74 2026 | Tennessee Career Guide You’ve loved art your whole life. There were few things more exciting growing up than getting a new sketch pad and colored pencils as a gift. You found yourself in school working longer on the look of your essay assignment more than the content. And when someone asked if you would like to run for class president, you said no, but you sure would like to be in charge of making the posters. Congratulations— you’re an artist. In today’s world, a graphic artist is the per- son responsible for the layout and design of any number of creatives including ad- vertisements, brochures, logos, signage, dis- plays, publications, etc. An artist uses color, illustrations, photography and fonts to vi- sually communicate a message or provide marketing for a product. What is a Typical Day Like? Most graphic artists are either employed to work for a company or creative team, or they can also work as a freelance entre- preneur. Those working for a company typ- ically will work within a creative team com- prised of positions such as art directors, marketing directors, copywriters, photog- raphers, and editors. In larger companies, each position plays a roll in a project or layout. The graphic artist’s job is to assem- ble each of the components (photography, text, etc.) into an appealing design that meets the approval of the team. In smaller companies, an artist can wear multiple hats, up to and including shooting the photog- raphy and writing the copy. The typical company hiring a graphic artist might include marketing or advertising agencies, publishing companies, and any company that develops and markets prod- ucts or services to the wholesale or retail communities. Freelance graphic artists many times work for themselves, hiring their services out to companies or clients for individual, specific jobs. Jobs can be something as simple as Photography by Shutterstock® Profession Overview Work Sector: Marketing & Creative Current Number Positions (TN): 3,880* Projected Positions by 2024 (TN): 4,090* Percentage Position Growth (TN): 5.00%* Median Salary (TN): $42,655** Advancement: Art Director, Marketing Director Information On This Career Provided By: Quantum, LLC P.O. Box 1675 Hendersonville, TN 37077 *Jobs4TN.gov **Glassdoor.com Where creativity and business meet. Graphic Artist
