Art department head vs art director

The differences between art department heads and art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an art department head, becoming an art director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $51,551 average annual salary of an art department head.

The top three skills for an art department head include curriculum development, studio art and fine arts. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.

Art department head vs art director overview

	Art Department Head	Art Director
Yearly salary	$51,551	$88,367
Hourly rate	$24.78	$42.48
Growth rate	12%	4%
Number of jobs	39,171	11,472
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	2	6

Art department head vs art director salary

Art department heads and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Art Department Head	Art Director
Average salary	$51,551	$88,367
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $82,000	Between $57,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	The Walt Disney Company
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between art department head and art director education

There are a few differences between an art department head and an art director in terms of educational background:

	Art Department Head	Art Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Graphic Design
Most common college	Northwestern University	Harvard University

Art department head vs art director demographics

Here are the differences between art department heads' and art directors' demographics:

	Art Department Head	Art Director
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	16%	11%

Differences between art department head and art director duties and responsibilities

Art department head example responsibilities.

Lead kids through snack, game time, homework time, an art lesson, and manage a gallery wall.
Produce company literature via plate making, lay-out, photography and design.
Design product technical illustrations, printedliterature, principle product photography, and website graphics.
Employ assessment tools and strategies to improve instruction methods.instruct through lectures, discussions and demonstrations in culinary arts and cooking procedures.

Art director example responsibilities.

Manage a small group of graphic artists for PC/Mac catalog.
Lead the conception, design and execution of cross channel initiatives for healthcare and pharmaceutical clients.
Monitor the day-to-day activities on projects working with editorial, design and technical teams to execute and achieve project goals.
Collaborate on marketing strategies and concept creation for sketch presentations, and photo shoots with talent.
Utilize working knowledge of HTML, CSS and PHP in the creation of web sites and social media campaigns.
Perform vast typesetting and paste-up duties.

Art department head vs art director skills

Common art department head skills

Curriculum Development, 18%
Studio Art, 15%
Fine Arts, 13%
Photography, 10%
Graphic Design, 7%
Adobe Photoshop, 5%

Common art director skills

Graphic Design, 11%
Art Direction, 7%
Creative Concepts, 7%
Sketch, 7%
Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
Adobe Photoshop, 5%

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Art Department Head
Art Department Head vs Art Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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