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Associate art director salary
Average associate art director salary
$82,664
Understanding Associate Art Director Salaries
The role of an Associate Art Director is pivotal in creative industries, balancing artistic vision with practical execution. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $82,664 per year, translating to approximately $40 per hour. Factors impacting salary include geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry sectors.
For instance, California and New York often offer higher compensation due to the concentration of creative agencies and industries. Additionally, those with extensive experience or specialized skills in digital design may command even higher salaries. Industries such as advertising, film production, and video game development frequently pay above the average, making them lucrative choices for aspiring associate art directors.
To advance your career, consider applying for roles that emphasize leadership and innovative design strategies. Leverage your portfolio to showcase diverse projects that highlight your skills. Job boards like Zippia can connect you with opportunities tailored to your experience level and desired salary range.
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Where can an Associate Art Director earn more?
Associate art director salary estimates from across the web
Average associate art director salary by state
The average associate art director salary in California, Oregon, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average associate art director salary states are Texas, Kentucky, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for associate art directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $109,381 | $52.59 |
| 2 | Iowa | $98,913 | $47.55 |
| 3 | California | $110,706 | $53.22 |
| 4 | Washington | $105,095 | $50.53 |
| 5 | New York | $97,166 | $46.71 |
| 6 | Vermont | $93,357 | $44.88 |
| 7 | Utah | $94,997 | $45.67 |
| 8 | Idaho | $101,064 | $48.59 |
| 9 | Maine | $98,782 | $47.49 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $94,260 | $45.32 |
| 11 | Alaska | $97,095 | $46.68 |
| 12 | Nevada | $83,787 | $40.28 |
| 13 | Kansas | $94,133 | $45.26 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $89,216 | $42.89 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $85,530 | $41.12 |
| 16 | Illinois | $82,564 | $39.69 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $84,543 | $40.65 |
| 18 | Montana | $83,810 | $40.29 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $81,452 | $39.16 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $80,148 | $38.53 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $66,832 | $32.13 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $76,396 | $36.73 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $85,326 | $41.02 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $65,292 | $31.39 |
| 25 | Michigan | $78,862 | $37.91 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $68,743 | $33.05 |
| 27 | Alabama | $60,724 | $29.19 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $75,964 | $36.52 |
| 29 | Colorado | $65,972 | $31.72 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $64,139 | $30.84 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $72,720 | $34.96 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $62,512 | $30.05 |
| 33 | Virginia | $64,242 | $30.89 |
| 34 | Delaware | $68,039 | $32.71 |
| 35 | Ohio | $64,823 | $31.16 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $54,735 | $26.31 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $64,085 | $30.81 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $62,138 | $29.87 |
| 39 | Missouri | $60,351 | $29.01 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $58,665 | $28.20 |
| 41 | Maryland | $56,906 | $27.36 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $44,447 | $21.37 |
| 43 | Georgia | $59,528 | $28.62 |
| 44 | Arizona | $57,612 | $27.70 |
| 45 | Texas | $54,380 | $26.14 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $55,718 | $26.79 |
| 47 | Florida | $51,084 | $24.56 |
| 48 | Indiana | $55,431 | $26.65 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $51,038 | $24.54 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $51,463 | $24.74 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $43,447 | $20.89 |
Highest paying cities for associate art directors
The highest-paying cities for associate art directors are Santa Rosa, CA, Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $127,150 | $61.13 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $108,751 | $52.28 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $106,299 | $51.11 |
| 4 | Des Moines, IA | $97,874 | $47.05 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $96,985 | $46.63 |
| 6 | Salt Lake City, UT | $94,558 | $45.46 |
| 7 | Quincy, MA | $94,480 | $45.42 |
| 8 | Kansas City, KS | $93,656 | $45.03 |
| 9 | Kearny, NJ | $90,175 | $43.35 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $84,732 | $40.74 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $83,085 | $39.94 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $82,548 | $39.69 |
| 13 | McLean, VA | $68,875 | $33.11 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $68,751 | $33.05 |
| 15 | Cleveland, OH | $68,353 | $32.86 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $65,797 | $31.63 |
| 17 | New Orleans, LA | $64,678 | $31.10 |
| 18 | Philadelphia, PA | $62,956 | $30.27 |
| 19 | Kansas City, MO | $60,781 | $29.22 |
| 20 | Alpharetta, GA | $59,990 | $28.84 |
Associate art director salary details
An associate art director's salary ranges from $49,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $139,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an associate art director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $139,000 | $11,583 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $108,000 | $9,000 | $52 |
| Average | $82,664 | $6,889 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
Highest paying associate art director jobs
The highest paying types of associate art directors are executive creative director, senior creative director, and associate creative director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Design Manager | $66,975 | $5,581 | $32.20 | 48,269 |
| Lead Graphic Designer | $76,009 | $6,334 | $36.54 | 46,260 |
| Creative Services Director | $108,980 | $9,082 | $52.39 | 60,237 |
| Creative Director | $137,779 | $11,482 | $66.24 | 11,610 |
| Freelance Art Director | $85,453 | $7,121 | $41.08 | 9,215 |
| Designer/Art Director | $97,448 | $8,121 | $46.85 | 53,314 |
Top companies hiring associate art directors now:
Which companies pay associate art directors the most?
