Main image of article Graphic Design Career Paths to Consider

Want a career in graphic design? You have multiple options when it comes to roles, including graphic designer, UI/UX designer, web designer, creative director, and so much more. These professionals often work hand-in-hand with software developers and other technology professionals to craft everything from websites to hardware packaging. What do you need to know for a design career path?

Fortunately, there are a plethora of companies and industries currently on the hunt for graphic design talent. Virtually any career path offers opportunities to adopt new skills, including problem-solving and team management. Let’s break it down!

What are my graphic design career options?

Depending on your interests and skills, there are a number of different roles involving graphic design, including (but certainly not limited to):

  • Graphic designer: This is a versatile role; depending on the project and company, a graphic designer might work on everything from logos to the aesthetics of apps. Graphic designers are responsible for getting feedback from the team, crafting requirements for the graphics, and implementing.

  • UI/UX designer: Although many folks use the terms UI (user interface design) and UX (user experience design) interchangeably, they’re very different disciplines. Those who specialize in UI/UX design can fundamentally impact how a user interacts with a product. (Some professionals also opt to specialize in just UI or UX.)

  • Art director: Professionals in these roles are the final say in how art and other visual elements are used in a product (whether the product in question is a website, product packaging, or something else).

  • Web designer: Web design is a delicate art that merges tech with artistry. A web designer’s job requirements will necessarily vary from organization to organization, depending on its needs; you might be tasked with anything from designing a website from scratch to optimizing a mobile web experience.

  • Brand designer: Every iconic brand can thank a brand designer for ensuring that all logos, designs, and other visual concepts contributed so mightily to that strong identity.

This is just a sampling of the career options available to those who’ve specialized in graphic design. Even if you have no intention of becoming a full-time graphic designer, keep in mind that knowing at least some graphic design principles can prove useful, especially if you’re involved in product creation.

What skills do I need for a graphic design career?

According to Lightcast, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from around the country, the following skills pop up most often in graphic design-related job postings:

  • Graphic design
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Social media
  • Typesetting
  • Website design

Of course, specific skills will vary from role to role; for example, organizations seeking UI/UX designers will want professionals who specialize in the principles of UI/UX.

Whatever your skill set, it’s critically important to have a portfolio that puts your skills in the best possible light. If you’ve been working in a graphic design discipline for a long time, you can likely use the best examples from your previous jobs. If you’re just starting out, you can use examples from school and personal projects to show that you have what it takes when it comes to everything design-related.

Some organizations may want you to have a few graphic designer certifications. While these aren’t strictly necessary for most designer jobs, they can certainly help you stand out in a crowded field of applicants. Here are some of the most popular ones, according to Lightcast:

In addition, anyone specializing in graphic design will need to have amazing “soft skills” such as empathy and communication, as much of the role is interacting with other stakeholders to create a great product. Good graphic designers know how to effectively listen in order to accurately scope a project; they’re also good at conveying information and results to stakeholders, even those who know relatively little about graphic design.

How can I train for a graphic design career?

While there are plenty of two- and four-year degrees in graphic design, those professionals who are self-learners may choose to train themselves in the discipline. Fortunately, there are lots of online options available for learning the fundamentals of graphic design. For example, Cousera offers a few courses that each the basics:

There are also online graphic design courses that offer intensive dives, albeit for a fee:

Once you’ve adopted a new skill, you can list it on your graphic design resume and portfolio. When applying for jobs, make sure to re-read the original job posting and note the skills; include any of those skills you know on your resume. Many companies rely on automated resume screeners that check for those keywords/skills, and failing to include them could result in your application being rejected.

What else do I need to know about a graphic design resume?

If you’re writing a resume for a graphic design position, check out Dice’s graphic design resume tips. Remember that your graphic design resume must always be customized to the position; don’t just submit a “basic” resume for a position and expect to receive a call back from a recruiter or hiring manager.

One other thing to note: while you might be tempted to make your resume “creative” with all kinds of graphics and other elements, such things may confuse the same automated resume screeners. It may pay to keep your resume relatively conservative in terms of its design, and leave it to your portfolio to show off your creative abilities.

How much do graphic design positions pay?

Salary and overall compensation for graphic design positions hinges on your skills and experience, as well as the company and even where it’s located. According to Dice’s latest Tech Salary Report, UX/UI designers can earn an average of $97,716 per year, which is slightly below the average tech salary of $111,348.

According to Glassdoor, the average graphic designer salary is $56,000 per year. However, that’s very much an average; that salary can increase exponentially depending on the factors mentioned above. For example, levels.fyi, which crowdsources compensation data, suggests that senior product designers at Google can earn $293,932 per year once you factor in salary, stock and bonuses; other tech giants pay similarly generous amounts.