Graphic Designer Career Guide

If getting creative on the computer is your idea of fun, then a career as a graphic designer may be the perfect fit for you! It is important to pursue a career where you can both excel and have fun, and graphic design allows individuals to combine their passions for both technology and design into a single job.

Graphic designers are responsible for creating visual concepts that captivate consumers. To become a graphic designer, you will need a bachelors degree in a graphic design or a related field.

Graphic designers use their creative abilities and understanding of how to control one’s eye to help the viewer absorb information. We create designs that can become integral for businesses and can make them a lot of money. We utilize composition, color, scale, texture, photography and typography in order to promote an idea. It’s one of the best careers for creative thinkers and those with imaginations.

Lou Leonardis

Graphic Designer Career Ratings

(What these ratings mean)

Income

Career
Growth

Personal Growth

Contribution

Influence

Job Profiles

Real-Life Graphic Designer Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the Graphic Designer field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33923	Graphic Designer	Male	31	$25,000	Las Vegas, NY	01/01/2010
33783	Graphic Designer	Female	22	$25,000	Wyoming, MI	01/01/2010
33681	Graphic Artist	Female	33	$18,000	Marceline, MO	01/01/2010
33492	Graphic Artist	Male	24	$90,000	Portland, OR	01/01/2010
33468	Partner	Female	39	$60,000	Dayton, PA	01/01/2010

Overview

What a graphic designer does

A graphic designer is a creative individual who is responsible for creating visual concepts that captivate consumers. Graphic designers will have the opportunity to work on various types of projects either as a freelancer or as an employee. Graphic designers are the brains behind the vast majority of branding initiatives and logo creations. These individuals also design the advertisements we see in magazines, on billboards, and online. Additionally, graphic designers have the can create specific elements or entire website designs. Regardless of where they work or the projects they work on, their typical duties and responsibilities include:

Meeting with clients or directors to determine their needs and the scope of a project
Using software (e.g., digital illustration, photo editing or layout) to create designs
Creating logos, original images and illustrations to deliver a message
Designing layouts of websites or brochures (e.g., colours, images and typefaces)
Presenting design concepts to clients or directors
Ensuring the final design matches the clients final design
Reviewing designs to ensure there are no errors

Why they are needed

Graphic designers have the unique skills to combine art and technology to communicate ideas through images. Graphic design is needed for many reasons, such as:

Making a lasting impression. Every time a visitor interacts with a brand, they will make an impression on its appearance. Fantastic graphic design will make a company look good, and will therefore create the correct first impression.
Consistency within a business. Graphic designers can keep content consistent, which will build dedicated followers who believe in the brands message.
It sets companies apart from their competition as, whether consciously or unconsciously, it is effecting a consumers decision about whether to go with a brand.

Pros and cons of a career as a graphic designer:

Pros:

It allows people to be both creative and analytical
There is a lot of variety and graphic designers can work for themselves or for be employed by a business
If graphic designers work for companies or agencies, they will have stable and consistent work
Graphic design is needed in many industries, meaning there are lots of opportunities available

Cons:

Some clients are impossible and have picky and/or unrealistic demands
If working as a freelance designer, work and income can be unstable
Design is subjective and the work of a graphic designer may not appeal to everyone
There is a lot of work and often graphic designers have to work hard towards deadlines
It can be a competitive market to break into

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of graphic designers is projected to decline 4% from 2019 to 2029. This employment decline will vary by industry. For example, employment of graphic designers in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers is projected to decline significantly. Whereas the employment of graphic designers in computer systems design and related services is projected to grow. Companies are continuing to increase their digital presence, which sometimes requires graphic designers to help create visually appealing and effective layouts of websites.

Career paths

In general, to become a graphic designer a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field that is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Art and Design is required.

Most of these programs include courses in studio art, principles of design, computerized design, commercial graphics production, printing techniques, and website design. In addition, students should consider courses in writing, marketing and business, all of which are useful in helping designers work effectively on project teams. These programs also provide students with the opportunity to build a portfolio—a collection of completed work that demonstrates an artist’s styles and abilities. These portfolios are essential for demonstrating skill and artistic ability to employers.

People who have a bachelor’s degree in another field may complete technical training in graphic design to meet most hiring qualifications.

In order to have the best possible employment opportunities once graduated, graphic designers should keep up with the latest design trends, technologies and techniques. Graphic designers should keep up with new and updated computer graphics and design software, either on their own or through formal software training programs. Professional associations that specialize in graphic design, such as AIGA, offer courses intended to keep the skills of their members up to date.

Example Job Titles for Graphic Designer

Below is a list of common job titles in the Graphic Designer field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Production Artist

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for graphic designers in the United States was $52,110 in May 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,810 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $89,210. The advertising, public relations and related services was the top paying industry, with a median annual wage of $54,320. This was followed by specialized design services ($54,150), newspapers, periodical book and directory publishers ($43,950) and printing and related support activities ($41,290).

Autonomy and Flexibility

When graphic designers first start out, they may find the industry very competitive. They may find themselves having to take jobs they are not particularly passionate about, or working for a big business. However, graphic designers often become freelance as they develop their skills and knowledge. When they do this, they will have autonomy over many decisions – such as which clients they will work with, how they fill their day and what software they use. They will also have the flexibility to control and plan their own schedule.

