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The differences between lead artists and visual 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 visual designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, 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 visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Lead Artist | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,041 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $39.92 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,799 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Lead artists and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Artist | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,041 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $128,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a lead artist and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Artist | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead artists' and visual designers' demographics:
| Lead Artist | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| 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% |