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Creative/art director hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring creative/art directors in the United States:
Here's a step-by-step creative/art director hiring guide:
A creative/art director is someone who provides the conceptual idea behind a project and executes project details. His/Her or her responsibilities include leading a team of artists and developing budgets and timelines. The essential skills that a creative/art director should possess to accomplish such responsibilities include good analytical and technical skills and the ability to adapt to his/her or her team. The job's education requirements include obtaining a bachelor's degree in graphic design, advertising, fine arts, or other related fields.
The creative/art director hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.
A creative/art director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, creative/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.
This list shows salaries for various types of creative/art directors.
| Type of Creative/Art Director | Description | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Creative/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. | $37-97 |
| Director | Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life... Show more | $31-92 |
| Designer/Art Director | An art director collaborates with the design and art staff for books, public relations firms, advertising agencies, or newspaper publishers. Art directors create designs and layouts that embody the organization and send the message they want the audience to get... Show more | $28-75 |
Including a salary range in the creative/art director job description is a good way to get more applicants. A creative/art director salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.
For example, the average salary for a creative/art director in Oklahoma may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level creative/art director. Additionally, a creative/art director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $162,307 | $78 |
| 2 | New York | $135,256 | $65 |
| 3 | Kansas | $133,934 | $64 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $122,241 | $59 |
| 5 | Illinois | $120,771 | $58 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $113,010 | $54 |
| 7 | Michigan | $110,343 | $53 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $104,178 | $50 |
| 9 | Ohio | $97,533 | $47 |
| 10 | Georgia | $94,603 | $45 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $90,037 | $43 |
| 12 | Colorado | $89,543 | $43 |
| 13 | Missouri | $89,269 | $43 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $87,337 | $42 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $86,169 | $41 |
| 16 | Texas | $85,368 | $41 |
| 17 | Arizona | $82,394 | $40 |
| 18 | Indiana | $81,458 | $39 |
| 19 | Florida | $80,395 | $39 |
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $198,745 | $95.55 | 23 |
| 2 | Apple | $187,669 | $90.23 | 11 |
| 3 | TBWA Worldwide | $172,665 | $83.01 | |
| 4 | Jack Morton Worldwide | $171,698 | $82.55 | 1 |
| 5 | Logitech | $170,773 | $82.10 | |
| 6 | Amazon | $169,538 | $81.51 | 31 |
| 7 | Grey Group | $166,571 | $80.08 | |
| 8 | Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide Inc | $166,143 | $79.88 | |
| 9 | Wpp Us Holdings Inc | $156,887 | $75.43 | 26 |
| 10 | Texas Children's Hospital | $153,983 | $74.03 | |
| 11 | Wunderman Thompson | $149,363 | $71.81 | |
| 12 | Draftfcb | $149,197 | $71.73 | |
| 13 | Edelman Financial Engines | $144,549 | $69.49 | 1 |
| 14 | Addison Group | $140,025 | $67.32 | |
| 15 | Vertafore | $137,440 | $66.08 | |
| 16 | PDA | $135,514 | $65.15 | |
| 17 | Talkspace | $135,367 | $65.08 | |
| 18 | LERMA | $134,829 | $64.82 | |
| 19 | BGB Group | $134,283 | $64.56 | |
| 20 | The Richards Group | $134,049 | $64.45 |
A good creative/art director job description should include a few things:
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a creative/art director job description:
There are a few common ways to find creative/art directors for your business:
During your first interview to recruit creative/art directors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you've selected the best creative/art director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.
After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new creative/art director. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.
Before you start to hire creative/art directors, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire creative/art directors pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
You can expect to pay around $125,743 per year for a creative/art director, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for creative/art directors in the US typically range between $37 and $97 an hour.