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Creative director vs artistic director

The differences between creative directors and artistic directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a creative director and an artistic director. Additionally, a creative director has an average salary of $137,779, which is higher than the $72,755 average annual salary of an artistic director.

The top three skills for a creative director include graphic design, creative concepts and creative direction. The most important skills for an artistic director are artistic vision, community outreach, and non-profit organization.

Creative director vs artistic director overview

Creative DirectorArtistic Director
Yearly salary$137,779$72,755
Hourly rate$66.24$34.98
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs11,6107,019
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4040
Years of experience66

Creative director vs artistic director salary

Creative directors and artistic directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Creative DirectorArtistic Director
Average salary$137,779$72,755
Salary rangeBetween $82,000 And $228,000Between $36,000 And $143,000
Highest paying CityMenlo Park, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companyAppleBoston Public Schools
Best paying industryTechnologyProfessional

Differences between creative director and artistic director education

There are a few differences between a creative director and an artistic director in terms of educational background:

Creative DirectorArtistic Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorGraphic DesignTheatre
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityDuke University

Creative director vs artistic director demographics

Here are the differences between creative directors' and artistic directors' demographics:

Creative DirectorArtistic Director
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 64.7% Female, 35.3%Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between creative director and artistic director duties and responsibilities

Creative director example responsibilities.

  • Manage designers and lead entire in-house healthcare creative department.
  • Manage all social media outlets and create Youtube channel.
  • Create, direct, and produce engaging videos and manage Instagram page.
  • Manage staff including designers, producers, HTML designers, creative writers, and developers; interview and select candidates.
  • Manage multiple social media profiles (corporate twitter accounts and blogs) to strategically increase readership and draw website traffic.
  • Develop and manage business-to-business PowerPoint presentation service that create new business opportunities and increase revenue for the company.
    • Show more

Artistic director example responsibilities.

  • Manage and develop the art & photography school programs along with maintaining the retail art gallery.
  • Manage content effectiveness, ROI, media orders, ad confirmations, production requests and discrepancy notices.
  • Choreograph and produce contemporary dances in NYC and Albany venues.
  • Recruit mid-career and establish artists to curate a collection for the gallery.
  • Plan and coordinate all competitions, public performances, venue, costumes, and ticketing.
  • Serve on ad hoc committee for creation and development of a new cabaret theater space.
    • Show more

Creative director vs artistic director skills

Common creative director skills
  • Graphic Design, 6%
  • Creative Concepts, 6%
  • Creative Direction, 6%
  • Video Production, 5%
  • Photography, 5%
  • Digital Marketing, 4%
Common artistic director skills
  • Artistic Vision, 21%
  • Community Outreach, 12%
  • Non-Profit Organization, 8%
  • Press Releases, 6%
  • Public Speaking, 6%
  • Costume Design, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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