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The differences between user experience designers and graphics specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a user experience designer and a graphics specialist. Additionally, a user experience designer has an average salary of $91,159, which is higher than the $56,007 average annual salary of a graphics specialist.
The top three skills for a user experience designer include sketch, UI and user research. The most important skills for a graphics specialist are graphic design, adobe illustrator, and adobe photoshop.
| User Experience Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $91,159 | $56,007 |
| Hourly rate | $43.83 | $26.93 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,582 | 12,267 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A User Experience (UX) designer is an individual who measures and optimizes applications to improve the experience of end-users. His/Her or her duties and responsibilities include considering a design's human-computer interaction element, defining interaction models, and working with creative directors and designers. The key skills for UX designers include strong mathematical and problem-solving skills and excellent information technology and programming skills. Having a bachelor's degree in a design or computing-related subject is an advantage to qualify for the UX designer position.
A graphics specialist is an expert at conceptualizing and developing visual art for businesses or individuals, typically for marketing or information purposes. Moreover, there are also opportunities for employment in the web and media industry. As a graphics specialist, their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify their needs, understanding the purpose and message of the project, developing proposals, coordinating with team members, and conducting revisions as needed, all while adhering to the goals and deadlines set by the client or management.
User experience designers and graphics specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| User Experience Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Average salary | $91,159 | $56,007 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $127,000 | Between $38,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | BitGo | ZeniMax Media |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Finance |
There are a few differences between a user experience designer and a graphics specialist in terms of educational background:
| User Experience Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between user experience designers' and graphics specialists' demographics:
| User Experience Designer | Graphics Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| 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% |