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The differences between senior designers and lead 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 senior designer and a lead graphic designer. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, which is higher than the $76,009 average annual salary of a lead graphic designer.
The top three skills for a senior designer include sketch, graphic design and human centered design. The most important skills for a lead graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and design concepts.
| Senior Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,058 | $76,009 |
| Hourly rate | $49.07 | $36.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 47,503 | 46,260 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team. It is essential for the lead graphic designer must be creative, willing to think outside the box, and brave to dare novel ideas. The lead graphic designer is also responsible for leading the creative department in accomplishing assigned tasks from management.
Senior designers and lead graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $102,058 | $76,009 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $143,000 | Between $44,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior designer and a lead graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 graphic designers' demographics:
| Senior Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% |
| 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% |