Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between production artists and motion graphics 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 motion graphics designer. Additionally, a motion graphics designer has an average salary of $62,558, which is higher than the $61,870 average annual salary of a production artist.
The top three skills for a production artist include graphic design, adobe photoshop and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a motion graphics designer are animation, style frames, and cinema.
| Production Artist | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,870 | $62,558 |
| Hourly rate | $29.75 | $30.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 59,103 | 44,960 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
A motion graphic designer specializes in producing artworks used in television, film, and web. Their responsibilities often revolve around submitting within a deadline, attending creative meetings, collaborating with fellow designers, following directives from clients, producing trial designs, and editing them in adherence to senior designers or clients' recommendations. There are also instances when a motion graphic designer must manage documentation, address inquiries and concerns, and report to higher-ranking personnel. Furthermore, one may choose to work for a company or independently.
Production artists and motion graphics designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Artist | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Average salary | $61,870 | $62,558 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $94,000 | Between $44,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production artist and a motion graphics designer in terms of educational background:
| Production Artist | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between production artists' and motion graphics designers' demographics:
| Production Artist | Motion Graphics Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.2% Female, 42.8% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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% |