Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between art supervisors and art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an art supervisor and an art director. Additionally, an art director has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $66,352 average annual salary of an art supervisor.
The top three skills for an art supervisor include visualization, brainstorming and user experience. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.
| Art Supervisor | Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $66,352 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $31.90 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 5,000 | 11,472 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An art supervisor focuses on designing a commissioned project or a creative marketing campaign focused on graphics and artistic visuals. The art supervisor determines the course of action and an innovative plan that will fit the customer's requirements. Experience is essential for an art supervisor. This person will base decisions on both previous artistic successes and test new concepts and ideas that will maximize the reach to people and improve the visibility of the customer's business or the supervisor's studio.
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.
Art supervisors and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Art Supervisor | Art Director | |
| Average salary | $66,352 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $111,000 | Between $57,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Riot Games | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between an art supervisor and an art director in terms of educational background:
| Art Supervisor | Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between art supervisors' and art directors' demographics:
| Art Supervisor | Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.0% Female, 49.0% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 Percentage | 11% | 11% |