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The differences between senior graphic designers and junior 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 junior designer. Additionally, a senior graphic designer has an average salary of $73,921, which is higher than the $53,349 average annual salary of a junior designer.
The top three skills for a senior graphic designer include sketch, adobe creative suite and creative concepts. The most important skills for a junior designer are sketch, graphic design, and adobe creative suite.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,921 | $53,349 |
| Hourly rate | $35.54 | $25.65 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,310 | 58,152 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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.
A junior designer is an entry-level professional who is responsible for creating high-quality designs according to the requirements of clients. Under the supervision of senior designers, junior designers must understand project requirements and projects and use various techniques to create drafts, models, and prototypes. They collaborate with team members to pitch in creative ideas and produce final design solutions that can include banners or logos. Junior designers must also take on specially design tasks and use feedback from other designers to improve.
Senior graphic designers and junior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Average salary | $73,921 | $53,349 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $105,000 | Between $43,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Practice Fusion | Nike |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior graphic designer and a junior designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 junior designers' demographics:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Junior Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| 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% |