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The differences between arts managers 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 arts manager and an art director. Additionally, an arts manager has an average salary of $88,844, which is higher than the $88,367 average annual salary of an art director.
The top three skills for an arts manager include customer service, art direction and animation. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.
| Arts Manager | Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $88,844 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $42.71 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 1,428 | 11,472 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An arts manager is someone who helps the artist in their daily activities. It is often associated with an artist manager, but in most cases, this position works primarily in taking care of the created artwork on behalf of the artist. The art manager also checks and inspects all skills and determines their value, where they are most useful, and quality assurance. In many cases, the arts managers are seen in animation studios, where the need for quality art designs is paramount.
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.
Arts managers and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Arts Manager | Art Director | |
| Average salary | $88,844 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $135,000 | Between $57,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an arts manager and an art director in terms of educational background:
| Arts Manager | Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between arts managers' and art directors' demographics:
| Arts Manager | Art Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 10% | 11% |