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The differences between lead designers and junior 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 a junior designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $53,349 average annual salary of a junior designer.
The top three skills for a lead designer include sketch, user experience and architecture. The most important skills for a junior designer are sketch, graphic design, and adobe creative suite.
| Lead Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,001 | $53,349 |
| Hourly rate | $52.89 | $25.65 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,423 | 58,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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.
A junior designer is an entry-level professional who is responsible for creating high-quality designs according to the requirements of clients. Under the supervision of senior designers, junior designers must understand project requirements and projects and use various techniques to create drafts, models, and prototypes. They collaborate with team members to pitch in creative ideas and produce final design solutions that can include banners or logos. Junior designers must also take on specially design tasks and use feedback from other designers to improve.
Lead designers and junior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Average salary | $110,001 | $53,349 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $154,000 | Between $43,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Nike |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead designer and a junior designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | 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 designers' and junior designers' demographics:
| Lead Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| 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% |