Visual / Brand

Graphic Designer

Graphic Designers create visual content — from marketing and brand materials to social and print — with a strong foundation in typography, layout, and composition.

Visual content — marketing and brand materials, social and print — with a strong foundation in typography, layout, and composition, less focused on digital product interfaces specifically.

Also called: Graphic Designer, Visual Communications Designer

Entry
0-2 years
Mid
2-4 years
Senior
4-7 years
What this role is not

Not a digital product design role — little to no expectation of UX flows, interaction design, or product thinking.

Core skills
Core
  • Color
  • Layout
  • Typography
Important
  • Presentation
  • Visual Hierarchy
Helpful
  • Figma
Possible next moves
commonUI Designer

Both roles depend heavily on visual hierarchy, typography, layout, and color. Moving from static/print to interactive product surfaces mainly adds interaction design, responsive design, and prototyping.

Builds on 5 shared skills: Layout, Typography, Color, Figma +1 more · US occupational data lists these as related occupations · evidence as of 2026-08-18

commonVisual Designer

Deepens the same visual craft (typography, layout, color) into systemized, brand-level work across more surfaces, rather than one-off pieces.

Builds on 6 shared skills: Color, Layout, Typography, Figma +2 more · US occupational data classifies both roles under the same occupation · evidence as of 2026-08-18

Example responsibilities
  • Design marketing, social, and print materials
  • Apply and maintain brand guidelines across deliverables
  • Turn briefs into finished visual assets under deadline
  • Prepare files for print or digital production
What a portfolio for this role usually shows
  • A range of finished deliverables across formats (social, print, etc.)
  • Evidence of working from a brief, not just personal projects
  • Production-ready files, not only concept mockups
Upcoming events

A loose match on title/category, not a curated list — see every upcoming event.

Worth knowing
  • Common across every industry, not just design-specific companies — expect this title in marketing departments, agencies, and small businesses broadly
Salary & demand

$62,960 median; $39,520–$104,910 (10th–90th percentile)

United States (national) · US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — "Graphic Designers" (SOC 27-1024) · 2025-05

Take the next step
Learn the skills for this roleFind a mentorView Graphic Designer jobs

Mentor and job matches above are keyword-based, not an exact skills match yet.