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Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer profiles score highest on Creating and Exploring. This page covers what the work involves, what the trait profile looks like, what it pays, and where the fit tends to break.

Median pay
$62,960per year, U.S. BLS 2025
Entry education
Bachelor's degreetypical for the occupation

SOURCE · O*NET 27-1024.00 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are national and vary widely by state and setting.

What the work involves

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.

Skills rated most important

Active Listening69
Speaking60
Active Learning56
Critical Thinking56
Writing56

Work context

Spend Time Sitting95
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled83
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams82
Contact With Others81
Spend Time Standing22
Spend Time Walking or Running12
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled11
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body6
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance3
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling3
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles1

O*NET importance and frequency ratings, 0–100.

The trait profile

Where Graphic Designer profiles sit on the eleven Haliscope traits, derived from O*NET’s published interest and work-style data.

Creating98
Exploring65
Organizing49
Influencing41
Persevering41
Operating40
Analyzing32
Harmonizing30
Law-Abiding24
Safety-Seeking21
Helping20

Who it fits, and who it doesn’t

Strong signals

  • High Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.
  • High Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
  • High Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.
  • Moderate Organizing. Measures your preference for structure, detail, and systematic processes. High scorers excel at creating order, optimizing workflows, and maintaining precision.

Friction points

  • Low Creating. Measures your inclination toward original thinking and artistic expression. High scorers generate innovative ideas and find rigid structure limiting.
  • Low Persevering. Measures your persistence and resilience in the face of challenges. High scorers push through obstacles, maintain long-term focus, and value grit as both means and end.
  • Low Exploring. Measures your openness to new experiences and curiosity about the unknown. High scorers seek novelty, enjoy experimentation, and value the journey itself.

These are what the occupation’s profile says, not a hiring criterion. Haliscope is not validated for hiring or screening, and none of these is disqualifying — they are where a fit most often breaks.

Getting in

Entry education: Bachelor's degree.

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

O*NET Job Zone descriptions, U.S. Department of Labor.

Exposure to AI

How much of this work AI can already do, and how much AI tools help the people doing it, is scored task by task in the AI Risk Index.

Will AI replace Graphic Designer?

Is this profile yours?

Take the assessment and see your eleven scores against this occupation and every other one Haliscope scores. A preview of your results is free; the full report is $10.00.

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