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Artistic director vs freelance art director

The differences between artistic directors and freelance 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 artistic director and a freelance art director. Additionally, a freelance art director has an average salary of $85,453, which is higher than the $72,755 average annual salary of an artistic director.

The top three skills for an artistic director include artistic vision, community outreach and non-profit organization. The most important skills for a freelance art director are photography, strong work ethic, and creative development.

Artistic director vs freelance art director overview

Artistic DirectorFreelance Art Director
Yearly salary$72,755$85,453
Hourly rate$34.98$41.08
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs7,0199,215
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age4040
Years of experience66

Artistic director vs freelance art director salary

Artistic directors and freelance art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Artistic DirectorFreelance Art Director
Average salary$72,755$85,453
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $143,000Between $51,000 And $142,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyBoston Public Schools-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between artistic director and freelance art director education

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

Artistic DirectorFreelance Art Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common majorTheatreGraphic Design
Most common collegeDuke UniversityHarvard University

Artistic director vs freelance art director demographics

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

Artistic DirectorFreelance Art Director
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 48.3% Female, 51.7%Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between artistic director and freelance art director duties and responsibilities

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

Freelance art director example responsibilities.

  • Administer and manage daily operations including design, photography and freelancers, handling jobs from conception through completion.
  • Provide PowerPoint support and template creation.
  • Design and format templates in PowerPoint for presentations.
  • Refine HTML outreach, production efficiency, and follow-up sequence effectiveness.
  • Web base designs include HTML emails, banners and landing pages.
  • Demonstrate a strong ability to quickly design and sketch new ideas for client projects.
  • Show more

Artistic director vs freelance art director skills

Common artistic director skills
  • Artistic Vision, 21%
  • Community Outreach, 12%
  • Non-Profit Organization, 8%
  • Press Releases, 6%
  • Public Speaking, 6%
  • Costume Design, 4%
Common freelance art director skills
  • Photography, 17%
  • Strong Work Ethic, 11%
  • Creative Development, 9%
  • Environmental Design, 8%
  • Web Banners, 7%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 5%

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