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The differences between visual artists and graphic designers 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 designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a visual artist has an average salary of $81,873, which is higher than the $49,450 average annual salary of a graphic designer.
The top three skills for a visual artist include animation, maya and visual development. The most important skills for a graphic designer are adobe creative suite, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.
| Visual Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,873 | $49,450 |
| Hourly rate | $39.36 | $23.77 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 7,209 | 45,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Graphic designers are visual communicators who create graphic ideas to deliver a message through art and images which inspire, inform, and motivate consumers with the use of computer software, especially Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign or by hand. They have the ability to design stunning illustrations that are easily understood, even without a lot of thinking or based on the demand of their clients. It is very crucial to them as well to be flexible and to stay on top of the design trends. They create websites, posters, packaging, logos, advertising, and marketing materials, depending on the nature of the business.
Visual artists and graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $81,873 | $49,450 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $127,000 | Between $34,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a visual artist and a graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Visual Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 designers' demographics:
| Visual Artist | Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| 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% |