How to hire an associate art director

How to hire an associate art director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate art 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 associate art director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate art director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate art director do?

Post an associate art director job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your associate art director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an associate art director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An associate art director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, associate art 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of associate art directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Associate Art Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Art 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.	$23-66
   Graphic Design Manager	A graphic design manager is primarily in charge of leading and overseeing the efforts of a graphic design team, ensuring adherence to goals and deadlines. It is their duty to learn and analyze the purpose of design, coordinate staff, liaise with internal and external parties, set goals and objectives, manage schedules, and conceptualize plans... Show more	$23-43
   Lead Graphic Designer	A lead graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team... Show more	$21-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design
   • Photography
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Sketch
   • Art Direction
   • Animation
   • Photo Shoots
   • HTML
   • Web Design
   • Web Banners
   • CSS
   • GPA
   • Color Correction

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design ads, uploading print PDFs to vendor s printing website, manage print approval process and create HTML email blasts.
   • Assist in html with Dreamweaver.
   • Design and develop animation for RFPs.
   • Produce and maintain new-product marketing templates to establish a solid foundation for brand email campaigns using inline CSS.
   • Design Powerpoint decks for presentations.
   • Coordinate and direct fashion photography shoots for on-figure and tabletop merchandise.

   More associate art director duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, associate art directors' average salary in south carolina is 61% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associate art directors 65% less than senior-level associate art directors.
   • Certifications. An associate art 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 associate art director's salary.

   Average associate art director salary

   $82,664yearly

   $39.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate art director salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average associate art director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,150	$61
   2	Oregon	$108,751	$52
   3	Washington	$106,299	$51
   4	Iowa	$97,874	$47
   5	New York	$96,985	$47
   6	Utah	$94,558	$45
   7	Massachusetts	$94,480	$45
   8	Kansas	$93,656	$45
   9	New Jersey	$90,175	$43
   10	Minnesota	$84,732	$41
   11	Illinois	$83,085	$40
   12	Nevada	$82,548	$40
   13	Virginia	$68,875	$33
   14	District of Columbia	$68,751	$33
   15	Ohio	$68,353	$33
   16	Colorado	$65,797	$32
   17	Louisiana	$64,678	$31
   18	Pennsylvania	$62,956	$30
   19	Missouri	$60,781	$29
   20	Georgia	$59,990	$29

   Average associate art director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Levi Strauss & Co.	$178,954	$86.04
   2	Riot Games	$141,805	$68.18	1
   3	SEO.com	$140,913	$67.75
   4	NBCUniversal	$140,335	$67.47	3
   5	Something Navy	$138,406	$66.54
   6	Electronic Arts	$137,967	$66.33
   7	Hearst	$135,824	$65.30	10
   8	Rockstar Games	$135,225	$65.01	1
   9	Mattel	$134,128	$64.48
   10	Bath & Body Works	$133,707	$64.28	2
   11	Bloomingdale's	$127,020	$61.07	1
   12	Santa Rosa High School	$114,929	$55.25
   13	Razorfish	$112,221	$53.95
   14	Digitas	$107,338	$51.60
   15	Barnes & Noble	$106,964	$51.42
   16	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$103,685	$49.85	23
   17	Victoria's Secret	$99,546	$47.86
   18	Allen & Gerritsen	$95,687	$46.00
   19	Draftfcb	$95,186	$45.76
   20	Young & Rubicam	$93,911	$45.15

4. Writing an associate art director job description

   An associate art 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 associate art director job description:

   Associate art director job description example

   The Concessions Associate is responsible for operating Modlin concessions service during events. This includes setting up and breaking down the concessions area, safely and responsibly serving food and beverage, maintaining inventory control, handling and reporting sales, and proper handling of alcoholic beverages, per the Virginia Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control.
   
   ***Please complete the online application, attach a resume, and a document answering the questions below:
   
   This position is part-time, temporary, and works irregular hours, mostly evenings and weekends, does this work for you?
   Do you have point-of-sale experience, if so, briefly describe?
   RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   Sales and Customer Service Set up, stock, and prepare concessions area for service during performances Prepare and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as prepackaged snacks to patrons in a timely manner Ensure that service areas are clean and sanitary, and equipment is clean and well maintained Provide consistent, excellent customer service Operate point of sale system, including cash and credit card transactions Accurate and responsible handling and reporting of all sales Close and reset concessions area at the end of performances Management and Communication Ensure compliance with all Virginia Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control regulations to include distribution, service, security, inventory, and record-keeping for alcoholic beverages Complete required settlement reports Strong organization, prioritization, and efficiency skills to manage high traffic concessions Supervise the work of volunteer bar staff when necessary Provide support to front of house as needed QUALIFICATIONS: Experience working with the public in a customer service environment Ability to work and communicate effectively with people of diverse cultural backgrounds Ability to be self-directed while working in a team-oriented, fast-paced environment Ability to handle cash accurately and responsibly Candidates must be 21 years old EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: High school diploma or educational equivalent One year of experience in retail sales or customer service preferred WORK HOURS: Part-time, temporary, non-exempt position Must have flexible availability to work a schedule that will include evening and weekend hours depending on performance schedule and need. Typical shift includes four hours. SALARY STRUCTURE:
   Pay Grade 1 (Hourly rate starting at $15.00)
   
   COVID-19:
   
   The University of Richmond requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty, and staff. The University allows exemptions to this requirement for religious, medical and strong personal conviction reasons. All newly hired employees must report their status within the first two weeks of employment.
   
   ABOUT UR :
   
   At the University of Richmond, we're creative, inclusive, and determined. We're Spiders, and our mission is to create positive change in the UR community and beyond. Located minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond ( www.richmond.edu ) blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. There's only one place like Richmond.
   
   UR is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity. EOE
   
   Compensation type: Hourly

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right associate art director for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your associate art director job on Zippia to find and recruit associate art director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with associate art director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 associate art director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the associate art 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an associate art director?