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The differences between lead user experience designers and graphic 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 user experience designer and a graphic designer. Additionally, a lead user experience designer has an average salary of $115,214, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a lead user experience designer include sketch, user experience and UI. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Lead User Experience Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $115,214 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $55.39 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,712 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Lead User Experience Designers are responsible for providing strategy and direction in designing a user's experience for a digital product or service. They work with cross-functional teams such as user researchers, product design teams, and project managers to deliver a specified timeline. Their duties include developing information architecture, designing wireframes, prototyping, creating content, and performing usability testing of system interaction. Lead user experience designers must know Adobe Suites and specialist wireframing and prototyping design tools such as Axure, Marvel, Invision to translate the design to product. They also liaise with clients regularly to ensure the design meets the business goal.
Graphic designers are visual communicators who create graphic ideas to deliver a message through art and images which inspire, inform, and motivate consumers with the use of computer software, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or by hand. They have the ability to design stunning illustrations that are easily understood, even without a lot of thinking or based on the demand of their clients. It is very crucial to them as well to be flexible and to stay on top of the design trends. They create websites, posters, packaging, logos, advertising, and marketing materials, depending on the nature of the business.
Lead user experience designers and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead User Experience Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $115,214 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $158,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead user experience designer and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead User Experience Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead user experience designers' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Lead User Experience Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.5% Female, 25.5% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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% |