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The differences between visual artists and lead artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a visual artist and a lead artist. Additionally, a lead artist has an average salary of $83,041, which is higher than the $81,873 average annual salary of a visual artist.
The top three skills for a visual artist include animation, maya and visual development. The most important skills for a lead artist are maya, animation, and portfolio.
| Visual Artist | Lead Artist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,873 | $83,041 |
| Hourly rate | $39.36 | $39.92 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 7,209 | 4,799 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
The duties of a lead artist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to identify and meet their needs, coordinating with the creative staff in developing concepts and samples to present to the clients, conducting revisions, and submitting finished works according to the prescribed format and manner. Furthermore, as a lead artist, it is essential to spearhead the efforts and encourage the team to reach goals, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, including the clients' vision.
Visual artists and lead artists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visual Artist | Lead Artist | |
| Average salary | $81,873 | $83,041 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $127,000 | Between $53,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a visual artist and a lead artist in terms of educational background:
| Visual Artist | Lead Artist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Fine Arts | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between visual artists' and lead artists' demographics:
| Visual Artist | Lead Artist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |