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The differences between lead artists and design managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a lead artist, becoming a design manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a design manager has an average salary of $102,637, which is higher than the $83,041 average annual salary of a lead artist.
The top three skills for a lead artist include maya, animation and portfolio. The most important skills for a design manager are sketch, project management, and visualization.
| Lead Artist | Design Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $83,041 | $102,637 |
| Hourly rate | $39.92 | $49.34 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 4,799 | 61,273 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 40 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
The duties of a lead artist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to identify and meet their needs, coordinating with the creative staff in developing concepts and samples to present to the clients, conducting revisions, and submitting finished works according to the prescribed format and manner. Furthermore, as a lead artist, it is essential to spearhead the efforts and encourage the team to reach goals, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, including the clients' vision.
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
Lead artists and design managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Artist | Design Manager | |
| Average salary | $83,041 | $102,637 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $128,000 | Between $69,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead artist and a design manager in terms of educational background:
| Lead Artist | Design Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between lead artists' and design managers' demographics:
| Lead Artist | Design Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |