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The differences between lead artists and graphic designers 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 graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead artist has an average salary of $83,041, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a lead artist include maya, animation and portfolio. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Lead Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,041 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $39.92 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,799 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
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.
Lead artists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,041 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $128,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead artist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead artists' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Lead Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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, 3.4% 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% |