Locations and commute

According to Zippia, the best states to be a graphic designer, based on number of jobs available and average annual salary, are:

Washington, where the average annual salary was $60,621
Oregon, where the average annual salary was $57,809
Massachusetts, where the average annual salary was $54,340
New York, where the average annual salary was $52,606
Virginia, where the average annual salary was $51,495

According to Zippia, the worst states to be a graphic designer are Arkansas, South Dakota, Mississippi, New Mexico and Wyoming.

Work environment

22% of graphic designers in the United States are self-employed workers. 10% graphic designers are employed by specialized design services, 8% are employed by advertising, public relations and related services, 7% by printing and related support activities and 5% by newspapers, periodical, book and directory publishers.

In general, most graphic designers will work in studios, where they have access to drafting tables, computers and software. If graphic designers are employed by a company, they are often working as part of a design team and may have to collaborate with colleagues.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Graphic Designer careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Graphic Designer career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Graphic Designer.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

Big Five (OCEAN)

Openness

DISC

None

Enneagram

Type 4

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

Graphic designers usually have independent, creative and eccentric personalities. They use their visualization skills to create captivating and meaningful graphics for businesses. They must be confident and business minded in order to to stand out as a freelancer in a competitive market.

Accomplishment and mastery

Freelance graphic designers work in a very competitive field. To begin with, they may find themselves working long hours in jobs that they don’t particularly find rewarding. However, when they gain a good reputation and start doing jobs they feel passionate about, they will feel a sense of accomplishment and mastery.

Meaning and contribution

Although the work of a graphic designer may not have huge meaning to people in need, it is important for business. As mentioned earlier, graphic designers help businesses improve their reputation, their message to their consumers and sets them apart from their competition. To make their work even more meaningful, graphic designers could work for non-profit organizations to produce graphics (e.g., for charity marketing or infographics to convey figures).

Life fit

A graphic designers’ schedule will vary depending on workloads and deadlines. Those who are self-employed will have more control over the hours they work, and therefore a better life fit. However, typically freelance designers will adjust their workday to meet the needs of their clients. This may mean that they will find themselves working evenings or weekends. In addition, they may spend some of their time looking for new projects or competing with other designers for contracts.

Who will thrive in this career?

To be a successful graphic designer, you should possess qualities such as:

The ability to visualize end products
A business mindset
The confidence to market and sell oneself
The ability to multi-task and work on many projects at once
The desire to work closely with others (whether is clients or a design team)

Who will struggle in this career?

Those who are not naturally creative or have the ability to visualize things will struggle in this career. Similarly, those who prefer to work a stable 9-5 and don’t want to be self-employed might struggle with the long hours and unpredictable salary a graphic designer may face. In fact, unless you are genuinely very creative and have good technological skills, you are likely to struggle in this career!

Requirements

Quick Glance

Skills

Degrees

Skills and talents

Graphic designers need is to be creative, artistic and have a vision. As well as this, graphic designers will also need skills such as:

Business management skills, as many interior designers will be self-employed and will need to market themselves to source their own clients.
Communication skills, as graphic designers will need to be able to effectively communicate with clients and other design professionals
Technology skills, as graphic designers will normally need to use complexed software to prepare designs
Time-management skills, as graphic designers must be able to manage many projects and meet a series of different deadlines
Attention to detail, as graphic designers need to be precise with each of their designs
Creativity, as graphic designers will need to work on a number of different projects and give each on a unique creative touch

Education

To become a graphic designer you will typically need a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field that is accredited by The National Association of Schools of Art and Design. People who have a bachelor’s degree in another field may complete technical training in graphic design to meet most hiring qualifications.

Graphic designers should aim to always keep an up to date portfolio. This is a collection of work that demonstrates their abilities. When hiring someone, employers will use this to decide whether they have the right skills.

Certifications

Certification programs are generally available through software product vendors. Certification in graphic design software demonstrates competence and may provide jobseekers with a competitive advantage.

How to Become

Summary

If getting creative on the computer is your idea of fun, then a career as a graphic designer may be the perfect fit. It is a career with many employment and advancement opportunities, suitable for those with vision and artistic flare.

Immediate action

High school students interested in graphic design should take basic art and design courses, if available. Many bachelor’s degree programs require students to complete a year of basic art and design courses before being admitted to a formal degree program. Some schools require applicants to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability. Furthermore, some internships are available. This allow aspiring graphic designers to experience the design processes from concept to completion.

Education and learning

Skill development

The graphic design industry is competitive and constantly adapting. With this changing industry, comes a requirement for graphic designers to constantly adapt and renew their skills. Designers may take additional training to advance their skills. Their developed skills should be shown in a portfolio, which must be kept up to date.

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about Graphic Designer careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
33923	Graphic Designer	Male	31	$25,000	Las Vegas, NY	01/01/2010
33783	Graphic Designer	Female	22	$25,000	Wyoming, MI	01/01/2010
33681	Graphic Artist	Female	33	$18,000	Marceline, MO	01/01/2010
33492	Graphic Artist	Male	24	$90,000	Portland, OR	01/01/2010
33468	Partner	Female	39	$60,000	Dayton, PA	01/01/2010

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