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Best states for a creative director
Quoted expert
Brian Pirman
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for creative directors in the United States. Creative director positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for creative directors.Our research found that California is the best state for creative directors, while California and New York are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $165,697 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for creative directors.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for creative directors.We found that the South is best for creative directors, and the Northeast is the worst. Menlo Park, CA is the best city in the country for creative director jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for creative directors in 2026
1. California
Total creative director jobs: 607 Average annual salary: $165,697 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $249,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
2. New York
Total creative director jobs: 470 Average annual salary: $145,570 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location Quotient: 2.06
3. Washington
Total creative director jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $144,458 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $227,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
4. Alaska
Total creative director jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $143,583 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 0.47
5. Vermont
Total creative director jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $126,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
6. Illinois
Total creative director jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $125,414 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
7. Kansas
Total creative director jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $139,976 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $219,000 Location Quotient: 0.35
8. Idaho
Total creative director jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $134,116 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $215,000 Location Quotient: 0.45
9. New Jersey
Total creative director jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $132,965 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
10. Oregon
Total creative director jobs: 77 Average annual salary: $123,107 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
Creative director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a creative director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a creative director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $165,697 | $109,000 | 39,536,653 | 607 |
| 2 | New York | $145,570 | $93,000 | 19,849,399 | 470 |
| 3 | Washington | $144,458 | $91,000 | 7,405,743 | 97 |
| 4 | Alaska | $143,583 | $92,000 | 739,795 | 7 |
| 5 | Vermont | $126,894 | $77,000 | 623,657 | 10 |
| 6 | Illinois | $125,414 | $78,000 | 12,802,023 | 185 |
| 7 | Kansas | $139,976 | $89,000 | 2,913,123 | 19 |
| 8 | Idaho | $134,116 | $83,000 | 1,716,943 | 13 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $132,965 | $83,000 | 9,005,644 | 80 |
| 10 | Oregon | $123,107 | $75,000 | 4,142,776 | 77 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $118,181 | $72,000 | 579,315 | 7 |
| 12 | Iowa | $138,937 | $89,000 | 3,145,711 | 16 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $114,883 | $68,000 | 2,984,100 | 304 |
| 14 | Maine | $133,968 | $83,000 | 1,335,907 | 5 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $112,838 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 500 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $119,656 | $72,000 | 10,273,419 | 79 |
| 17 | Nevada | $124,860 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 12 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $115,088 | $70,000 | 6,859,819 | 121 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $114,365 | $71,000 | 5,576,606 | 73 |
| 20 | Georgia | $115,128 | $69,000 | 10,429,379 | 85 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $110,782 | $70,000 | 755,393 | 8 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $113,947 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 15 |
| 23 | Michigan | $114,952 | $70,000 | 9,962,311 | 40 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $114,238 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 41 |
| 25 | Montana | $111,204 | $68,000 | 1,050,493 | 10 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $98,472 | $61,000 | 869,666 | 172 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $108,008 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 12 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $114,458 | $70,000 | 3,588,184 | 26 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $92,668 | $54,000 | 1,815,857 | 257 |
| 30 | Texas | $104,417 | $61,000 | 28,304,596 | 173 |
| 31 | Utah | $100,535 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 38 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $108,817 | $66,000 | 12,805,537 | 0 |
| 33 | Delaware | $105,376 | $63,000 | 961,939 | 8 |
| 34 | Virginia | $102,832 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 77 |
| 35 | Ohio | $101,574 | $60,000 | 11,658,609 | 59 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $103,964 | $61,000 | 2,088,070 | 8 |
| 37 | Colorado | $96,891 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 57 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $87,204 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 409 |
| 39 | Arizona | $96,015 | $56,000 | 7,016,270 | 39 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $106,953 | $74,000 | 1,427,538 | 5 |
| 41 | Missouri | $93,730 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 37 |
| 42 | Maryland | $91,406 | $54,000 | 6,052,177 | 60 |
| 43 | Alabama | $80,715 | $46,000 | 4,874,747 | 516 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $88,775 | $52,000 | 6,715,984 | 38 |
| 45 | Florida | $90,170 | $52,000 | 20,984,400 | 119 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $92,415 | $55,000 | 5,795,483 | 0 |
| 47 | Indiana | $87,187 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 23 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $86,200 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 19 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $83,916 | $51,000 | 1,920,076 | 13 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $80,991 | $47,000 | 3,004,279 | 14 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $83,364 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 13 |
Highest paying states for creative directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Creative Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $165,697 |
| 2 | New York | $145,570 |
| 3 | Washington | $144,458 |
| 4 | Alaska | $143,583 |
| 5 | Vermont | $126,894 |
| 6 | Illinois | $125,414 |
| 7 | Kansas | $139,976 |
| 8 | Idaho | $134,116 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $132,965 |
| 10 | Oregon | $123,107 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $118,181 |
| 12 | Iowa | $138,937 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $114,883 |
| 14 | Maine | $133,968 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $112,838 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $119,656 |
| 17 | Nevada | $124,860 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $115,088 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $114,365 |
| 20 | Georgia | $115,128 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $110,782 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $113,947 |
| 23 | Michigan | $114,952 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $114,238 |
| 25 | Montana | $111,204 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $98,472 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $108,008 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $114,458 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $92,668 |
| 30 | Texas | $104,417 |
| 31 | Utah | $100,535 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $108,817 |
| 33 | Delaware | $105,376 |
| 34 | Virginia | $102,832 |
| 35 | Ohio | $101,574 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $103,964 |
| 37 | Colorado | $96,891 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $87,204 |
| 39 | Arizona | $96,015 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $106,953 |
| 41 | Missouri | $93,730 |
| 42 | Maryland | $91,406 |
| 43 | Alabama | $80,715 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $88,775 |
| 45 | Florida | $90,170 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $92,415 |
| 47 | Indiana | $87,187 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $86,200 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $83,916 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $80,991 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $83,364 |
Expert opinions on the best states for creative directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for creative directors to find work opportunities?
Brian Pirman
Associate Professor, St. Norbert College
Traditionally, the best job markets have been larger metropolitan areas. That's mainly because there are more agencies and design firms in larger cities than there are in smaller cities. With that said, because of the internet and online communication, this is starting to change where one can pretty much do work for anybody, anywhere. Therefore, the opportunities are pretty much all-over, geographically speaking.
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Updated January 8, 2025