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The differences between owner & designers and head designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an owner & designer and a head designer. Additionally, a head designer has an average salary of $116,986, which is higher than the $48,688 average annual salary of an owner & designer.
The top three skills for an owner & designer include customer service, graphic design and website design. The most important skills for a head designer are product design, UI, and sketch.
| Owner & Designer | Head Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $48,688 | $116,986 |
| Hourly rate | $23.41 | $56.24 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 91,490 | 53,876 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Owners/designers are responsible for the overall creation of their designs, including the marketing campaigns to boost their brand image, and hiring people to help them execute the production for desired results. They also reach out to potential clients to offer their services, negotiate contract terms and payments, and work within the clients' specifications and timeframe. Owners/designers must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on enforcing critical business decisions that would define the owner's strategies and market performance.
The Head Designer is the overall command over the creative team's design and the entire company. The heads of the organization look toward the head designer to provide insights into the artistic path the company will take to achieve a unique brand in the market. The head designer is highly-creative, good in management, and can articulate abstract ideas clearly and relay them to company administrators, customers, and clients. A head designer's responsibilities are to handle the creative team, train each member, and provide guidance in every part of the designing process.
Owner & designers and head designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Owner & Designer | Head Designer | |
| Average salary | $48,688 | $116,986 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $72,000 | Between $71,000 And $191,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an owner & designer and a head designer in terms of educational background:
| Owner & Designer | Head Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between owner & designers' and head designers' demographics:
| Owner & Designer | Head Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% | Male, 50.1% Female, 49.9% |
| 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% |