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The differences between level 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 level designer and a visual designer. Additionally, a level designer has an average salary of $96,455, which is higher than the $86,495 average annual salary of a visual designer.
The top three skills for a level designer include unreal engine, unity and maya. The most important skills for a visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Level Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,455 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $46.37 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,696 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A level designer is an expert at designing and developing gameplays, including its characters and obstacles. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with the creative and development teams, conceptualizing plans and diagrams, performing extensive research and analysis, studying client feedback and current market trends, constructing prototypes, and performing tests to ensure the efficiency of the game. Furthermore, as a level designer, it is essential to monitor the entire production process, coordinating with staff every step of the way for quality end products.
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.
Level designers and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Level Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $96,455 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $148,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a level designer and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Level Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | 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 level designers' and visual designers' demographics:
| Level Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | 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% |