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The differences between creative leads and creative project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a creative lead and a creative project manager. Additionally, a creative lead has an average salary of $93,742, which is higher than the $75,415 average annual salary of a creative project manager.
The top three skills for a creative lead include sketch, project management and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a creative project manager are digital marketing, creative projects, and creative services.
| Creative Lead | Creative Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $93,742 | $75,415 |
| Hourly rate | $45.07 | $36.26 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,384 | 159,224 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
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.
Creative Project Managers oversee specific projects in the company. They work in the creative industry, usually with artists. These artists include graphic designers, art directors, photographers, and the like. They ensure project completion and proper coordination between different teams. Due to the nature of the creative industry, they should adapt to changes and be flexible. Creative Project Managers are expected to have extensive experience working in the creative industry and with different artists in the industry. This experience would help them navigate and complete projects.
Creative leads and creative project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Lead | Creative Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $93,742 | $75,415 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $169,000 | Between $51,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative lead and a creative project manager in terms of educational background:
| Creative Lead | Creative Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | University of Wisconsin - Madison |
Here are the differences between creative leads' and creative project managers' demographics:
| Creative Lead | Creative Project Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |