Art director demographics and statistics in the US
Art director demographics research summary. Zippia estimates art director demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our art director estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about art directors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 37,465 art directors currently employed in the United States.
- 42.6% of all art directors are women, while 57.4% are men.
- The average art director age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of art directors is White (67.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.5%), Asian (7.8%) and Unknown (5.6%).
- Art directors are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for art directors.
- 11% of all art directors are LGBT.
On this page
Art director demographics by:
Art director gender statistics
42.6% of art directors are women and 57.4% of art directors are men.
- Male, 57.4%
- Female, 42.6%
Art director gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 57.4% |
| Female | 42.6% |
Art director gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$84,424
Female income
$79,193
Art director gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in art director positions over time. Currently, 42.6% of art directors are female.
Art director gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.77% | 36.23% |
| 2011 | 61.40% | 38.60% |
| 2012 | 64.61% | 35.39% |
| 2013 | 60.80% | 39.20% |
| 2014 | 57.76% | 42.24% |
| 2015 | 60.03% | 39.97% |
| 2016 | 56.86% | 43.14% |
| 2017 | 59.24% | 40.76% |
| 2018 | 58.92% | 41.08% |
| 2019 | 57.36% | 42.64% |
| 2020 | 57.45% | 42.55% |
| 2021 | 57.40% | 42.60% |
Art director related jobs gender ratio
We compared art directors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, exhibit builder and senior industrial designer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Decorating Consultant | 9% | 91% |
| Floral Designer | 11% | 89% |
| Floral Manager | 11% | 89% |
| Art Director | 57% | 43% |
| Craftsman | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Industrial Designer | 91% | 9% |
| Exhibit Builder | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Art director demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among art directors is White, which makes up 67.2% of all art directors. Comparatively, 14.5% of art directors are Hispanic or Latino and 7.8% of art directors are Asian.
- White, 67.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.5%
- Asian, 7.8%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- Black or African American, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Art director race
| Art director race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.5% |
| Asian | 7.8% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| Black or African American | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Art director race and ethnicity over time
See how art director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Art director race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.75% | 2.99% | 6.98% | 10.62% |
| 2011 | 76.31% | 3.61% | 6.87% | 10.18% |
| 2012 | 74.99% | 3.49% | 6.10% | 11.71% |
| 2013 | 75.46% | 3.66% | 6.97% | 10.67% |
| 2014 | 74.66% | 3.53% | 7.28% | 10.89% |
| 2015 | 74.21% | 3.32% | 6.85% | 11.39% |
| 2016 | 73.85% | 2.77% | 8.36% | 11.17% |
| 2017 | 73.15% | 3.62% | 7.69% | 12.52% |
| 2018 | 72.79% | 3.44% | 8.52% | 11.96% |
| 2019 | 73.05% | 3.96% | 7.74% | 11.78% |
| 2020 | 70.07% | 3.31% | 8.11% | 12.52% |
| 2021 | 67.17% | 4.38% | 7.80% | 14.47% |
Art director wage gap by race
According to our data, asian art directors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american art directors have the lowest average salary at $76,833.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $85,290 |
| White | $83,935 |
| Black or African American | $76,833 |
| Asian | $90,199 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $86,446 |
Average art director age
See how the average age of art directors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Art director age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38.5 | 34.5 |
| White | 41 | 36 |
| Black or African American | 34 | |
| Asian | 37 | 33 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 38.5 |
Art director age breakdown
The average age of art directors is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the art director population.
Art director age breakdown
| Art Director Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 47% |
| 30-40 years | 38% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Art director educational attainment
The most common degree for art directors is bachelor's degree, with 75% of art directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Art directors by degree level
| Art director degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 75% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Master's | 6% |
| High School Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Art director jobs you might like
Art director wage gap by degree level
According to the data, art directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $101,258 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, art directors earn a median annual income of $99,473 compared to $84,180 for art directors with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $101,258 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $76,525 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,473 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $84,180 |
Art director employment statistics
Most art directors work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where art directors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where art directors work.
Art director jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 21% |
Art director jobs by company type
Employees with the art director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most art directors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Art director jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 25% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 1% |
Art director jobs by industry
The most common industries for art directors are media, professional and retail.
Art director industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 32% |
| Professional | 15% |
| Retail | 11% |
| Fortune 500 | 11% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
Art director turnover and employment statistics
Art director unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for art directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Art director unemployment rate by year
| Year | Art director unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.96% |
| 2011 | 8.02% |
| 2012 | 8.31% |
| 2013 | 6.45% |
| 2014 | 5.83% |
| 2015 | 5.42% |
| 2016 | 4.83% |
| 2017 | 5.07% |
| 2018 | 4.28% |
| 2019 | 4.56% |
| 2020 | 8.18% |
| 2021 | 8.63% |
Average art director tenure
The average art director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 28,618 art directors resumes in Zippia's database.
Art director tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 14% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Art director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of art directors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Art Director | 11.32% | - |
| Stage Set Designer | 12.35% | 45,818 |
| Creative Specialist | 13.05% | 29,855 |
| Floral Artist | 14.26% | 3,971 |
| Merchandising Internship | 16.91% | 58,634 |
| Apparel Designer | 17.98% | 46,436 |
| Interior Design Coordinator | 22.51% | 49,402 |
Similar art director jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Stage Set Designer | 12.35% | 45,818 |
| Creative Specialist | 13.05% | 29,855 |
| Floral Artist | 14.26% | 3,971 |
| Merchandising Internship | 16.91% | 58,634 |
| Apparel Designer | 17.98% | 46,436 |
| Interior Design Coordinator | 22.51% | 49,402 |
Foreign languages spoken by art directors
The most common foreign language among art directors is Spanish at 47.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.6% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 5.1%.
- Spanish, 47.9%
- French, 12.6%
- Chinese, 5.1%
- Mandarin, 5.0%
- Italian, 5.0%
- Other, 24.4%
Art director languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 47.9% |
| French | 12.6% |
| Chinese | 5.1% |
| Mandarin | 5.0% |
| Italian | 5.0% |
| Other | 24.4% |
