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The differences between production graphic artists and graphics specialists 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 graphic artist and a graphics specialist. Additionally, a production graphic artist has an average salary of $69,707, which is higher than the $56,007 average annual salary of a graphics specialist.
The top three skills for a production graphic artist include graphic design, adobe illustrator and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a graphics specialist are graphic design, adobe illustrator, and adobe photoshop.
| Production Graphic Artist | Graphics Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $69,707 | $56,007 |
| Hourly rate | $33.51 | $26.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 58,934 | 12,267 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A production graphic artist specializes in developing commercial art for production and marketing operations. They typically work together with a company's creative team to conceptualize plans and execute designs according to project requirements and client preferences. Although the extent of their duties depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically includes developing drafts and layouts, utilizing special software and tools, presenting samples to managers or clients, preparing files according to format, and maintaining an active communication line with the team members for an efficient workflow.
A graphics specialist is an expert at conceptualizing and developing visual art for businesses or individuals, typically for marketing or information purposes. Moreover, there are also opportunities for employment in the web and media industry. As a graphics specialist, their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify their needs, understanding the purpose and message of the project, developing proposals, coordinating with team members, and conducting revisions as needed, all while adhering to the goals and deadlines set by the client or management.
Production graphic artists and graphics specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Graphic Artist | Graphics Specialist | |
| Average salary | $69,707 | $56,007 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $114,000 | Between $38,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | CoStar Group | ZeniMax Media |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Finance |
There are a few differences between a production graphic artist and a graphics specialist in terms of educational background:
| Production Graphic Artist | Graphics Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between production graphic artists' and graphics specialists' demographics:
| Production Graphic Artist | Graphics Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| 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% |