Art Directors — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$114,850
United States, 2025
Employment
53,070
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film. Direct workers engaged in artwork or layout design.
- O*NET code
- 27-1011.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
- Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
- Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
- Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
- Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
- Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$64,900
25th percentile
$82,480
75th percentile
$162,640
90th percentile
$213,050
Most important skills
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Time Management3.6
- Coordination3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Operations Analysis3.4
- Writing3.4
- Persuasion3.4
- Monitoring3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 21 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
21
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.4 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $39,390
Compare with Art DirectorsSupplemental
National median $48,560
Compare with Art DirectorsSupplemental
National median $55,490
Compare with Art DirectorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $170,140 | 600 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $165,210 | 2,390 | 2025 |
| Burlington, VT | $153,890 | 50 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $151,820 | 1,550 | 2025 |
| MA | $149,320 | 1,850 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $145,410 | 880 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $142,990 | 8,980 | 2025 |
| CA | $137,780 | 12,430 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $137,560 | 6,590 | 2025 |
| NY | $137,320 | 8,720 | 2025 |
| OR | $133,840 | 1,040 | 2025 |
| Waterbury, CT | $133,680 | 70 | 2025 |
| NH | $132,000 | 160 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $131,240 | 100 | 2025 |
| VT | $129,260 | 80 | 2025 |
| NJ | $129,200 | 1,840 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $126,410 | 40 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $126,050 | 630 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $124,610 | 520 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $123,420 | 30 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Art Directors to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.