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The differences between sustainable communities designers and lead 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 sustainable communities designer and a lead designer. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $67,627 average annual salary of a sustainable communities designer.
The top three skills for a sustainable communities designer include photoshop, powerpoint and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Sustainable Communities Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $67,627 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $32.51 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,372 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Sustainable Communities Designer specializes in developing plans for community facilities and other services, ensuring efficiency and sustainability. Their responsibilities include performing extensive research and analysis, conducting site inspections, understanding the community's needs, coordinating with experts, and establishing guidelines. They may also manage staff, liaise with external parties, and resolve issues should any arise. Sustainable Communities Designers typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Sustainable communities designers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sustainable Communities Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $67,627 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $103,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The New York Times Company | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a sustainable communities designer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Sustainable Communities Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between sustainable communities designers' and lead designers' demographics:
| Sustainable Communities Designer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| 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% |