How much does an art director make?
a year · about $55 an hour
A typical art director in the United States makes $114,850 a year, about $55 an hour, about 2.3× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
An art director meets clients and the creative team to choose a look, then checks layouts, photos, and artwork. They give feedback, show designs for approval, and may visit a photo shoot while keeping projects on schedule.
Did you know? Some art directors help design interfaces for multimedia games, not just printed pages or movie sets.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $64,900 and $213,050How do you become one?
In the United States, the usual route is a bachelor’s degree in art or design, then five or more years in related work. Many move up from jobs such as graphic designer, illustrator, editor, or photographer before leading a creative team.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like creating and leading and selling
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, art directors with more experience or hard-to-find skills may earn more. Pay can also depend on the employer and industry, location, project complexity and responsibility, and hours worked.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Massachusetts ($149,320), lowest in Wisconsin ($81,130).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $64,900 | $114,850 | $213,050 | about 53,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $149,320 | about 2,000 |
| California | $137,780 | about 12,000 |
| New York | $137,320 | about 9,000 |
| Oregon | $133,840 | about 1,000 |
| New Jersey | $129,200 | about 2,000 |
Official definition: 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. Excludes “Set and Exhibit Designers” (27-1027).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-1011.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY