How to Become a Graphic Designer in Charlotte, North Carolina

The city of Charlotte, North Carolina supports more than 731,000 local residents, as many as 90,000 commercial companies and well over 400 graphic designers.  Charlotte is bursting with businesses that hire graphic design professionals for a long list of visual communication solutions.

Charlotte Schools and Training Programs for Graphic Design

Many colleges and Universities in North Carolina offer degree programs in graphic design, with at least a dozen located in Charlotte and Raleigh.  Popular design schools in Charlotte include Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson-and-Wales University, Kings College and Queens University, among others.  Alternately, many aspiring artists in Charlotte, North Carolina earn their degrees online.  Among the best known schools offering online degree programs in graphic design are The Art Institutes, ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and DeVry.

Graphic artists at design schools in Charlotte typically emphasize fine arts, photography or visual communications.  A graphic design curriculum might include courses in psychology and online marketing, as well as drawing, website design, digital media, animation, typography, printmaking and numerous other relevant topics.

Working as a Graphic Designer in Charlotte, North Carolina

Some graphic designers in Charlotte, North Carolina join leading local advertising agencies like Lu-Quire-George-Andrews, Retail Sports Marketing and Wray-Ward.  Other local artists design film credits, promotional displays and other kinds of technical artwork for top Charlotte motion picture producers like Lu-Quire-George-Andrews, Retail Sports Marketing and Wray-Ward. 

Graphic designers in Charlotte also work for art galleries, retailers, news syndicates, software developers and internet start-ups, among many others.  Job opportunities in communications design remain steady and continuous.  Local professional graphic design tasks include company logos, window displays, instruction manuals, book covers, web pages, product packaging and more. 

Businesses throughout the fifty United States employ well over 280,000 graphic designers.  Base salaries are determined by factors such as educational level, related experience, mechanical proficiency and geographic location, to name a few.  The mean annual income for North Carolina graphic designers is now around $43,670.  They earn, on average, about $21.00 an hour.  As many as half of all graphic designers in America earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a year.  In terms of average income for graphic design professionals, North Carolina ranks 21st among states.  As mediocre as that ranking may appear, the state of North Carolina is consistently voted among the “best states for business” by Forbes and CEO Magazine.

Skills of a Graphic Designer

Appropriate personal traits for graphic design work include artistic talent, extreme precision and performance under pressure, as well as excellent communication skills for articulating and explaining visual design concepts.  Professional graphic designers must also be well trained in drawing techniques, graphic design software and typography.  Other applicable skills include web design and photography.  The best graphic designers also possess an unmistakable “signature” style.