Also called: Iconographer, Pictogram Designer
Draws the tiny symbols in apps, phones, signs, and emoji sets so they read instantly at just a few pixels wide.
An icon designer gets a list of 40 new symbols for an app update, sketches each on a tight grid, and tweaks curves until they still read at 16 pixels. They might also draw new emoji for a phone's yearly release, checking that faces and skin tones look right.
Approximate; highest at big tech companies.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in graphic or communication design.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Graphic Design, Communication Design, Interaction Design.
Growing about average. Icons are everywhere, but full-time icon-only jobs are few.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI generates icon sets quickly; designers still keep huge systems consistent and readable, but fewer juniors may be needed.
Classes: Art, Graphic design CTE, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1024.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.