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The differences between visual artists and graphic artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a visual artist, becoming a graphic artist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a visual artist has an average salary of $81,873, which is higher than the $54,900 average annual salary of a graphic artist.
The top three skills for a visual artist include animation, maya and visual development. The most important skills for a graphic artist are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Visual Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,873 | $54,900 |
| Hourly rate | $39.36 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 7,209 | 8,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Visual artists are the type of artists that engage their audience through their eyes. This type of artist expresses their feelings in different ways. They can use any material to make their feelings known. Sometimes, they express their feelings using carved wood, digital imagery, and installations from objects they find randomly. They may use water vapor or bee pollen to let the world see their feelings, thoughts, and ideals. They can also choose to work independently or work with studios that produce cartoons, develop games, and have a fixed schedule to work on a project.
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Visual artists and graphic artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Average salary | $81,873 | $54,900 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $127,000 | Between $35,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a visual artist and a graphic artist in terms of educational background:
| Visual Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Fine Arts | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between visual artists' and graphic artists' demographics:
| Visual Artist | Graphic Artist | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 11% | 13% |