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The differences between art directors and senior graphic designers 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 senior graphic designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $73,921 average annual salary of a senior graphic designer.
The top three skills for an art director include graphic design, art direction and creative concepts. The most important skills for a senior graphic designer are sketch, adobe creative suite, and creative concepts.
| Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $73,921 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $35.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 46,310 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
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 graphic designer oversees all of the designing operations in a company, from conceptualization to production. One of their primary responsibilities is to ensure that all designs produced are according to a client's preference and brand. They also encourage fresh ideas from the team, communicate with clients or representatives, and manage the schedules to meet all deadlines. Furthermore, as a senior graphic designer, they are responsible for leading and mentoring a team of graphic designers, all in the joint effort to reach project goals.
Art directors and senior graphic designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $73,921 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $51,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Practice Fusion |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an art director and a senior graphic designer in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between art directors' and senior graphic designers' demographics:
| Art Director | Senior Graphic Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 13% |