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The differences between senior designers and lead 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 senior designer and a lead designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $102,058 average annual salary of a senior designer.
The top three skills for a senior designer include sketch, graphic design and human centered design. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Senior Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,058 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $49.07 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 47,503 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Senior designers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $102,058 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $143,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Media | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior designers' and lead designers' demographics:
| Senior Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| 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% |