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The differences between creative leads and associate creative 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 associate creative director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an associate creative director has an average salary of $141,099, which is higher than the $93,742 average annual salary of a creative lead.
The top three skills for a creative lead include sketch, project management and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for an associate creative director are graphic design, digital marketing, and creative concepts.
| Creative Lead | Associate Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $93,742 | $141,099 |
| Hourly rate | $45.07 | $67.84 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 6,384 | 8,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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 associate creative director helps the creative director in creating design concepts and directions for multiple design projects, marketing materials, and campaigns. Other tasks include researching marketing trends and strategies and overseeing multiple design projects. The skills that an associate creative director should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good interpersonal skills and knowledge of social media platforms and trends. The requirements to qualify for the job including possessing a degree in advertising, fine arts, or related fields and experience in supervising staff.
Creative leads and associate creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Lead | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $93,742 | $141,099 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $169,000 | Between $87,000 And $226,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Howard Hughes |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a creative lead and an associate creative director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Lead | Associate Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between creative leads' and associate creative directors' demographics:
| Creative Lead | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |