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The differences between associate art directors and executive creative 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 associate art director and an executive creative director. Additionally, an executive creative director has an average salary of $162,850, which is higher than the $82,664 average annual salary of an associate art director.
The top three skills for an associate art director include graphic design, photography and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for an executive creative director are sketch, graphic design, and creative direction.
| Associate Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $82,664 | $162,850 |
| Hourly rate | $39.74 | $78.29 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 8,646 | 72,952 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Associate art directors are professionals who assist art directors in performing creative-driven tasks such as producing graphic design for brands, layouts, and advertisements. These associate art directors are required to stay updated on the latest techniques using computer-aided design software such as PhotoShop, AutoCAD, and After Effects. They must organize photoshoots and work with PR managers and agents to coordinate the schedules of their models. Associate art directors must also establish a graphic design studio team and provide training for their designers and interns.
An executive creative director is primarily in charge of directing and overseeing creative projects and campaigns. They manage a company's creative team that typically consist of writers, graphic designers, and content specialists. As an executive creative director, it is their duty to set goals and timelines, understand the client or company's needs, conceptualize plans and insights, control the budget, and develop strategies to optimize operations and outcomes. Moreover, they monitor the progress of all projects and campaigns, resolving issues and concerns should there be any.
Associate art directors and executive creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $82,664 | $162,850 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $139,000 | Between $88,000 And $300,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Levi Strauss & Co. | Estée Lauder |
| Best paying industry | Media | - |
There are a few differences between an associate art director and an executive creative director in terms of educational background:
| Associate Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between associate art directors' and executive creative directors' demographics:
| Associate Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3% | Male, 70.6% Female, 29.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |