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The differences between lead artists and lead 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 lead graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead artist has an average salary of $83,041, which is higher than the $76,009 average annual salary of a lead graphic designer.
The top three skills for a lead artist include maya, animation and portfolio. The most important skills for a lead graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and design concepts.
| Lead Artist | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,041 | $76,009 |
| Hourly rate | $39.92 | $36.54 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,799 | 46,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A lead graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team. It is essential for the lead graphic designer must be creative, willing to think outside the box, and brave to dare novel ideas. The lead graphic designer is also responsible for leading the creative department in accomplishing assigned tasks from management.
Lead artists and lead graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Artist | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,041 | $76,009 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $128,000 | Between $44,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead artist and a lead graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Artist | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead artists' and lead graphic designers' demographics:
| Lead Artist | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% |
| 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% |