| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Clean and polish engraved areas. |
Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For visually creative people who want commercial design work, illustration, or both. Use the tools below to see which graphic design and illustration roles fit your background and goals.
This field rewards a strong portfolio over formal credentials, and splits between commercial design work and illustration/art-focused work. Use the tools below to explore Graphic Design and Illustration-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Junior Graphic Designer, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Art Director or Creative Director. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Adobe Certified Professional, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs, (2) Find Graphic Design and Illustration job listings, (3) Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration careers, and (4) Provide Graphic Design and Illustration career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Graphic Design and Illustration Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Graphic Design and Illustration careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Graphic Design and Illustration, so relevant Graphic Design and Illustration jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Graphic Design and Illustration Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Graphic Design and Illustration Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Graphic Design and Illustration careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 149 Graphic Design and Illustration Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
39 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
46 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
46 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 149 specific Graphic Design and Illustration job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Etchers and Engravers.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Etchers and Engravers
Description: Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Etchers and Engravers":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
9,900U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
10,100
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
200 (2.4%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
1,300
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel. |
| Importance: 48 (%) | Description: Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates. |
| Importance: 46 (%) | Description: Use computer software to design patterns for engraving. |
| Importance: 43 (%) | Description: Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures. |
| Importance: 42 (%) | Description: Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures. |
| Importance: 42 (%) | Description: Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns. |
| Importance: 42 (%) | Description: Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils. |
| Importance: 40 (%) | Description: Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches. |
| Importance: 37 (%) | Description: Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad. |
| Importance: 34 (%) | Description: Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines. |
| Importance: 33 (%) | Description: Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges. |
| Importance: 31 (%) | Description: Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration. |
| Importance: 30 (%) | Description: Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability. |
| Importance: 28 (%) | Description: Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns. |
| Importance: 28 (%) | Description: Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece. |
| Importance: 27 (%) | Description: Brush or wipe acid over engraving to darken or highlight inscriptions. |
| Importance: 26 (%) | Description: Remove wax or tape from etched glassware by using a stylus or knife, or by immersing ware in hot water. |
| Importance: 26 (%) | Description: Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products. | |
| Calculate dimensions of workpieces, products, or equipment. | |
| Clean workpieces or finished products. | |
| Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing. | |
| Design templates or patterns. | |
| Determine production equipment settings. | |
| Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references. | |
| Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products. | |
| Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces. | |
| Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions. | |
| Inspect finishes of workpieces or finished products. | |
| Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality. | |
| Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators. | |
| Mix substances to create chemical solutions. | |
| Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment. | |
| Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment. | |
| Operate cutting equipment. | |
| Operate equipment to print images or bind printed images together. | |
| Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products. | |
| Remove products or workpieces from production equipment. | |
| Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences. | |
| Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications. | |
| Trim excess material from workpieces. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance. |
| Activity: Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections. |
| Activity: Apply protective solutions or coatings. |
| Activity: Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects. |
| Activity: Cut materials. |
| Activity: Design materials or devices. |
| Activity: Determine operational methods or procedures. |
| Activity: Engrave objects. |
| Activity: Inspect completed work or finished products. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Operate cutting or grinding equipment. |
| Activity: Operate industrial processing or production equipment. |
| Activity: Position materials or components for assembly. |
| Activity: Position workpieces or materials on equipment. |
| Activity: Prepare industrial materials for processing or use. |
| Activity: Prepare mixtures or solutions. |
| Activity: Read documents or materials to inform work processes. |
| Activity: Remove workpieces from production equipment. |
| Activity: Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| High-Priority Tech Skills |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Graphics or photo imaging software: |
| Adobe Illustrator |
| Operating system software: |
| Microsoft Windows |
| General Software Tools |
| Computer aided design CAD and computer aided manufacturing CAM system: |
| Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing CAD/CAM engraving software |
| Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: |
| Delcam ArtCAM Express Gravograph GravoStyle Western Engravers Supply Vision EXPERT |
| Graphics or photo imaging software: |
| Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 53.9 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 32.7 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.7 (%) | Level of Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.8 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 26.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 26.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Etchers and Engravers". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Etchers and Engravers
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka © 2026 About This Page
© 2026 - Disclaimer - Privacy