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The differences between product designers and graphic designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a product designer, becoming a graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a product designer has an average salary of $102,033, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a product designer include sketch, visual design and UI. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Product Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,033 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $49.05 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 98,465 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A product designer's key responsibilities are to perform design research, selecting the best materials, and develop user storyboards for the client and users' best interest. Product designers usually work with a whole design team, documenting suggestions to deliver high-quality outputs or improve existing products to match the market trends. They must also communicate with other skilled professionals to enhance their ideas and consult clients for any necessary adjustments that would affect the total user experience. A product designer should also have extensive knowledge of the consumer's preference to make the design more appealing and engaging.
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.
Product designers and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $102,033 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $152,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Netflix | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product designer and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Product Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between product designers' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Product Designer | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% 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 | 8% | 13% |