Graphic Designers and Illustrators
Job description
Graphic designers create and produce graphic and visual material for a variety of products (print, advertising, packaging, interactive media, etc.).
Illustrators design and produce illustrations to represent a variety of content in pictorial form.
This group includes supervisors, consultants, and project managers. These individuals are self-employed or work for:
- Graphic design, advertising, or communication studios
- Multimedia production companies
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Equipment, machinery, tools
Main tasks
Graphic Designers
- Consult with clients to identify the graphic elements and content of communication tools.
- Choose the appropriate means to produce the desired visual effect.
- Design graphic elements.
- Develop sketches and prepare the layout for the topics to be represented.
- Evaluate the costs and time required for the design.
- Select and integrate photographs, illustrations, and typography that meet the expressed needs.
- Set guidelines for illustrators and photographers.
- Coordinate the production of print, audio-visual, electronic, and digital versions.
- Collaborate with various professionals and subcontractors.
- Supervise staff.
Illustrators
- Consult with customers to find out the nature, style, and content of the illustrations to be produced.
- Design and produce sketches by hand or using computer-assisted drawing software.
- Produce final illustrations for printed material (books, magazines, packaging, etc.).
- Participate in the development of a picture script for various productions (multimedia, commercials, television programs, etc.).
- Produce 2D and 3D animations.
- Adapt, as required, existing graphic illustrations.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to executive or management positions.
Illustrators
- These individuals may specialize in a particular type of illustration (children’s, advertising, humorous, technical, etc.).
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $20.00
- Median
- $29.00
- Maximum
- $50.96
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 51.2% Female
- 48.8% Male
- 51.2% Female
- 48.8% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5413, 541424% of jobs
-
NAICS 5121% of jobs
-
NAICS 541512% of jobs
-
NAICS 5418, 54198% of jobs
-
NAICS 716% of jobs
-
Others29% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5413, 541424% of jobs
-
NAICS 5121% of jobs
-
NAICS 541512% of jobs
-
NAICS 5418, 54198% of jobs
-
NAICS 716% of jobs
-
Others29% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
Secondary
DVS in infographie
Placement rate: 75.6%
12.2% of graduates pursue further studies
College
DCS in 3D Animation and Computer-Generated Imagery
Placement rate: 66.4%
18% of graduates pursue further studies
ACS in design de niveau de jeu
Placement rate: 63.6%
27.3% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in graphic Design
Placement rate: 66.3%
28.4% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in illustration and Animation (Animation)
Placement rate: 73.1%
15.4% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in illustration and Animation (Illustration)
Placement rate: 53.3%
20% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in infographie en prémédia
Placement rate: 92.3%
ACS in modélisation 3D orientée jeu vidéo
Placement rate: 100%
University
Applied design (ceramics, weaving, goldsmithery, decoration)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 80.6%
11.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Graphic arts (graphic communications)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 77.4%
10.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 100%
Plastic arts (painting, drawing, sculpture)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 60.4%
22.6% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 77.8%
14.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Portfolio illustrating creative skills and talent.
Sometimes required
- Experience in designing multimedia products may be required.
Illustrator(s)
- Training in biology, engineering, architecture, or a scientific field is usually required to work in the medical, technical, and scientific fields.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Critical thought
- Reading comprehension
- Information processing
- Operation analysis
- Active learning
- Time management
- Judgment and decision-making
- Social perception
- Coordination
- Result evaluation
- Written expression
- Solving complex problems
Abilities
- Originality
- Near vision
- Idea generation
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Written expression
- Visualization
- Speech clarity
- Classification
- Colour perception and distinction
- Deductive reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Information organization
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Selective attention
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to adapt
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Capacity to work in a team
- Attention to detail
- Knowledge of computer science, digital and electronics
- Creativity
- Knowledge of communication and media
- Patience
- Knowledge of design
- Open-mindedness
Interests
- Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
- Create, design
- Work in computer science or information and communication technologies (ICT)
- Self-employment
- Work manually
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Artistic
- People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Official name of the NOC 52120
Graphic designers and illustrators
Job titles
- 2D-3D Animation Artists
- Web graphic designer
- Graphic designer
- Graphic artist
- Multimedia illustrator
- Poster artist
- 2d animation artist
- Assistant animator - animated films
- Graphic design and illustration animator
- Animator - animated films
- Computer animator
- Technical animator
- 3d artist
- Concept artist
- Advertising artist
- Technical artist
- Cartoonist
- Editorial cartoonist
- Sports cartoonist
- Political cartoonist
- Cartoonist sketch
- Calligrapher
- Caricaturist
- Political caricaturist
- Advertising illustrator chief
- Colour artist - cartoons
- Animated cartoon colourist
- Wallpaper colourist
- Flash designer
- Graphic designer - multimedia, interactive or new media
- Multimedia designer
- Advertising designer
- Character animator
- Multimedia instructional designer and scriptor
- Multimedia products designer-ideaman/woman
- Sign designer
- User experience designer
- Forms designer
- Business forms designer
- Game designer
- Storyboard artist
- Level designer
- Page designer
- Cover designer
- Web designer - graphic design
- Wallpaper designer
- Multimedia products designer
- Package designer
- Communication designer
- Interactive media designer
- New media graphics designer
- Content creator - graphic design
- Cybergraphic designer
- Visual graphic designer
- Internet graphic designer
- Motion graphic designer
- Graphic designer - multimedia
- Litho artist
- Commercial artist
- Advertising layout designer
- Art layout designer
- Form layout designer
- Cell animator
- Animation layout designer
- Bank note designer
- Animated cartoon artist
- Animated cartoon artist - visual arts
- Background artist
- Paper securities designer
- Animation artist
- Advertising art director
- Content director
- Graphic designer and layout artist
- Artistic illustrator
- Medical illustrator
- Advertising illustrator
- Scientific illustrator
- Illustrator and graphic designer
- Illustrator
- Catalogue illustrator
- Newspaper illustrator
- Fashion illustrator
- Cover page illustrator
- Biological illustrator
- 3d modeler
- Pictographist
- Multimedia design specialist
- Computer graphics specialist
- Content strategist
- Graphic arts room supervisor
- Advertising art supervisor
- Digital animator - artist
- Title artist
Skill type
Art, culture, recreation and sport
Last update: January 29, 2026