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The differences between lead designers and assistant designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a lead designer and an assistant designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $52,475 average annual salary of an assistant designer.
The top three skills for a lead designer include sketch, user experience and architecture. The most important skills for an assistant designer are sketch, tech packs, and adobe illustrator.
| Lead Designer | Assistant Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,001 | $52,475 |
| Hourly rate | $52.89 | $25.23 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,423 | 47,598 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Assistant designers act as administrative support to senior designers in creating innovative designs by negotiating with the vendors about the prices of decoration materials. They are keen and up-to-date to the latest fashion and trends by conducting surveys and research. They are exceptionally creative and innovative and have excellent IT skills as they use illustration, typography, and photography layouts in the design process. However, being an assistant designer, career development relies on his/her /her specialism, reputation, and experience depending on how its opportunities are influenced by the company he/she works for.
Lead designers and assistant designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Designer | Assistant Designer | |
| Average salary | $110,001 | $52,475 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $154,000 | Between $37,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | PVH |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Construction |
There are a few differences between a lead designer and an assistant designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Designer | Assistant Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead designers' and assistant designers' demographics:
| Lead Designer | Assistant Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |