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Creative IndustriesTop JobColorado Talent Pipeline Report-aligned occupation with strong annual openings, growth, and wage signals.

Graphic Designer

Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.

Annual openings

562

BLS median wage

$66,330

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

10-year growth

+6%

Career requirements

What does this career require?

The education, credentials, and on-the-job competencies Colorado employers expect for this role.

Typical education

Bachelor's degree

Credential requirement

No certification is required, but the ability to use graphic design software, such as Adobe Photoshop, and AI software, such as ChatGPT, are valued.

Work experience

No previous work experience is required, though work-based learning experience in this or a similar occupation is expected.

Work-based learning

No information available

Employer competency information

Feedback from Graphic Designers identified the following competencies as being critical to success

  • Creativity — The ability to turn an idea into a story
  • Customer Service — Understanding what a client needs and identifying a product to meet those needs
  • Basic Computer Skills — Using applications and creating and storing huge digital files
  • Entrepreneurship — Turn ideas into income and creating good business plans
While drawing and illustrating is a great skill, Graphic Design skills, like building a brand and designing and building graphics, are where most jobs exist. Learn how to tell a story that connects with a target audience utilizing graphics.
Utilize educational experiences to practice turning your passion into a tangible and practical product valued by others - a yearbook, t-shirt, or marketing materials.
AI is being used more often to create the graphics, but a person is required to understand client needs and how the graphics fit into that narrative.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Work style

  • With kids/peopleOccasionally
  • On a computerOccasionally
  • Outdoors / on-siteOccasionally
  • With your handsOccasionally

Interests it draws on

  • Arts, Design, and Entertainment
  • Graphic Design

Automation exposure

Low exposure

Tasks here lean on judgement and people skills that are hard to automate.

A typical day

  1. Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
  2. Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
  3. Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
  4. Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
  5. Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
  6. Prepare digital files for printing.