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The differences between creative project managers and 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 project manager, becoming a creative director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a creative director has an average salary of $137,779, which is higher than the $75,415 average annual salary of a creative project manager.
The top three skills for a creative project manager include digital marketing, creative projects and creative services. The most important skills for a creative director are graphic design, creative concepts, and creative direction.
| Creative Project Manager | Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $75,415 | $137,779 |
| Hourly rate | $36.26 | $66.24 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 159,224 | 11,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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.
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.
Creative project managers and creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Project Manager | Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $75,415 | $137,779 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $110,000 | Between $82,000 And $228,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a creative project manager and a creative director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Project Manager | Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between creative project managers' and creative directors' demographics:
| Creative Project Manager | Creative Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% |
| 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, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |