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The differences between creative leads and art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a creative lead, becoming an art director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a creative lead has an average salary of $93,742, which is higher than the $88,367 average annual salary of an art director.
The top three skills for a creative lead include sketch, project management and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.
| Creative Lead | Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $93,742 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $45.07 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 6,384 | 11,472 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
A creative lead is responsible for leading a team of creative staff in conceptualizing designs according to project requirements and client specifications. Creative leads must have excellent technical and critical-thinking skills for utilizing various software tools and applications to generate designs and adjust initial outlines as needed. They also assist the creative staff with the documentation and submission of layouts that meet quality standards and budget limitations. A creative lead works closely with the creative director to establish creative solutions that would attract the audience and enhance the brand's image on market platforms.
An art director's duty will vary depending on the line of industry involved. However, most of the responsibilities will revolve in taking charge of the artistic direction and decisions in a project or campaign. Most of the time, it is an art director's call to conceptualize and bring a vision to completion and take the lead in coordinating with various artists and creative staff. Furthermore, an art director must oversee the progress of workflow and workforce, develop plans and strategies, and approve or provide suggestions in every creative output from staff.
Creative leads and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Lead | Art Director | |
| Average salary | $93,742 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $169,000 | Between $57,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative lead and an art director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Lead | Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between creative leads' and art directors' demographics:
| Creative Lead | Art Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |