How To Become A Head Graphic Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a head graphic designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a head graphic designer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $35.89 an hour? That's $74,651 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 6,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a head graphic designer?

Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.

Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and Humanities, College of Central Florida

I was once told, if you do what you love, you will never "work" a day in your life. I have found this true in my own career and hope our VPA graduates will find it true in theirs as well. The arts offer such a unique means of engaging and we, as arts educators, have an ability to "reach" those we have contact with, in a unique way.

ScoreHead Graphic DesignerUS Average

Salary

5.8

Avg. Salary $74,651

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.2

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 10.42%

Black or African American 3.42%

Hispanic or Latino 10.63%

Unknown 4.99%

White 70.17%

Gender

female 41.57%

male 58.43%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress level

4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a head graphic designer

Explore head graphic designer education requirements

Most common head graphic designer degrees

Bachelor's

66.1 %

Associate

21.6 %

High School Diploma

4.5 %

Start to develop specific head graphic designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Graphic Design	16.80%
Adobe Photoshop	8.44%
Adobe Illustrator	6.74%
Graphic Art	6.09%
Photography	5.77%

Complete relevant head graphic designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New head graphic designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a head graphic designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real head graphic designer resumes.

Research head graphic designer duties and responsibilities

Create ads, manage copywriting, respond to customer inquiries, generate brand unity, establish clear company identity.
Design new office space for various companies using 3D software and a AutoCAD
Create and set up logos for commercial embroidery 5 plus years experience with Tajima illustrator software.
Design, develop, maintain and update a variety of web sites using valid HTML and CSS.

Prepare your head graphic designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your head graphic designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a head graphic designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable head graphic designer resume templates

Build a professional head graphic designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your head graphic designer resume.

Apply for head graphic designer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a head graphic designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do head graphic designers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Head graphic designer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022

Pros

There is so much to like about working as Graphic Designer ... the seeing how all the elements of words, space, colors, visuals (photos, graphics, charts,...) come together on a page...sharing info with others to learn and use

Cons

When working with others who can not make up their minds as deadline approaches nor take responsibility and blames others for their own "misdoings".

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

What I like most about a designer is doing work with Fonts designing projects designing

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros

The opportunity to learn about a client's business needs and create design solutions that can be tested and measured.

Cons

Working for a manager who doesn't understand design.

What is a head graphic designer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a head graphic designer?

Head graphic designer career paths

Key steps to become a head graphic designer

Explore head graphic designer education requirements

Most common head graphic designer degrees

Start to develop specific head graphic designer skills

Complete relevant head graphic designer training and internships

Research head graphic designer duties and responsibilities

Prepare your head graphic designer resume

Choose from 10+ customizable head graphic designer resume templates

Apply for head graphic designer jobs

How did you land your first head graphic designer job

Average head graphic designer salary

How do head graphic designers rate their job?

Head graphic designer reviews