Art Directors Career, Salary and Skills
Art Directors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $114,850 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 53,070. Wage data is published for 162 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$114,850
Hourly median
$55.22
Employment
53,070
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Time Management | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Persuasion | 3.38 | 3.75 |
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.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe ActionScript
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Director
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe ImageReady
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- AJAX
- Apache Flex
- Apple Final Cut Pro
Art Directors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Art Directors Salary in CAMedian $137,780 · Employment 12,430
- Art Directors Salary in New York, NYMedian $142,990 · Employment 8,980
- Art Directors Salary in NYMedian $137,320 · Employment 8,720
- Art Directors Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $137,560 · Employment 6,590
- Art Directors Salary in ILMedian $103,550 · Employment 2,960
- Art Directors Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $104,570 · Employment 2,560
- Art Directors Salary in FLMedian $99,660 · Employment 2,520
- Art Directors Salary in TXMedian $88,270 · Employment 2,480
- Art Directors Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $165,210 · Employment 2,390
- Art Directors Salary in MAMedian $149,320 · Employment 1,850
- Art Directors Salary in NJMedian $129,200 · Employment 1,840
- Art Directors Salary in Boston, MAMedian $151,820 · Employment 1,550
Related careers
- Poets, Lyricists and Creative WritersNational median $76,910
- Film and Video EditorsNational median $75,420
- Merchandise Displayers and Window TrimmersNational median $39,390
- Video Game DesignersNational median $104,000
- Fashion DesignersNational median $80,960
- Technical WritersNational median $90,390
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling ServicesNational median $48,560
- Craft ArtistsNational median $46,080
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.