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The differences between art directors and visual 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 visual designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $86,495 average annual salary of a visual designer.
The top three skills for an art director include graphic design, art direction and creative concepts. The most important skills for a visual designer are sketch, visual design, and graphic design.
| Art Director | Visual Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,367 | $86,495 |
| Hourly rate | $42.48 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 11,472 | 46,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Art directors and visual designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Director | Visual Designer | |
| Average salary | $88,367 | $86,495 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $135,000 | Between $51,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an art director and a visual designer in terms of educational background:
| Art Director | Visual Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between art directors' and visual designers' demographics:
| Art Director | Visual Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| 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% |