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The differences between instructional designers and graphic designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an instructional designer, becoming a graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an instructional designer has an average salary of $57,534, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for an instructional designer include instructional design, subject matter experts and project management. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Instructional Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $57,534 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $27.66 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 50,321 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
An instructional designer focuses on devising learning materials and content to aid every students' learning difficulties. These can include videos, books, and presentations. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis to identify the needs of students, crafting learning strategies in collaboration with experts. They are also responsible for developing tools and materials to help assess every students' progress, such as quizzes and examinations. Furthermore, an instructional designer needs to coordinate with all personnel involved with the project to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
Graphic designers are visual communicators who create graphic ideas to deliver a message through art and images which inspire, inform, and motivate consumers with the use of computer software, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or by hand. They have the ability to design stunning illustrations that are easily understood, even without a lot of thinking or based on the demand of their clients. It is very crucial to them as well to be flexible and to stay on top of the design trends. They create websites, posters, packaging, logos, advertising, and marketing materials, depending on the nature of the business.
Instructional designers and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $57,534 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $79,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instructional designer and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between instructional designers' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Instructional Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.8% Female, 58.2% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 16% | 13% |