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The differences between associate creative directors and freelance 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 associate creative director and a freelance art director. Additionally, an associate creative director has an average salary of $141,099, which is higher than the $85,453 average annual salary of a freelance art director.
The top three skills for an associate creative director include graphic design, digital marketing and creative concepts. The most important skills for a freelance art director are photography, strong work ethic, and creative development.
| Associate Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $141,099 | $85,453 |
| Hourly rate | $67.84 | $41.08 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 8,945 | 9,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An associate creative director helps the creative director in creating design concepts and directions for multiple design projects, marketing materials, and campaigns. Other tasks include researching marketing trends and strategies and overseeing multiple design projects. The skills that an associate creative director should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good interpersonal skills and knowledge of social media platforms and trends. The requirements to qualify for the job including possessing a degree in advertising, fine arts, or related fields and experience in supervising staff.
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. Generally, though, you will determine the artistic tone of various projects and use visuals to give life to magazines, websites, ad campaigns, and lots more. You may also lead a team of artists, evaluate the art, and approve copies. In this role, it is very likely you will work for an advertising agency, publisher, or media production company.
Associate creative directors and freelance art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Average salary | $141,099 | $85,453 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $226,000 | Between $51,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | The Howard Hughes | - |
| Best paying industry | Media | - |
There are a few differences between an associate creative director and a freelance art director in terms of educational background:
| Associate Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between associate creative directors' and freelance art directors' demographics:
| Associate Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% | Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |