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Job outlook for creative services directors in the United States
Creative services director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected creative services director job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 4,700 new jobs for creative services directors are projected over the next decade.
Creative services director salaries have increased 8% for creative services directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 11,997 creative services directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 60,237 active creative services director job openings in the US.
The average creative services director salary is $108,980.
Are creative services director jobs in demand?
Creative services director job and salary trends over time
Creative services director jobs over time
Creative services director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,997 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,671 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,154 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 11,369 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 10,743 | 0.00% |
Average creative services director salary over time
Creative services director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $108,980 | $52.39 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $105,563 | $50.75 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $103,949 | $49.98 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | $103,636 | $49.82 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $100,633 | $48.38 | +0.1% |
Creative services director jobs by state
Most common states for creative services directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 965 | 31% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 166 | 24% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 703 | 23% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 967 | 17% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 656 | 17% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 731 | 16% |
| 7 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 688 | 14% |
| 8 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 428 | 14% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 447 | 11% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 712 | 10% |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 101 | 10% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 757 | 9% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 484 | 9% |
| 14 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 278 | 9% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 181 | 9% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 146 | 9% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 122 | 9% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 90 | 9% |
| 19 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 79 | 9% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 59 | 9% |
Most common cities for creative services directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 1 | 4% | $81,693 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $80,404 |
| 3 | Chillum | 1 | 3% | $80,232 |
| 4 | Dover | 1 | 3% | $92,755 |
| 5 | Juneau | 1 | 3% | $113,160 |
| 6 | Bethesda | 1 | 2% | $80,176 |
| 7 | Hartford | 1 | 1% | $98,892 |
| 8 | Lansing | 1 | 1% | $105,343 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $105,365 |
| 10 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $106,543 |
| 11 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $113,053 |
| 12 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $143,142 |
| 13 | Fresno | 1 | 0% | $129,348 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $82,686 |
Creative Services Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of creative services director experts
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Indiana University Bloomington
Bethel University
Moravian College
Troy University
University of Findlay
Villanova University
Case Western Reserve University
Viterbo University
Covenant College
Texas Tech University
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
University of Pittsburgh
The One Club
Siena College
American University
St. Norbert College
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Frances Zhu: Get competing offers and negotiate a higher salary. Foster skills that lend to higher salaries. For example, even though marine biology may not pay the highest, if you have some coding experience, you will be one of the higher paid marine biologists in the field.
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Frances Zhu: Do not feel locked into a career trajectory. Find some great mentors. So much information is conveyed through word of mouth. Put yourself in the way of luck (as assert yourself in situations of opportunities). Advocate for yourself as if your friend were advocating on your behalf.
What will help Creative Services Directors increase their earning potential?
Frances Zhu: With the rise of AI, we're seeing a lot of skills become irrelevant. Just 5 years ago, a software engineering job seemed ludicrous. Now those are the fastest jobs being replaced by AI. A skill that will never be irrelevant is creativity, which is a skill you can cultivate. Create content and think in new ways that no one (even AI) has ever thought of.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
George Logothetis Jr: Create work that is undeniably great. Work that turns heads, shows daring and provocative thinking, and is attention-getting and impossible to ignore.
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
George Logothetis Jr: Being able to flex between the various media channels and show competence and imagination in them all. Young creatives have to be versatile and fluent on all communication platforms. It’s also important to maximize your craft and continually hone it. Whether you are art or copy, having a heightened sense of design and writing will not only make the job easier, but you will be more productive. The better your skills are the more work you can create. If you bring lots of work to every meeting, you will always be appreciated.
What will help Creative Services Directors increase their earning potential?
George Logothetis Jr: Be focused on the strategic approaches that inform the creative process. Don’t think that being a creative person in advertising is solely about being creative. Show insight and appreciation for business initiatives and how strategies define them.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Becki Graves M.A.: I often refer to the 'swiss army knife' in my field. These students can sing, write songs, set up a stage, chart a song, lead a team, lead a room in worship, run worship software, and lead their peers. Don't just keep to one lane, try to learn the most about all of them.
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Becki Graves M.A.: It is already vital in the field of creative arts and creative ministry but being a researcher. Research the current products on the market, trends in attendance, etc. This is a vital tool in being able to build the programs or ministry teams you envision.
What will help Creative Services Directors increase their earning potential?
Becki Graves M.A.: Try anything and everything—no work or job is beneath you. All your experiences will culminate into who you are as a person and employee and leader. Be ready to work several jobs. Most creative types end up being bi-vocational at some point in their career. Try to see this a gift—creative inspiration flows from having multiple lids open at once.
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie
Assistant Professor of Practice | Art Education Coordinator | Interim Art Department ChairMoravian College
Fine And Studio Arts
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie: Definitely leadership skills - having the ability to express their ideas and be open to feedback; and the ability to give effective feedback. Artists learn to do this in school through critique and sharing their work with an audience. Also, entrepreneurial skills, critical thinking, and always creativity.
What will help Creative Services Directors increase their earning potential?
