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The differences between lead graphic designers and visual 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 graphic designer and a visual designer. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, which is higher than the $76,009 average annual salary of a lead graphic designer.
The top three skills for a lead graphic designer include adobe photoshop, graphic design and design concepts. The most important skills for a visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Lead Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,009 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $36.54 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,260 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
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 graphic designers and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $76,009 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $131,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a lead graphic designer and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | 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 graphic designers' and visual designers' demographics:
| Lead Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| 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% |