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The differences between senior graphic designers and visual 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 visual designer. Additionally, a visual designer has an average salary of $86,495, 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 visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,921 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $35.54 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,310 | 46,815 |
| 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 visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Senior graphic designers and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $73,921 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $105,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Practice Fusion | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior graphic designer and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Visual 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 visual designers' demographics:
| Senior Graphic Designer | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| 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% |