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The differences between junior art directors and senior graphic designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a junior art director, becoming a senior graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a junior art director has an average salary of $86,890, which is higher than the $73,921 average annual salary of a senior graphic designer.
The top three skills for a junior art director include graphic design, adobe creative suite and creative concepts. The most important skills for a senior graphic designer are sketch, adobe creative suite, and creative concepts.
| Junior Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,890 | $73,921 |
| Hourly rate | $41.77 | $35.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 20,105 | 46,310 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
The job of a junior art director is to plan, assist, and execute the design and creative projects, including websites, emails, magazines, and ad campaigns. Duties may vary but typically include creating presentations and layouts, working closely with other departments on current projects, and organizing and conducting training on branding and design concepts. Additionally, you will be responsible for creating logos, brand standards, and corporate marketing. You are also responsible for creating graphic standards and communication guidelines.
A senior graphic designer oversees all of the designing operations in a company, from conceptualization to production. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure that all designs produced are according to a client's preference and brand. They also encourage fresh ideas from the team, communicate with clients or representatives, and manage the schedules to meet all deadlines. Furthermore, as a senior graphic designer, they are responsible for leading and mentoring a team of graphic designers, all in the joint effort to reach project goals.
Junior art directors and senior graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $86,890 | $73,921 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $148,000 | Between $51,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Practice Fusion |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior art director and a senior graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior art directors' and senior graphic designers' demographics:
| Junior Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 11% | 13% |