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The differences between senior graphic designers and head 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 graphic designer and a head designer. Additionally, a head designer has an average salary of $116,986, which is higher than the $73,921 average annual salary of a senior graphic designer.
The top three skills for a senior graphic designer include sketch, adobe creative suite and creative concepts. The most important skills for a head designer are product design, UI, and sketch.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Head Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,921 | $116,986 |
| Hourly rate | $35.54 | $56.24 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,310 | 53,876 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A senior graphic designer oversees all of the designing operations in a company, from conceptualization to production. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure that all designs produced are according to a client's preference and brand. They also encourage fresh ideas from the team, communicate with clients or representatives, and manage the schedules to meet all deadlines. Furthermore, as a senior graphic designer, they are responsible for leading and mentoring a team of graphic designers, all in the joint effort to reach project goals.
The Head Designer is the overall command over the creative team's design and the entire company. The heads of the organization look toward the head designer to provide insights into the artistic path the company will take to achieve a unique brand in the market. The head designer is highly-creative, good in management, and can articulate abstract ideas clearly and relay them to company administrators, customers, and clients. A head designer's responsibilities are to handle the creative team, train each member, and provide guidance in every part of the designing process.
Senior graphic designers and head designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Head Designer | |
| Average salary | $73,921 | $116,986 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $105,000 | Between $71,000 And $191,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Practice Fusion | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a senior graphic designer and a head designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Head Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | 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 graphic designers' and head designers' demographics:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Head Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | Male, 50.1% Female, 49.9% |
| 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% |