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The differences between art directors and senior technician specialists 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 technician specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior technician specialist has an average salary of $96,650, 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 technician specialist are patients, customer service, and project management.
| Art Director | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $96,650 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $46.47 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 56,304 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
Senior technician specialists are technicians in the office who specialize in a specific activity or task. They are more tenured than entry-level employees and, at times, given bigger responsibilities than their junior counterparts. They may even be asked to lead specific projects. Senior technician specialists are usually involved in the technical or technological needs of the organization. As such, they should be familiar with the different equipment, fixtures, and infrastructure in the office. They are expected to perform installations, repairs, updates, and maintenance. Senior technician specialists should also be able to provide support to office employees on technical and technological aspects.
Art directors and senior technician specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $96,650 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $68,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an art director and a senior technician specialist in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between art directors' and senior technician specialists' demographics:
| Art Director | Senior Technician Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.9% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |