Career Overview
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.
Also Known As
- Artist
- Designer
- Graphic Artist
- Graphic Designer
Alternate Job Titles
- Ad Designer (Advertising Designer)
- Ad Layout Worker (Advertising Layout Worker)
- Apparel Graphic Designer
- Artist
- Brand Designer
- Catalogue Illustrator
- Commercial Artist
- Concept Artist
- Creative Designer
- Design Consultant
- Designer
- Digital Artist
- Forms Designer
- Graphic Art Designer
- Graphic Artist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Use computer software to generate new images.
- Prepare digital files for printing.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- Fine Arts
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Originality
- Fluency of Ideas
- Near Vision
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Speech Clarity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Innovation
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
- Adaptability
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
- Working Conditions
- Relationships
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- AJAX
- Apple macOS
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
Tools & Equipment
- 35 millimeter cameras
- Computer laser printers
- Computer scanners
- Desktop computers
- Digital cameras
- Graphics tablets
- Laptop computers
- Personal computers
- Photocopying equipment
- Wide format printers
Work Environment
- Spend Time Sitting
- Time Pressure
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $37,600 |
| Median | $61,300 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $103,030 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 214,260
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $99,800
Art Directors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $111,040
Web and Digital Interface Designers
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $98,090
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Education: Some College Courses
Median Salary: $60,560
Desktop Publishers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $53,620
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.