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The differences between creative directors & designer and design directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a creative director & designer and a design director. Additionally, a design director has an average salary of $132,823, which is higher than the $108,589 average annual salary of a creative director & designer.
The top three skills for a creative director & designer include graphic design, sketch and photography. The most important skills for a design director are sketch, human centered design, and product design.
| Creative Director & Designer | Design Director | |
| Yearly salary | $108,589 | $132,823 |
| Hourly rate | $52.21 | $63.86 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,688 | 48,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Creative Directors and Designers are responsible for leading the creative output and brand representation of a product, service, or organization's publication. Their duties include developing visual communication strategies across design, content, graphics, artworks, and media, implement industry benchmarks, leading creative marketing campaigns, and working with the design team to create product or service design. Besides that, they are involved in setting the creative direction and message of a brand and supervising the creative team in ensuring brand touchpoints consistency. Creative Directors and Designers also monitor project delivery and assist in creative project budgeting.
A design director spearheads and oversees design projects in a company or organization. They typically have the authority to lead the creative and design teams, make significant decisions, delegate responsibilities, set goals and schedules, manage budgets and resources, and direct the project's cycle from planning to execution. They also coordinate with clients and solve issues when any arise. Additionally, a design director leads and encourages teams to reach goals, all while implementing standards and policies, developing new ones when necessary.
Creative directors & designer and design directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Director & Designer | Design Director | |
| Average salary | $108,589 | $132,823 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $163,000 | Between $82,000 And $212,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Proenza Schouler |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a creative director & designer and a design director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Director & Designer | Design Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between creative directors & designer' and design directors' demographics:
| Creative Director & Designer | Design Director | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |