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The differences between creative directors and freelance art 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 a freelance art director. Additionally, a creative director has an average salary of $137,779, which is higher than the $85,453 average annual salary of a freelance art director.
The top three skills for a creative director include graphic design, creative concepts and creative direction. The most important skills for a freelance art director are photography, strong work ethic, and creative development.
| Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $137,779 | $85,453 |
| Hourly rate | $66.24 | $41.08 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 11,610 | 9,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
As a freelance art director, you will work hand-in-hand with the production designer to procure works of art for your organization. Note that your duties will depend on your particular industry. Generally, though, you will determine the artistic tone of various projects and use visuals to give life to magazines, websites, ad campaigns, and lots more. You may also lead a team of artists, evaluate the art, and approve copies. In this role, it is very likely you will work for an advertising agency, publisher, or media production company.
Creative directors and freelance art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Average salary | $137,779 | $85,453 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $228,000 | Between $51,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a creative director and a freelance art director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between creative directors' and freelance art directors' demographics:
| Creative Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% | Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |