A graphic designer can find meaningful employment in a wide variety of industries these days. As a graphic designer, you may work in manufacturing, publishing, advertising, computer systems design, or in other design services. These roles could be within the education, beauty, technology, or health and wellness sectors, among other fields.
Any industry has the potential to employ you as a graphic designer. Globally, the graphic design industry is ranked 9th in business activities by market size, according to IBISWorld. Plus, according to an Adobe report, in 2018, up to 73 percent of companies were spending more on their designs to stand out from the crowd.
In this article, we will discuss what industry hires the most graphic designers, which industries the top companies hiring graphic designers are in, and what responsibilities are associated with the role of the graphic designer.
What Does a Graphic Designer Do?
Graphic designers use their graphic design skills and knowledge to design projects that stand out from the crowd, alongside promoting and advertising a business’s products and services. They combine the cyber aspects of design work with emotional accessibility to make sure that their work successfully engages with consumers. Designers merge functionality with aesthetics.
Responsibilities of a Graphic Designer
- Design creative project briefs according to the defined requirements of a client
- Increase user engagement with a product through design and audience consultation
- Use best practices to devise ways to showcase and communicate with users and clients
- Use drawing, photography, and editing, along with layout software, to create designs
- Combine knowledge of colors and images with an understanding of typography and layout to create informational materials like magazine covers and websites
- Present drafts to clients and review or update when needed according to the clients’ needs
- Communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders within a business, like marketing departments, sales departments, and executives
- Do final checks on designs before launching them to the public
- Stay in the loop with market trends and the latest tools or technology
How Much Can You Earn as a Graphic Designer?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states the average salary of a graphic designer is $53,380 per year. In the lowest ten percent, graphic designers earn $31,720 per annum, and in the top ten percent, they make $93,440 annually. Remuneration can be affected by several factors like certification, skills, experience, and location.
Demand for Graphic Designers in 2022
BLS reveals various insights about the future demand for graphic designers. Firstly, the job outlook for graphic designers is projected to increase by three percent, which is slower than the average across all careers. That said, there are already 254,000 graphic design jobs in the US. This is due to increase to 261,000 by 2030.
Forbes reports that lower staffing projections are due within the graphic design industry, owing to physical printing and publishing decreasing due to the increase in cyber technology. Artificial intelligence (AI), another concern for some workers, at present does not have the full scope of graphic design capabilities without a human to regulate and perfect it, so graphic designers can’t be replaced with robots just yet.
As a graphic designer, your ability to stay abreast of trends and continuously develop your knowledge and skills is what will set you apart from most, keeping you relevant in the job market.
Which Industries Use Graphic Designers the Most?
Luckily, a wide range of industries need graphic designers. In today’s fast-developing, tech-savvy world, there are countless areas of opportunity for you to put your graphic design talents to use. The marketing and advertising industry has been a destination industry for loads of people in graphic design.
A graphic designer is responsible for the images and messages that businesses use to craft the identity of a brand and sell products or services. Since marketing and public relations are an imperative part of any business that interfaces with the public, almost any industry could be a graphic designer’s playground.
Top Industries With Graphic Designers Jobs
Advertising
- In-demand jobs: Freelance graphic designer, designer, social media graphic designer
Advertising is an industry that is consistently in need of creative professionals, like graphic designers. Working for an advertising agency or as a freelance contractor are the most popular paths to employment in the advertising sector.
Graphic designers work to provide visual imaging and animations to advertise brands, products, or services with a layout that brings the images and text together effectively. Three main goals to work towards in an advertising graphic design role are making the brand recognizable, sparking communication, and ultimately increasing revenue.
Although some advertising career opportunities will require a degree in graphic design, this is not the only way to enter the job market. There are great graphic design bootcamps and courses that can get you started and open doors to your graphic design career path.
Top Attractive Employers for Graphic Designers in Advertising
| Company | Global Headcount | Hiring In | Hiring For |
| Los Angeles Times | 1,001-5,000 | El Segundo | Advertising production artist |
| Veterans Advantage PCB | 51-200 | Remote | Marketing designer |
| The Walt Disney Studios | 5,001-10,000 | Burbank | Manager |
| Roku Inc. | 1,001-5,000 | New York | Design director |
| The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 1,001-5,000 | Washington, DC | Assistant manager, advertising designer |
Computer Systems Design
- In-demand jobs: Archive systems specialist, graphic designer, assistant creative media coordinator
Computer systems designers focus on understanding users’ negative experiences with a company’s computer systems to design ways to enhance a business’s processes. This is an important part of any business in today’s technology-dominated world, and, for this reason, there are loads of companies currently looking for computer systems designers.
According to the US BLS, the job outlook for computer systems designers is projected at seven percent, which is already higher than the average across all US jobs. BLS predicts a 21 percent increase for the employment of software quality assurance analysts and testers over the next decade. This means that there are loads of opportunities for you in this industry.
A bachelor’s degree can get you access to employment in this industry. It is, however, worth mentioning that there are other ways to get into computer systems design. For example, attending a computer systems analyst bootcamp will help you acquire the skills you need in a relatively short period of time.
Top Attractive Employers for Graphic Designers in Computer Systems Design
| Company | Global Headcount | Hiring In | Hiring For |
| Apple Inc | 10,000+ | Culver City | Archive systems specialist |
| Adidas | 10,000+ | Portland | Graphic designer |
| Carnival Cruise Line | 10,000+ | Seattle/Remote | Email design specialist |
| North Central State College | 51-200 | Mansfield | Visual communications media and technology/graphic design faculty |
| Microsoft | 10,000+ | Bellevue | Principal design strategist |
Publishing
In-demand jobs: Multimedia designer, marketing and communications specialist, advertising production artist
As a graphic designer in the publishing industry, you will be responsible for creating images for advertising and logos, designing the covers of books and magazines, and making sure that the layout of books, newspapers, magazines, and website pages is attractive and easy to digest.
Although physical print publishing has long been the realm of graphic designers, with the adoption of the internet and all its related technology print opportunities, many graphic designers may consider moving to technology-related roles like computer systems designer.
Due to the rapid development of the internet and all the opportunities for publishing minus the actual physical need to print, the job outlook for designers in the publishing industry should look very different in the near future, compared to the current decline of 12 percent, according to BLS.
To become a graphic designer in the publishing sector, you could opt to get an associate’s degree in graphic design or graphic communications. There is also usually some on-the-job training offered, too. There are other ways to enter the publishing job market, like taking some related courses or attending a reputable graphic design bootcamp to attain skills, knowledge, and certifications.
Top Attractive Employers for Graphic Designers in Publishing
| Company | Global Headcount | Hiring In | Hiring For |
| Herschend Family Entertainment | 1,001-5,000 | Branson | Silver dollar city graphic designer |
| Cornell University | 10,000+ | Ithaca | Cornell University press junior Designer |
| Beebe Healthcare | 1,001-5,000 | Lewes | Digital print specialist and designer |
| Disney Parks, Experiences and Products | 10,000+ | Glendale | Multimedia designer |
| University of Florida | 10,000+ | Gainesville | Marketing and communications specialist |
Design Services
- In-demand jobs: Visual and brand designer, quality assurance (QA) designer, creative designer
Although the current trends of industries hiring graphic designers are listed in this article, you don’t need to limit the use of your skills to just one industry. You may want to have a more flexible schedule or just avoid the daily commute to and from an office location. Therefore, many graphic designers opt to be self-employed and work as freelancers.
BLS shows that up to 48 percent of graphic designers are self-employed. This way, they can work on any number of extremely different creative projects. As a self-employed designer, you can choose projects of interest to you and try working in new industries, providing you with creative variety.
We have seen a considerable increase in cyber and technology use, given the increased use of the Internet due to the recent pandemic and its lingering effects. Thus, now may be the time to become your own boss and work from home.
Top Attractive Employers for Graphic Designers in Design Services
| Company | Global Headcount | Hiring In | Hiring For |
| gener8tor Management | 51-200 | United States Remote | Visual and brand designer |
| Apple | 10,000+ | Culver City | QA designer |
| CrowdStrike | 1,001-5,000 | United States Remote | Creative designer |
| REI | 10,000+ | Issaquah | Retail training content designer |
| Maven wave | 201-500 | Illinois Remote | Visual designer |
Manufacturing
- In-demand jobs: Production designer, graphic artist and print operator, senior graphic designer
It is no surprise that more manufacturing businesses are hiring for graphic design positions. Graphic designers are integral to the manufacturing industry, whether designing packaging, creating layouts and content that leads consumer conversion, or creating the look and functions of a product. Graphic designers are needed in many manufacturing industries, including the food, sports equipment, and cosmetics industries.
While some manufacturing design jobs will require that you have a degree, there are other educational alternatives that can get you started. Self-learning and industrial design bootcamps are tried and tested ways to enter the field of industrial graphic design. The US BLS is projecting an 18 percent rise in employment across the computer and mathematical occupations in 2022, and graphic design positions form a large chunk of this industry.
