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Art supervisor vs artistic director

The differences between art supervisors and artistic 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 artistic director. Additionally, an artistic director has an average salary of $72,755, 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 artistic director are artistic vision, community outreach, and non-profit organization.

Art supervisor vs artistic director overview

Art SupervisorArtistic Director
Yearly salary$66,352$72,755
Hourly rate$31.90$34.98
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs5,0007,019
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4040
Years of experience66

Art supervisor vs artistic director salary

Art supervisors and artistic directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Art SupervisorArtistic Director
Average salary$66,352$72,755
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $111,000Between $36,000 And $143,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyRiot GamesBoston Public Schools
Best paying industryMediaProfessional

Differences between art supervisor and artistic director education

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

Art SupervisorArtistic Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorGraphic DesignTheatre
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityDuke University

Art supervisor vs artistic director demographics

Here are the differences between art supervisors' and artistic directors' demographics:

Art SupervisorArtistic Director
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 51.0% Female, 49.0%Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between art supervisor and artistic director duties and responsibilities

Art supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Lead 4 brands in Alcon's eye care portfolio and supervise digital and print for ECPs and consumers.
  • Manage art assistant, including scheduling and quality control of art photography and certificates of authenticity.
  • Brand development, and stewardship.Multiple new business pitches, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, hepatitis.
  • Conceptualize and successfully develop numerous creative visual concepts for online sites, print materials, and PowerPoint presentations.
  • Collaborate with CEO on product definition and execution of social 3D chat application for Facebook.
  • Manage translation and localization for Facebook game into Spanish and Portuguese.

Artistic director example responsibilities.

  • Manage and develop the art & photography school programs along with maintaining the retail art gallery.
  • Manage content effectiveness, ROI, media orders, ad confirmations, production requests and discrepancy notices.
  • Choreograph and produce contemporary dances in NYC and Albany venues.
  • Recruit mid-career and establish artists to curate a collection for the gallery.
  • Plan and coordinate all competitions, public performances, venue, costumes, and ticketing.
  • Serve on ad hoc committee for creation and development of a new cabaret theater space.
  • Show more

Art supervisor vs artistic director skills

Common art supervisor skills
  • Visualization, 26%
  • Brainstorming, 23%
  • User Experience, 12%
  • Concept Development, 11%
  • Art Direction, 7%
  • Creative Concepts, 6%
Common artistic director skills
  • Artistic Vision, 21%
  • Community Outreach, 12%
  • Non-Profit Organization, 8%
  • Press Releases, 6%
  • Public Speaking, 6%
  • Costume Design, 4%

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