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Graphic Designer - Career Profile

Written by Michelle Burton. Last updated May 20, 2021.

What does a Graphic Designer do? Where does a Graphic Designer work? ACR takes a look:

About Graphic Designers

Graphic designers use art and technology to create catchy graphics for websites, logos, and illustrations in everything from advertising to aerospace. Thanks to the wide variety of exciting industries graphic designers serve, graphic design is number 18 on the list of Top 20 Best Jobs for People Interested in Arts and Communications and number eight on the list of Best Jobs for People with an Artistic Personality Type by JIST Publishing. Most graphic designers will agree that there is never a dull moment in this dynamic career field. 

Graphic Designer Jobs

Graphic designers design or create graphics to meet specific needs such as packaging, logos, displays, websites, publications, and more. Some graphic designers even design the overall look for film and television credits. They work with sound, colors, artwork, photography, software, and even animation to produce whatever the project calls for.

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Graphic designers work in manufacturing, specialized design services, publishing, advertising, public relations, computer systems design and related services, wholesale trade, government, aerospace, securities and commodities, and scientific research and development services. Some graphic designers work independently in an office or studio setting, while others are part of a design team. Some designers telecommute, while others are self-employed. In 2012, around 24 percent of graphic designers were self-employed.  

Graphic Design Schools to Consider:

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Full Sail University
Selected Campus Locations:
  • Winter Park, FL & Online
Selected Programs: 
  • Computer Animation - Online
  • Computer Animation - Florida Campus
  • Game Design - Online
  • Game Design - Florida Campus
  • Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Online
  • Graphic Design - Florida Campus
  • Simulation & Visualization - Campus
  • User Experience – Online
  • Artificial Intelligence - Online
Animation Career Review Rankings: 
  • Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2024
  • Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#12) - 2024
  • Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#36) - 2024
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Southern New Hampshire University
Selected Campus Locations:
  • Online
Selected Programs: 
  • BA in Game Art & Development
  • BS in Game Programming & Development
  • BA in Graphic Design
  • BA in Graphic Design & Web Design
  • BA in Graphic Design + User Experience Design (UX)
Animation Career Review Rankings: 
  • Top 50 Private Graphic Design Schools in the US (#46) - 2024
Image Campus Request info
Image Campus
Selected Campus Locations:
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina & Online
Selected Programs: 
  • Desarrollo de Videojuegos (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
  • Producción y Game Design (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
  • Arte y Animación para Videojuegos (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
  • Producción y Animación 3D (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
  • Realización Integral de Dibujos Animados (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
  • Tecnicatura Superior en Animación 3D para Videojuegos (Tecnicaturas Superiores) - NUEVA - ONLINE
  • Programación de Videojuegos con Unreal, Unity y Godot (Tecnicaturas Superiores) - NUEVA - ONLINE
  • Unreal Connectors (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Virtual Production (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Introducción a Unreal Engine (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Diseño de Interacción 3D en Realidad Virtual con Unreal Engine (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Realidad Aumentada con Unity (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Realidad Virtual para Arquitectura (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Audio Inmersivo (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Animación Profesional 3D (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Modelado Profesional 3D (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Visualización Arquitectónica (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Motion Graphics (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • VFX (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Environments para Videojuegos con Unreal Engine (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Desarrollo de Videojuegos con Unity (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Game Design (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Concept Art (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Game Art (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Game Audio (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
  • Game Quality Analyst (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
Animation Career Review Rankings: 
  • Top 25 International Animation Schools - 2024 (#23)
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CG Spectrum College of Digital Art & Animation
Selected Campus Locations:
  • Online
Selected Programs: 
  • 2D Animation
  • 3D Animation
  • 3D Modeling
  • Concept Art
  • Digital Illustration
  • Game Art & Animation
  • Game Design
  • Game Programming
  • VFX Compositing and FX
  • Real-time 3D & Virtual Production
  • Game Development - Programming, Design, Game Art & Animation, Real-time 3D & Virtual Production
Animation Career Review Rankings: 
  • Top 25 International Animation Training Programs (#18) - 2024
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Arizona State University Online
Selected Campus Locations:
  • Online
Selected Programs: 
  • Online Bachelor of Science in User Experience
  • Online Master of Science in User Experience
  • Online Bachelor of Science in Design in Graphic Design
  • Online Bachelor of Science in Graphic Information Technology – Full-Stack Web Development
  • Online Bachelor of Science in Graphic Information Technology – User Experience

Graphic Designer Salaries  

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for graphic designers is $44,150. Wages were $42,400 in May 2008. The lowest 10 percent earns less than $26,250 per year, and the top 10 percent earns more than $77,490. It is important to note that individual salaries vary by experience, education, industry, the size of the company, and even geographic location. For example, at $71,520 per year, DC-based graphic designers earn the highest average salary for graphic designers, while North Dakota-based designers average $33,360 per year.

Further, the top paying industries for graphic designers are government (average $76,530 per year), aerospace ($68,790), securities ($67,160), other financial investments ($61,890), and scientific research and development services ($60,910).

Becoming a Graphic Designer

A bachelor’s degree in graphic design, graphic arts, communications design, or related degree is required for entry into this field—no matter which industry you would like to break into. Some employer’s may even require an advanced degree. If you want to increase your chances of securing a position with a creative firm that produces animated projects, consider a major in animation with a minor in graphic design or vice versa. In addition to a degree in graphic design or animation, these employers (and others) look for creativity, an eye for detail, self-discipline, and advanced knowledge of the latest computer graphics, design, and animation software. Examples include Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Autodesk3ds Max, and Autodesk Maya.

Job Trends for Graphic Designers

Back in 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that website graphic designers with an animation background would be in high demand and have the most job opportunities for the 2008-2018 decade. The Bureau also reported that “graphic designers with website design and animation experience will especially be needed as demand increases for design projects for interactive media—websites, mobile phones, and other technology.” The most recent Bureau report projects a seven percent increase in employment overall for the 2012-2022 decade, with a whopping 35 percent increase for graphic designers in computer systems design and related services.

The Bureau says, “with the increased use of the Internet, graphic designers will be needed to create designs and images for portable devices, websites, electronic publications, and video entertainment media.” On the downside, employment of graphic designers in book, directory, newspaper, and periodical publishers is projected to decline 16 percent for the 2012-2022 decade, according to the Bureau. 

Awesome Animation Fact: One of the first software formats used for producing animation on the Internet was Netscape Navigator 2's GIF89. It allowed a user to animate GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) images, but it was not intended as a medium for full animation. As a response to this (in part) DHMTL (Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language) was born. –Encyclopedia.com

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