Associate art director salaries at Levi Strauss & Co. and Riot Games are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate art director salary at companies like SEO.com and NBCUniversal are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levi Strauss & Co. | $178,954 | $86.04 |
| 2 | Riot Games | $141,805 | $68.18 |
| 3 | SEO.com | $140,913 | $67.75 |
| 4 | NBCUniversal | $140,335 | $67.47 |
| 5 | Something Navy | $138,406 | $66.54 |
| 6 | Electronic Arts | $137,967 | $66.33 |
| 7 | Hearst | $135,824 | $65.30 |
| 8 | Rockstar Games | $135,225 | $65.01 |
| 9 | Mattel | $134,128 | $64.48 |
| 10 | Bath & Body Works | $133,707 | $64.28 |
| 11 | Bloomingdale's | $127,020 | $61.07 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Associate Art Director salary by industry
The average associate art director salary varies across industries:
- The average associate art director salary in the media industry is $102,115, the highest of any industry.
- The average associate art director salary in the finance industry is $84,476.
- Associate art directors in the education industry earn an average salary of $68,254, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for associate art directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $102,115 | $49.09 |
| 2 | Professional | $84,476 | $40.61 |
| 3 | Retail | $71,164 | $34.21 |
| 4 | Education | $68,254 | $32.81 |
High paying associate art director jobs
Associate art director salary trends
The average associate art director salary has risen by $13,606 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate art director earned $69,058 annually, but today, they earn $82,664 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for associate art directors over the last decade.
Compare associate art director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average associate art director salary over time
Compare associate art director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Associate art director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,700 | $39.74 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $80,100 | $38.50 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $78,800 | $37.91 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | $78,600 | $37.79 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $76,300 | $36.70 | +0.1% |
Recently added associate art director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicis Groupe | Associate Art Director, Social Media | Birmingham, MI | 06/27/2025 | $53,200 |
| Abrams, Inc. | Associate Art Director, Licensed Entertainment | New York, NY | 06/16/2025 | $80,000 |
| Holtzbrinck Publishing Group | Associate Director, Art | New York, NY | 06/13/2025 | $85,000 |
| Harry n Abrams Inc. | Associate Art Director, Licensed Entertainment | New York, NY | 06/10/2025 | $80,000 |
| All | The Hollywood Reporter: Associate Art Director | Ione, CA | 06/09/2025 | $95,000 |
| Zynga | Associate Art Director | Austin, TX | 05/28/2025 | $114,400 |
| Holtzbrinck Publishing Group | Associate Director, Art | New York, NY | 05/28/2025 | $85,000 |
| GH Search Page-Golden | Associate Art Director | Los Angeles, CA | 05/28/2025 | $105,700 |
| All | The Hollywood Reporter: Associate Art Director | Ione, CA | 05/26/2025 | $95,000 |
| Penske Media | The Hollywood Reporter: Associate Art Director | Los Angeles, CA | 05/24/2025 | $95,000 |
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