Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between art directors and set decorators 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 set decorator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $58,487 average annual salary of a set decorator.
The top three skills for an art director include graphic design, art direction and creative concepts. The most important skills for a set decorator are art direction, set design, and film production.
| Art Director | Set Decorator | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $58,487 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $28.12 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 3,544 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Art directors and set decorators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Set Decorator | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $58,487 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an art director and a set decorator in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Set Decorator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Photography |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between art directors' and set decorators' demographics:
| Art Director | Set Decorator | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 2.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.4% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |