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Art editor vs art director

The differences between art editors and art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an art editor, becoming an art director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $49,871 average annual salary of an art editor.

The top three skills for an art editor include adobe indesign, adobe photoshop and literature. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.

Art editor vs art director overview

Art EditorArt Director
Yearly salary$49,871$88,367
Hourly rate$23.98$42.48
Growth rate-5%4%
Number of jobs7,14811,472
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4440
Years of experience46

Art editor vs art director salary

Art editors and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Art EditorArt Director
Average salary$49,871$88,367
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $69,000Between $57,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-The Walt Disney Company
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between art editor and art director education

There are a few differences between an art editor and an art director in terms of educational background:

Art EditorArt Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorEnglishGraphic Design
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityHarvard University

Art editor vs art director demographics

Here are the differences between art editors' and art directors' demographics:

Art EditorArt Director
Average age4440
Gender ratioMale, 35.2% Female, 64.8%Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 76.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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%
LGBT Percentage12%11%

Differences between art editor and art director duties and responsibilities

Art editor example responsibilities.

  • Assign, edit, and proofread arts and culture sections; manage four arts writers.
  • Work cooperatively with the managing editor and the editor-in-chief.
  • Manage freelance talent and editorial calendar to produce multiple weekly editions on deadline.
  • Have final say in what artwork gets publish in the literature and art magazine.
  • Read fiction submissions and work with staff to coordinate the best choices for the journal.
  • Edit, rewrite and proofread all articles for any stories having to do with the arts section.
  • Show more

Art director example responsibilities.

  • Manage a small group of graphic artists for PC/Mac catalog.
  • Lead the conception, design and execution of cross channel initiatives for healthcare and pharmaceutical clients.
  • Monitor the day-to-day activities on projects working with editorial, design and technical teams to execute and achieve project goals.
  • Collaborate on marketing strategies and concept creation for sketch presentations, and photo shoots with talent.
  • Utilize working knowledge of HTML, CSS and PHP in the creation of web sites and social media campaigns.
  • Perform vast typesetting and paste-up duties.
  • Show more

Art editor vs art director skills

Common art editor skills
  • Adobe Indesign, 11%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 11%
  • Literature, 10%
  • Graphic Design, 6%
  • Student Newspaper, 6%
  • Web Graphics, 6%
Common art director skills
  • Graphic Design, 11%
  • Art Direction, 7%
  • Creative Concepts, 7%
  • Sketch, 7%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 5%

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