Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between art directors and set 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 set designer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $57,970 average annual salary of a set designer.
The top three skills for an art director include graphic design, art direction and creative concepts. The most important skills for a set designer are set design, art direction, and photography.
| Art Director | Set Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $57,970 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $27.87 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 49,102 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Art directors and set designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Set Designer | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $57,970 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $35,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New Windsor, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Stanley Black & Decker |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between an art director and a set designer in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Set Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Fine Arts |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between art directors' and set designers' demographics:
| Art Director | Set Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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% |