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The differences between art directors and marketing managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an art director, becoming a marketing manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a marketing manager has an average salary of $104,550, which is higher than the $88,367 average annual salary of an art director.
The top three skills for an art director include graphic design, art direction and creative concepts. The most important skills for a marketing manager are digital marketing, marketing campaigns, and project management.
| Art Director | Marketing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $104,550 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $50.26 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 89,627 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 10 |
An art director's duty will vary depending on the line of industry involved. However, most of the responsibilities will revolve in taking charge of the artistic direction and decisions in a project or campaign. Most of the time, it is an art director's call to conceptualize and bring a vision to completion and take the lead in coordinating with various artists and creative staff. Furthermore, an art director must oversee the progress of workflow and workforce, develop plans and strategies, and approve or provide suggestions in every creative output from staff.
Marketing managers are experienced employees who oversee the marketing department of the organization. They manage activities such as marketing campaigns, social media postings, company branding, and other strategic marketing activities. They provide strategic direction and come up with departmental goals. They also provide proper training for employees in the department to ensure that they have a deep understanding of its marketing tools. Marketing managers should be creative, should have good interpersonal skills, and should be flexible.
Art directors and marketing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Marketing Manager | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $104,550 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $71,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an art director and a marketing manager in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Marketing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between art directors' and marketing managers' demographics:
| Art Director | Marketing Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 44.4% Female, 55.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |