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The differences between creative coordinators and creative directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a creative coordinator, becoming a creative director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a creative director has an average salary of $137,779, which is higher than the $48,295 average annual salary of a creative coordinator.
The top three skills for a creative coordinator include graphic design, photography and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a creative director are graphic design, creative concepts, and creative direction.
| Creative Coordinator | Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $48,295 | $137,779 |
| Hourly rate | $23.22 | $66.24 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 27,203 | 11,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Creative Coordinators are responsible for taking a lead role in supporting the company's marketing and advertising departments. They are involved in ensuring marketing projects are on schedule, handling departmental calendars, liaising with vendors, and processing expenditures. Creative coordinators work closely with sales and marketing management to gain clear expectations and a project's scope. They consistently track and ensure optimal supplies needed to complete each task at each phase.
A creative director is an individual who creates and maintains a vision for a company's products and branding through digital, print, and film installations. Creative directors supervise and innovative staff team such as graphic designers and artists to discuss and plan the vision's layout and visuals. They also meet with clients or marketing and advertising departments to create designs and make the necessary changes to the systems. Most creative directors must have a bachelor's degree in fine arts and should build work portfolios while starting their careers as graphic designers or photographers.
Creative coordinators and creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Coordinator | Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $48,295 | $137,779 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $67,000 | Between $82,000 And $228,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Draftfcb | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative coordinator and a creative director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Coordinator | Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between creative coordinators' and creative directors' demographics:
| Creative Coordinator | Creative Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1% | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |