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The differences between multimedia designers and graphic artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a multimedia designer and a graphic artist. Additionally, a multimedia designer has an average salary of $61,468, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a multimedia designer include graphic design, video production and animation. The most important skills for a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Multimedia Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $61,468 | $54,900 |
| Hourly rate | $29.55 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,329 | 8,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A multimedia designer is responsible for creating graphic content and animations for digital platforms and media advertisements. Multimedia designers produce high-quality visual materials according to business requirements and budget limitations. They coordinate with the whole design team for the accuracy of deliverables and modifications as needed. A multimedia designer must be highly technical and creative, especially in utilizing various software applications and programs to develop graphic animations that adhere to quality standards and ensuring its appeal to the target audience.
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Multimedia designers and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Multimedia Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Average salary | $61,468 | $54,900 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $83,000 | Between $35,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a multimedia designer and a graphic artist in terms of educational background:
| Multimedia Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between multimedia designers' and graphic artists' demographics:
| Multimedia Designer | Graphic Artist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| 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% |