Art Directors pay in the U.S.
$129,440avg. a year
$62.23 an hour · 53,070 employed
Art Directors in the U.S. earn an average of $129,440 a year and a median of $114,850. Pay is highest in New York ($159,200) and lowest in South Dakota ($69,360).
$114,850Median pay
$62.23Average hourly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
53,070Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for art directors
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
18,720 jobs
New York
$159,200
$76.54 an hour
212,430 jobs
California
$156,060
$75.03 an hour
31,040 jobs
Oregon
$152,490
$73.31 an hour
41,850 jobs
Massachusetts
$147,040
$70.69 an hour
51,840 jobs
New Jersey
$136,160
$65.46 an hour
6650 jobs
Washington
$130,550
$62.76 an hour
780 jobs
Vermont
$122,490
$58.89 an hour
8350 jobs
Indiana
$122,190
$58.74 an hour
9920 jobs
Minnesota
$117,900
$56.68 an hour
10160 jobs
New Hampshire
$117,230
$56.36 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Art Directors pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $90k$90k–$103k$103k–$115k$115k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $182,620 | $87.80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $169,940 | $81.70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $161,120 | $77.46 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $158,630 | $76.26 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $156,680 | $75.33 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $147,730 | $71.02 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $137,320 | $66.02 |
| Worcester, MA | $133,850 | $64.35 |
Related jobs
- Graphic Designers$70,560
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$42,830
- Interior Designers$74,540
- Floral Designers$39,520
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$93,260
- Fashion Designers$91,230
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Art Directors pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $85,210 | $77,220 | 210 |
| Alaska | $79,370 | $75,200 | 40 |
| Arkansas | $82,350 | $71,930 | 240 |
| California | $156,060 | $137,780 | 12,430 |
| Colorado | $112,040 | $99,990 | 720 |
| Connecticut | $101,260 | $71,900 | 1,160 |
| Florida | $105,200 | $99,660 | 2,520 |
| Georgia | $117,070 | $110,430 | 1,420 |
| Hawaii | $91,610 | $89,300 | 40 |
| Idaho | $89,980 | $80,680 | – |
| Illinois | $114,870 | $103,550 | 2,960 |
| Indiana | $122,190 | $105,690 | 350 |
| Iowa | $91,220 | $80,940 | 280 |
| Kansas | $76,950 | $60,460 | – |
| Kentucky | $80,360 | $76,160 | 320 |
| Louisiana | $98,270 | $83,640 | 160 |
| Maine | $102,820 | $100,300 | – |
| Maryland | $110,790 | $98,400 | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $147,040 | $149,320 | 1,850 |
| Michigan | $98,020 | $86,660 | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $117,900 | $109,700 | 920 |
| Mississippi | $79,440 | $66,020 | 90 |
| Missouri | $108,630 | $100,940 | 780 |
| Montana | $70,850 | $73,850 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $77,260 | $73,270 | 140 |
| Nevada | $111,350 | $98,070 | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $117,230 | $132,000 | 160 |
| New Jersey | $136,160 | $129,200 | 1,840 |
| New York | $159,200 | $137,320 | 8,720 |
| North Carolina | $95,460 | $90,000 | – |
| North Dakota | $83,170 | $83,170 | 30 |
| Ohio | $100,300 | $94,390 | 1,050 |
| Oklahoma | $92,600 | $80,680 | 290 |
| Oregon | $152,490 | $133,840 | 1,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $102,660 | $97,450 | 1,250 |
| Rhode Island | $95,580 | $72,550 | 90 |
| South Carolina | $105,970 | $87,990 | 550 |
| South Dakota | $69,360 | $66,610 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $108,720 | $89,860 | 930 |
| Texas | $101,580 | $88,270 | 2,480 |
| Utah | $110,860 | $106,500 | 290 |
| Vermont | $122,490 | $129,260 | 80 |
| Virginia | $107,540 | $101,150 | 670 |
| Washington | $130,550 | $121,170 | 650 |
| West Virginia | $69,420 | $63,550 | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $95,070 | $81,130 | 730 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$161,120
8,980 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$156,680
6,590 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$116,590
2,560 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$169,940
2,390 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$147,730
1,550 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$98,450
1,210 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$117,930
1,190 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$108,760
1,090 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do art directors make?
The average is $129,440 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $114,850 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $62.23, and the median is $55.22 an hour.
Which state pays art directors the most?
New York, with an average of $159,200 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $182,620.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $64,900 a year, and the top 10% earn over $213,050.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-1011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.