Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead designers and lead artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a lead designer, becoming a lead artist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $83,041 average annual salary of a lead artist.
The top three skills for a lead designer include sketch, user experience and architecture. The most important skills for a lead artist are maya, animation, and portfolio.
| Lead Designer | Lead Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $110,001 | $83,041 |
| Hourly rate | $52.89 | $39.92 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 45,423 | 4,799 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
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.
Lead designers and lead artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Designer | Lead Artist | |
| Average salary | $110,001 | $83,041 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $154,000 | Between $53,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead designer and a lead artist in terms of educational background:
| Lead Designer | Lead Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead designers' and lead artists' demographics:
| Lead Designer | Lead Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 11% |