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The differences between production artists 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 production artist and a graphic designer. Additionally, a production artist has an average salary of $61,870, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a production artist include graphic design, adobe photoshop and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Production Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,870 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $29.75 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 59,103 | 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 |
A production artist is responsible for managing digital content, meeting clients' standard specifications and requests for successful project completion. Production artists must have computer proficiency, especially on utilizing various software tools and applications to create illustrations and layouts. They also work closely with the creative team, cooperating in brainstorming sessions to ensure the consistency for each assigned task. A production artist should be keen on details, adjusting outputs as needed to maintain the highest quality for the actual presentation.
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.
Production artists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $61,870 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $94,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production artist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Production Artist | 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 production artists' and graphic designers' demographics:
| Production Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% | 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% |