Dr. MaryJo Rosania-Harvie: For someone beginning their career, I would advise them to consider the problem-solving and critical thinking skills they developed in school, and highlight those skills when meeting with potential employers and clients. They can consider themselves entrepreneurs, and should try to be flexible and open-minded.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Christopher Stagl MFA: This industry is all about connections with people. You have to network and market yourself. This will lead to opportunities for you creatively - which may start small but you build upon success, grow your clients, and progressively begin to charge more and more as you grow in to your field. Never stop learning, never stop making (even if it's mistakes), and never stop networking.
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Stagl MFA: Definitely video, motion, animation, and effects will continue to grow as some of the most needed skills - but if you can't think creatively, if you can't be unique and different in your problem solving and design thinking approach - then it doesn't matter how much technology you know or how good you are at Ai - you won't have a place in the industry. This industry is based on ideas - not technology. Skills can be learned, the most successful creatives think different.
What will help Creative Services Directors increase their earning potential?
Christopher Stagl MFA: a. Remain curious about creative problem solving with diverse and unique approaches. b. Seek feedback. Just because your classroom projects are over doesn't mean you still shouldn't be reaching out your peers and mentors to get feedback. c. Do your research, always. Never just assume you know the market or the demographic - do your due diligence and ask all the right questions to learn about your client. d. Tell a good story. The creative industry is really about people - figure out who the people are you're speaking for and speaking to and find the story that lives in those thrulines. e. Be Hungry and Hustle. Nobody is going to do this for you - creative work isn't going to come to you - you have to go get it.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Creative Services Director job market given the pandemic?
Anne Beekman: Employers are looking for versatility, someone who can take on multiple roles: graphic design, social media, photography, and web. Anything else that you can add - the ability to write, to do illustration, video, animation - will give you an edge in a competitive job market.
Edward Sobel
Associate Professor, Resident DirectorVillanova University
Department of Theatre
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Creative Services Director job market given the pandemic?
Edward Sobel: The theater is a complicated career path under non-pandemic conditions. Only a small percentage of those wishing to achieve a sustainable income in the theater can do so. That has been exacerbated in the pandemic environment. Due to health and safety guidelines, most professional not-for-profit theaters and commercial producers are not presenting plays, if they are at all, as they did before the pandemic. Some have pivoted in creating on-line content; others have gone dark. If the pandemic is brought under reasonable control, it remains to be seen if and when audiences will be willing to return to in-person participation.
Many aspiring theater artists sustain themselves through "day jobs," particularly in the service sector. Those jobs also are likely to be scarcer, at least for a while. In short, a challenging job market has gotten more challenging and is likely to be so for the foreseeable futu
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Edward Sobel: I would recommend becoming familiar or expert in creating work that can live in a medium other than in-person performance. For example, one could learn about digital editing software or lighting and camera technique. The future is likely also to reward those with entrepreneurial skills. They are learning how to create and manage a budget, articulate a business plan, and raise money. I'd also suggest that artists who can make a strong case for the social benefit of the work they do, be it locally, community-based, or more widely, are more likely to find support and success. Investing now in those social causes for which one feels an affinity will serve the greater good and allow a graduate to begin building a network to continue their artistic work meaningfully.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Edward Sobel: It's important to know that theater is a relationship-based career. Look to build relationships with those with whom you share a common aesthetic and a sense of purpose. Building relationships takes time and care, and only sometimes pays immediate dividends. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. Be persistent. You may not ever be able to make a living in the theater. But if you quit, you definitely won't.
I'll add, many but not all who obtain a degree in theater wish to work in the profession. A theater degree, particularly within a liberal arts context, offers highly marketable and desirable skills. The theater is a collaborative art form, making those with a theater degree experience working as part of a team. The theater is storytelling. Those with a theater degree have learned how to construct a compelling narrative and to communicate it clearly. They have practiced analytical and presentational skills. They have embodied empathy. All of this position a graduate well in many other occupations, including law, teaching, advertising/marketing, social work, etc.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Creative Services Directors?
Steven Ciampaglia: While there is a lot of worry over how the pandemic's economic impact will affect the creative arts, I am not that pessimistic. In troubled times, people always turn toward the arts for solace. Witness how individuals have spent their time in quarantine re-engaging with books, movies, music, videogames, etc. And even though the end of the pandemic may be in sight with the announcement of vaccines, I believe that this re-engagement with the arts is not going away. Therefore, the market for young artists will stay elevated, which is good news for art majors graduating this year.
What type of skills will young Creative Services Directors need?
Steven Ciampaglia: While there is a lot of worry over how the pandemic's economic impact will affect the creative arts, I am not that pessimistic. In troubled times, people always turn toward the arts for solace. Witness how individuals have spent their time quarantine re-engaging with books, movies, music, videogames, etc. And even though the end of the pandemic may be in sight with the announcement of vaccines, I believe that this re-engagement with the arts is not going away. Therefore, the market for young artists will stay elevated, which is good news for art majors graduating this year.
What experience really stands out on Creative Services Director resumes?
Steven Ciampaglia: In the arts, a resume is not as important as an artist statement. A good artist statement should demonstrate that the artist can maturely reflect upon their work thoughtfully. It should contextualize their work in the broader lexicon of art, explaining how it is in dialogue with artworks that have preceded it and peers' work. And it should demonstrate potential by pointing toward possible future directions that their work could take.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Creative Services Directors?
