Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer Job Description

Multi-Media Artists and Animators Create special effects, animation, or other visual images using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products or creations, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials. Commercial and Industrial Designers Develop and design manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and children’s toys. Combine artistic talent with research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design.

Graphic Designer Salary Statistics as of 2015

Average annual salary for a Graphic Designer is $37159 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest salary recorded was $57235. The lowest salary reported was $24808. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.

Median hourly wage for a Graphic Designer is $14.415 based on statistics in the U.S. as of 2015. The highest hourly rate recorded was $20. The lowest hourly rate recorded was $8.83. These figures will vary on a state to state basis as these are averages across all 50 states.

Bonuses for a Graphic Designer are based on the years of experience using statistics from the U.S. as of 2015. The average bonus recorded was $102.79 from people with 15+ years of experience. The average bonus recorded was $150 from people with under 1 year of experience.

These are the highest paying states for a Graphic Designer. These numbers are based of the median annual salary as of 2015.
California – $31,026 – $63,444
Florida – $25,049 – $53,978
Illinois – $29,509 – $50,131
New York – $29,140 – $61,593
Ohio – $24,757 – $50,884
Pennsylvania – $24,061 – $49,618
Texas – $28,159 – $50,352

These are the highest paying cities for a Graphic Designer. These numbers are based of the median annual salary as of 2015.
New York, New York –
Chicago, Illinois –
Los Angeles, California –
Atlanta, Georgia –
San Francisco, California –
Dallas, Texas –
Seattle, Washington –

This chart outlines the average annual salary of a Graphic Designer from the past 5 years. In 2015 the average annual salary was $37159 while in 2007 it was just $34460.61

How To Become a Graphic Designer

Being a graphic designer is a career that is not meant for everyone, but a select few have the talent to do it. A bachelors degree is most often required and a few years of experience will help the designer get more job offers. Whether they are working for a large corporation that needs to advertise their product to millions of people through a commercial or advertisement or they start their own firm and deal with hundreds of different clients, a graphic designer needs to be at the top of their game to give a quality service.

Opportunities For Advancement

There are many different opportunities for advancement in the graphic designer field. A graphic designer can start at a low level and is supervised by other high level designers. Over time the low level designer can manage their own team of graphic designers and lead them to finish their work. The salary difference between these two positions are vast and it is crucial to move up the ranks to earn a large paycheck. A different option that a graphic designer has is to start their own graphic design firm. If a designer chooses this route then their salary is based on how well their business does. These firms work with many different corporations and get jobs from them. A good team of designers is needed in order to be successful. Opening a firm can be risky but the pay off can be substantially greater than working a job if it is done right.

Requirements

Being a graphic designer requires a ton of creativity and dedication to the product they are either creating or marketing. A high level of creativity is required for all jobs in the field. They work to capture the eye of the potential customers and let them know what the product or service is. Finding new ways to get an upper hand on the competition is a huge part of being a graphic designer. There are thousands of competitors out there and every company is looking to differentiate themselves from everyone else. This is where a graphic designer comes in.