How to hire an artistic director

How to hire an artistic director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step artistic director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an artistic director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new artistic director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the artistic director you need to hire. Certain artistic director roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An artistic director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, artistic directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of artistic director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Artistic Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Artistic Director	Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They create the overall design of a project and direct others who develop artwork and layouts.	$17-68
   Freelance Art Director	As a freelance art director, you will work hand-in-hand with the production designer to procure works of art for your organization. Note that your duties will depend on your particular industry... Show more	$24-68
   Designer/Art Director	An art director collaborates with the design and art staff for books, public relations firms, advertising agencies, or newspaper publishers. Art directors create designs and layouts that embody the organization and send the message they want the audience to get... Show more	$28-75

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Artistic Vision
   • Community Outreach
   • Non-Profit Organization
   • Press Releases
   • Public Speaking
   • Costume Design
   • Ticket Sales
   • Photography
   • Event Planning
   • Graphic Design
   • Audience Development
   • Fund Raising
   • Artistic Direction
   • Arts Organization

   Check all skills

   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.

   More artistic director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your artistic director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An artistic director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, artistic directors' average salary in arkansas is 70% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level artistic directors 75% less than senior-level artistic directors.
   • Certifications. An artistic director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an artistic director's salary.

   Average artistic director salary

   $72,755yearly

   $34.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level artistic director salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average artistic director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$108,949	$52
   2	New York	$87,534	$42
   3	Washington	$84,609	$41
   4	Massachusetts	$75,976	$37
   5	Minnesota	$72,645	$35
   6	Pennsylvania	$68,794	$33
   7	Nevada	$67,894	$33
   8	Louisiana	$67,722	$33
   9	District of Columbia	$67,628	$33
   10	Illinois	$65,375	$31
   11	Florida	$63,692	$31
   12	Georgia	$60,129	$29
   13	Alabama	$56,980	$27
   14	Arizona	$51,052	$25
   15	Oklahoma	$47,676	$23
   16	Colorado	$46,472	$22

   Average artistic director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boston Public Schools	$102,633	$49.34
   2	Coach	$83,931	$40.35
   3	San Diego Symphony	$73,314	$35.25
   4	Industrial Light & Magic	$69,161	$33.25
   5	Christian Youth Theater	$67,672	$32.53
   6	CoSA VFX	$64,801	$31.15
   7	Kids' Orchestra	$62,032	$29.82
   8	Umg Recordings Services Inc.	$62,032	$29.82
   9	Dad's Garage Theatre	$59,707	$28.71
   10	Warner Music Group	$58,243	$28.00
   11	Los Angeles LGBT Center	$56,449	$27.14
   12	The Salvation Army	$37,879	$18.21
   13	Huntington Beach Union High School District	$35,826	$17.22
   14	Jeffrey C Still Middle School	$30,378	$14.60

4. Writing an artistic director job description

   An artistic director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an artistic director job description:

   Artistic director job description example

   Viterbo University invites nominations and applications for a visionary leader to serve as the Executive Artistic Director (EAD) of the Conservatory for the Performing Arts. The anticipated start date is (TBD). Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the EAD is the administrative, academic, and artistic head of the conservatory, overseeing its faculty and staff, operations, season planning, and strategic direction. The EAD also serves the conservatory as its representative and advocate within the university community and the La Crosse region.
   
   The Executive Artistic Director is responsible for and supports the mission-driven educational work of two academic units-the Department of Theatre and Music Theatre, and the Department of Music-and their respective production seasons. Additionally, the EAD is accountable for the mission and work of the Fine Arts Center (FAC)-the university's campus-based arts presenter-supporting the FAC director with a focus on bringing diverse artistic and cultural experiences to the campus and the region. Collectively, the members of the academic and presenting units collaborate to prepare the next generation of performing artists and educators to bring world-class performing artists to the region, and to provide valuable gathering spaces for community events and campus partners.
   JOB DESCRIPTION:
   
   The Executive Artistic Director of the Conservatory for the Performing Arts is a driven and passionate leader who will oversee strategy, operations, and advancement of Viterbo University's performing arts mission.
   
   RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   Artistic and Programmatic Leadership
   
   * Advance the strategic vision for the Conservatory and Fine Arts Center
   * Collaborate with the director of the Fine Arts Center to support programming of the presenting season
   * Facilitate strategic infrastructure that supports conservatory goals, including marketing, communications, operations, and engagement
   * Cultivate and maintain relationships with the local and regional philanthropic communities
   * Develop and maintain programmatic collaborations between the academic units across campus and in the community
   * Establish and maintain relationships in the industry that support and contribute to the programmatic mission of the conservatory
   * Collaborate with advancement and alumni offices to expand the conservatory's fundraising capacity, cultivating relationships with philanthropic communities to develop grants, foundation support, individual and major donor gifts, and corporate sponsorship opportunities
   
   Conservatory Management
   
   * Oversee conservatory staff with direct reports including the Fine Arts Center director, the academic chairs of the Department of Music and the Department of Theatre and Music Theatre, the conservatory production manager and the conservatory technical director (when position is filled)
   * Cultivate a supportive, team-oriented culture
   * Conduct regular team communications, providing professional development opportunities and completing annual performance reviews
   * Collaborate and coordinate with the FAC director and the operations team to manage the physical and fiscal plans for all conservatory facilities and spaces-including the 1,100-seat main theatre, the recital hall, the black box, dance and voice studios, and shops
   * Contribute to development of a fundraising plan that supports the short-term and long-term goals of the conservatory
   
   Budget Oversight
   
   * Plan and oversee the operating budget for the conservatory, monitor fiscal year progress, and strategize future budget needs and planning in collaboration with academic chairs and the FAC director
   * Ensure responsible fiscal practices which support both academic and presenting operations
   
   Leadership and Management of the Advisory Board
   
   * In collaboration with the university's advancement and alumni offices, cultivate and maintain a Friends of the Conservatory Advisory Board comprised of alumni and strategic partners in the performing arts industry and the local community
   
   Academic Leadership
   
   * Represent the conservatory in deans and cabinet meetings
   * Represent the conservatory at appropriate university and community activities and committees
   * Attend conservatory events and performances
   * Provide academic and professional perspectives from the performing arts industry
   * Other duties as needed
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   * 10+ years of leadership experience in a university performing arts program
   * A terminal degree (MFA or PhD) and faculty rank of associate professor or higher
   * Must be authorized to work in the United States. Viterbo University is unable to sponsor or take over the sponsorship of the employment Visa
   
   KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES, AND SKILLS:
   
   * An entrepreneurial spirit
   * A sensitivity and commitment to DEI in the workplace
   * A capacity for leading fundraising and outreach activities
   * Experience with marketing and public relations and the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
   * Comfortable acting as a high-profile external representative of the conservatory mission with media, influencers, artists, business partners, and industry relationships
   * Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work enthusiastically with a wide range of individuals to foster productive partnerships and relationships
   * Possess good judgment, sensitivity, analytical skills, and the ability to multitask and prioritize
   * Ability to work within a complex system and coordinate with appropriate departments
   
   To Apply: Please complete the online employment application form and upload a letter of interest, CV/resume, and three references.
   
   About the University: Viterbo University is a Catholic, Franciscan, liberal arts institution with an enrollment of nearly 3000 students. Viterbo is located in scenic La Crosse, Wisconsin, which has been rated as one of the top places to live in the US. The region features an attractive cost of living, beautiful bluffs and coulees, three major rivers including the Mississippi River, world-class health care and education systems, and easy access to major cities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
   
   Diversity and Inclusion Statement: At Viterbo University, we value our inclusive climate and understand that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. We translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, constituencies, and those who will help us advance our diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at creating a university that values student, staff, and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.
   
   Viterbo University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, encourages nominations and candidacy of historically underrepresented groups, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
   
   Viterbo University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages nominations and candidacy of historically underrepresented groups.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right artistic director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with artistic directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit artistic directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your artistic director job on Zippia to find and attract quality artistic director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting artistic directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new artistic director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the artistic director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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