary of a motion graphics designer.
The top three skills for a head designer include product design, UI and sketch. The most important skills for a motion graphics designer are animation, style frames, and cinema.
| Head Designer | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,986 | $62,558 |
| Hourly rate | $56.24 | $30.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,876 | 44,960 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
The Head Designer is the overall command over the creative team's design and the entire company. The heads of the organization look toward the head designer to provide insights into the artistic path the company will take to achieve a unique brand in the market. The head designer is highly-creative, good in management, and can articulate abstract ideas clearly and relay them to company administrators, customers, and clients. A head designer's responsibilities are to handle the creative team, train each member, and provide guidance in every part of the designing process.
A motion graphic designer specializes in producing artworks used in television, film, and web. Their responsibilities often revolve around submitting within a deadline, attending creative meetings, collaborating with fellow designers, following directives from clients, producing trial designs, and editing them in adherence to senior designers or clients' recommendations. There are also instances when a motion graphic designer must manage documentation, address inquiries and concerns, and report to higher-ranking personnel. Furthermore, one may choose to work for a company or independently.
Head designers and motion graphics designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Head Designer | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Average salary | $116,986 | $62,558 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $191,000 | Between $44,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a head designer and a motion graphics designer in terms of educational background:
| Head Designer | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between head designers' and motion graphics designers' demographics:
| Head Designer | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.1% Female, 49.9% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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% |