Graphic Designer Career Profile | Career Advice and Help Australia CareerNav

Graphic Designer *

Last modified: November 07, 2011, 01:25 PM

Save

This is an ideal career for creative thinkers. As a graphic designer, you produce visual solutions in order to communicate the needs of your client to a target audience. Your work is required in a variety of areas, such as magazines, newspapers, advertisements, books, posters, exhibitions, product packaging, computer games, corporate communications and websites.

Typical Career Progression

	Position	Remuneration	Experience	Education
Start Position	Graduate / Trainee / Junior / Designer	$30,000 to $35,000	Nil	Tertiary
1st Promotion	Graphic Designer	$40,000 to $55,000	3 to 6 years	Undergraduate
2nd Promotion	Senior Designer	$50,000 to $65,000	6 to 8 years	Undergraduate
3rd Promotion	Studio Manager	$55,000 to $70,000	8 years +	Undergraduate
4th Promotion	Creative Director / Head of Art	$80,000 to $110,000 +	8 years +	Undergraduate
Other options	Freelance Graphic Designer	$80,000 +	8 to 10 years	Undergraduate

**The above table should be used as a guide only

Typical Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Graduate / Trainee / Junior / Designer	Basic design work including layouts and elements – general Mac work.
Graphic Designer	More involved in the creative concept development with clients, may have a Mac operator supporting you in the technical aspects of the design brief.
Senior Designer	Oversee the graphic designers and input on the projects they are working on.
Studio Manager	Manages the “output” of the whole studio. Works out and prioritises the work and who it is given to. Responsible for the profitability of the studio
Creative Director / Head of Art	Responsible for the overall quality of the creative output and involved heavily in the initial pitching and brief from the client. They will manage all the designers and studio managers.
Freelance Graphic Designer	Experienced designers work with a variety of clients (usually built up over time through personal contacts) directly or on behalf of an agency. Self managed, usually working from home.

**The above table should be used as a guide only

Career Path Options & Employment

In graphic design, you will generally spend the first few years after entering the workforce gaining experience and receiving on-the-job training. This normally lasts between one and three years, and is necessary before you can progress to higher positions. In this time, you will develop a strong portfolio. Once you have appropriate experience and knowledge, you may advance to chief designer, art or creative director, or other supervisory positions. You may decide to become a teacher in a design school or university, while continuing to consult or work in a small design studio. It is possible, but quite difficult, to open your own business.

You may choose to specialize within an area of graphic design, including television, film, or computer graphics, book and magazine design, advertising and illustration, set and exhibition design, or corporate design.

About the Author

Careernav

Careernav have written this career profile in consultion with senior industry representatives and industry associations who for reasons of conflict of interest cannot be named. Careernav have also reviewed information available from the public domain and drawn upon their combined 27 years experience in executive recruitment. This profile is a true representation of the career.