Top Attractive Employers for Graphic Designers in Manufacturing
| Company | Global Headcount | Hiring In | Hiring For |
| Magenta | 11-50 | Los Angeles | Production designer |
| True Manufacturing | 1,001-5,000 | O’FallonHybrid remote | Senior graphic designer |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | 10,000+ | Seattle | Visual quality assurance Production designer |
| Boston Scientific Corporation | 10,000+ | Minnetonka Hybrid remote | SR packaging graphics specialist |
| Toyota | 10,000+ | Ann Arbor | Automotive exterior designer |
What Education Do You Need to Be a Graphic Designer?
There are fundamentals you will need to understand to become a graphic designer. To break into graphic design, you need theoretical information covering the steps and foundational principles of a creative process. You should also develop your ability to draw as this is a skill you will use daily. Additionally, acquire skills in graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.
Having a graphic design degree is certainly beneficial and in some cases can affect the median wage or hourly wage you will earn. Getting a graphic design degree these days has never been easier, with many flexible learning options that suit your schedule.
Some opt to self-study and have gained employment. This can take time but does offer the flexibility to study whenever you can, without dishing out thousands for a degree. Many people have started design careers with bootcamps, which offer competitive prices and flexible schedules. With a graphic design bootcamp, you could achieve certification in a few weeks or months depending on your schedule and dedication.
Finally, you will need to create a compelling graphic design portfolio catering to the industry or role you’d like to work in, such as a UI designer portfolio. This is to showcase your abilities using graphic design software to create compelling visual concepts and digital designs with a strong grasp of color schemes and typography.
Can You Become a Professional Graphic Designer with a Coding Bootcamp?
Yes, you can become a professional graphic designer with a bootcamp. Many people have entered this field by attending graphic design bootcamps. They offer affordable prices with various options for payment and some even offer scholarships. Attending a bootcamp provides flexibility, so you can learn remotely at your own pace, with practical hands-on learning, including both individual and group assignments.
Many bootcamps offer job support and career services to help graphic design students acquire employment once they have graduated. These advisors prepare you with mock interviews and offer assistance in creating an impactful and favorable professional resume.
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What Skills Do You Need to Be a Graphic Designer?
Graphic Design Theory
Learning about the theory behind graphic design is key to becoming a successful designer, so you should know how the creative process works using graphic design principles. Knowledge of theory can be achieved by getting a degree in graphic design, self-studying, or attending a graphic design bootcamp.
Drawing Skills
To create your visual designs, you will need to develop your ability to draw. Some designers use drawing tablets alongside digital drawing software like Adobe Photoshop or Paint Tool SAI to help them draw digitally. Within the course work for graphic design, developing your drawing abilities is one of the focused areas.
Graphic Design Software Abilities
Adobe Photoshop is one of the popular tools used by graphic designers, among various other tools within the Adobe Creative Suite. Developing skills in design software will equip you with the skills necessary to use blending modes, the pen tool, and layout design.
What’s the Best Industry for Me as a Graphic Designer?
Only you can know the best industry for yourself as a graphic designer. The insights we have provided in this article hopefully offer some assistance. Decide what industry gets your creativity fired up. This occupation can pretty much find employment opportunities in any industry, meaning the world of graphic design is your oyster.
If you would like to be a part of the creative process from conception to launch, then perhaps manufacturing is for you. Conversely, if you want to see your work on the Internet or in printed publications like magazines or books, then publishing is for you.
If you’re good at creating a following and engaging consumers that quickly convert to paying customers, then advertising is the arena for you. Perhaps you love designing web pages and layouts for digital media. If that is you, then computer systems design is the way to go.
Alternatively, perhaps you do not want to work for a company, and, in this case, freelance projects in design services could be your next career move. Regardless of your personalized interests, there are many different avenues to choose from to achieve your dream of becoming a graphic designer.
What Industries Hire the Most Graphic Designers FAQ
The industries hiring the most graphic designers include advertising, computer systems design, publishing, design services, and manufacturing.
The average annual salary for graphic designers in the US is $53,380. Graphic designers with considerable qualifications and skills can earn some impressive salaries, with the top ten percent of them earning as much as $93,440, annually.
It normally takes around four years to get a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, if you’re studying full-time. Some design schools offer fast-track degree programs. If you need schedule flexibility then online learning can provide this with self-paced learning.
No, you don’t need programming skills to become a graphic designer. Learning any of the most popular programming languages, however, is an excellent career move as you will eventually work with other professionals like software engineers.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
