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The differences between senior graphic 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 graphic designer and a lead graphic designer. Additionally, a lead graphic designer has an average salary of $76,009, 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 lead graphic designer are adobe photoshop, graphic design, and design concepts.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,921 | $76,009 |
| Hourly rate | $35.54 | $36.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,310 | 46,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| 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.
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 graphic designers and lead graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $73,921 | $76,009 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $105,000 | Between $44,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Practice Fusion | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior graphic designer and a lead graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Lead Graphic 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 lead graphic designers' demographics:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Lead Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | 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% |