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Multimedia Designers Job Overview

Multimedia designers express design art with the help of different media forms. They are usually skilled in presenting information in the form of audio, video, physical objects, soundtracks, digital data and text.

Multimedia Designers Schools and Degrees

It is important to have a degree in multimedia design to enter this profession. This provides one with the skills and education necessary for a career in multimedia designing. Universities and colleges provide curricula designed for this degree. It can also be studied as a part of a web design program.

Job Requirements

Training is of utmost importance in this field, as it enables one to coordinate the various aspects of multimedia for a complete presentation.

Multimedia designing work is becoming very dependent on computers. An education in the different software tools available for multimedia designing would also be beneficial.

A multimedia designer needs to pay close attention to detail as there is little room for error. It is also important to be able to visualize how the work will appear once it is finished. Creativity is the cornerstone of the work.

Nature of Work

Multimedia designers manipulate images and information from different sources for the production of their art work. They make use of photographs, audio, video and animation and Graphical User Interface in order to complete their work. Multimedia designers may design costumes or props and sets for plays and productions.

Multimedia designers may work in commercial or private studios. Studio surroundings are usually well-lit and ventilated. They may need to work on their own or in a team. They have to use computers extensively and may experience problems of eye and back strain.

Multimedia Designers Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, multimedia designers held about 87,000 jobs in the US. Employment is highest in the following industries:

• Advertising and Related Services
• Computer Systems Design and Related Services
• Motion Picture and Video Industries
• Software publishers
• Specialized Design Services

The mean hourly wage for multimedia designers in the US is about $29.33, while the mean annual salary is around $61,010.

Job Numbers and Growth

There are an estimated 87,000 multimedia designers nationally. Most recently, workers have experienced a low level of joblessness. An estimated 4% of employees did not have employment in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Multimedia designers -of-a-feather seem to flock to San Francisco (California), Seattle (Washington), and Raleigh (North Carolina). They are less likely to be found around West Palm Beach (Florida), Providence (Rhode Island), and Charlotte (North Carolina).

Compensation of workers is best in San Jose (California), San Francisco (California), and Austin (Texas), and much worse in Chattanooga (Tennessee), Baton Rouge (Louisiana), and Columbia (South Carolina).

Training and Education

Employees often find employers are looking for a bachelor's degree. Multimedia designers, in 58% of cases, have bachelor's degree or higher. After high school, 29% of workers pursued some additional career education. Employees, in 14% of cases, had only a high school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Multimedia designers employed part-time are 23% of the total. Workers, in about 70% of cases, work for themselves.

Multimedia Designers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Louisiana

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Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

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Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin