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The differences between art directors and senior art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an art director and a senior art director. Additionally, a senior art director has an average salary of $103,294, 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 senior art director are graphic design, photography, and creative concepts.
| Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $103,294 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $49.66 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 9,098 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A senior art director is responsible for monitoring the creative art department's operations, ensuring the adequacy of resources and materials, as well as high-quality outputs based on clients' specifications and business requirements. Senior art directors implement strategic project management procedures to offer deliverables within the budget goals and set timeframe. They coordinate with the clients for progress updates and inform them of any adjustments as needed. A senior art director should have a keen eye for details and knowledge of various art software applications to assist the team, especially when doing revisions.
Art directors and senior art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $103,294 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $63,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | DoorDash |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between an art director and a senior art director in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between art directors' and senior art directors' demographics:
| Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |