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Quick answer · Balanced priorities

Graphic Designers vs News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists: what changes?

Consider Graphic Designers if you want to design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. Consider News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists if you would rather narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Graphic Designers and News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Graphic Designers

National median pay (2025)
$62,960
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
16,000
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Graphic Designers brief

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

National median pay (2025)
$62,200
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
3,400
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 5.9% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Graphic Designers has the edge on annual openings

Graphic Designers is at 16,000 annual openings, compared with 3,400 annual openings for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists.

2

Graphic Designers has the edge on projected growth

Graphic Designers is at -1.7% projected growth, compared with -5.9% projected growth for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists.

3

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

47.8/ 100

Graphic Designers

vs
35.2/ 100

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Graphic Designers vs News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

DimensionGraphic DesignersNews Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Median pay (2025)$62,960$62,200
Pay percentile53.8 percentile51.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-1.7%-5.9%
Annual openings (2025–2035)16,0003,400
2025 employment253,10047,100
How you qualifyBachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 4Job Zone 4
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.