Erin Jerozal: I think the most significant impact will be the continuation of virtual auditions and self-tape submissions. The industry was already moving heavily in this direction, and the pandemic has shown (and necessitated) the growth of that even further. In-person auditions will hopefully never entirely be replaced, but intimacy and honest connection can still occur in virtual settings. This can allow all sides of the casting process to conserve travel resources and see artists audition outside of the significant markets more consistently.
What experience really stands out on Creative Services Director resumes?
Erin Jerozal: First and foremost, honesty. This business is tiny, so if credits don't make sense or stretch the experience's truth, it will be noticed. Otherwise, it's helpful to see a consistency of type and range, as it helps casting understand how they can use that person. If you are someone with a wide-range of styles and abilities, you will need a variety of resumes to highlight the most proper credits for that season or role. Many actors have a musical resume, a play resume, a film/TV resume - each one highlighting the related experiences first and then including the others as a confirmation of type selectively. You do not need to include everything on every resume. Your resume tells the story of how a casting person might use you, versus letting them know every single thing you've ever done.
What are the best companies to work for a Creative Services Director?
Kayb Joseph: We encourage students to take a small business course, as most studio owners are small businesses. We also promote internships to determine the right fit.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Creative Services Directors in the next 3-5 years?
Mark Charney Ph.D.: The arts will be rightfully concerned with preservation, so while the zoom platform will continue to be necessary, we will continue to find ways to express art in various media. We will still treasure the stage, but we can bring what we have learned from sharing performances over the computer to the stage, using technology to advance narratives and create opportunities.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Creative Services Directors in the next 5 years?
Mark Charney Ph.D.: Theatre, dance, art, music-we will always need to reflect the world through storytelling and entertainment. While some of the traditional jobs may be diminished, the arts' skills are invaluable for several career paths. Television is thriving, primarily because playwrights are being hired to share stories with a more advanced and complicated arc. Yes, there may be a lull in university hires because of a smaller number of arts programs. Still, the new focus's interdisciplinarity will pave the way for new jobs that use technology in storytelling.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Cynthia Tovar: Due to the pandemic, it is unfortunate that there are limited job openings for new graduates entering the workforce; however, there are a number of ways that a young professional can continue to network and gain experience, including virtual internships and entering into an official mentorship or training program (such as the ARCS Mentorship Program, The Museum Leadership, Polaris mentorship program, the Broad Diversity Apprenticeship Program, or The Registrar Hour, Intern Hour). Emerging professionals that join ARCS as an individual or student member, will have access to job listings, networking opportunities, funding opportunities for conferences and the mentor program among other benefits.
For those that do enter the workforce, many institutions' staff are still working remotely or operating in a hybrid model. There will be a need for new staff to communicate effectively with their supervisors, while working remotely, over video meetings. They might also be expected to learn new software or technology such as DocuSign to facilitate remote working and or be expected to serve as a virtual courier using video technology and digital condition reporting techniques. Museums can benefit from a fresh viewpoint that advocates for efficiencies and new ways of operating in these challenging times.
What type of skills will young Creative Services Directors need?
Cynthia Tovar: Young graduates should have received hands-on experience working with collections, if possible, through an internship or volunteering. Museum study helps one understand general concepts but working with and learning from those already in the field is often the best way of gathering skills in areas such as condition reporting, collection management and care, exhibition installation and art supervision, and the like.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Creative Services Directors to find work opportunities?
Cynthia Tovar: There are cities that have more museums per capita than others (New York, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, for example), but opportunities can be found in all places throughout the U.S. by searching on registrar and collection specialist listservs.
How do you envision technology impacting Creative Services Directors in the next 5 years?
Cynthia Tovar: There very well may be an enduring impact from the coronavirus pandemic on museum collection operations, such as reconsidering the need for couriers and how installation crews work together, but how long this will last remains to be seen. So far, the most immediate impact would be having a new hire join on in a remote work scenario and conducting training and integration to museum culture in a virtual manner.
What experience really stands out on Creative Services Director resumes?
Aaron Henderson: In-person experience working in the field is invaluable, as is ongoing and well-developed work.
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aaron Henderson: I'd encourage the student to make the most of the year. Ensure that you're engaged in the field and looking for specific opportunities that they are excited about-assisting another artist, working as part of a collaborative team, and doing an internship with an organization aligned with your interests. The most important thing is that the person finds something they are excited about and do it!
What general advice would you give to a Creative Services Director?
Yash Egami: A recent Forrester report says that the ad industry will lose 50,000 jobs through 2021, with 35,000 of them already lost since the pandemic. The traditional ad agency model was already in trouble, with many brands hiring away talent and creating their own in-house agencies. Add to that the recent reckoning with the Black Lives Matter movement, and what we're seeing is an industry that is being forced to go through monumental change in order to survive.
While traditional roles like art director or copywriter are on the decline, the good news is that, in an effort to reinvent themselves, agencies are seeking creatives with digital skills like UX design and programming. The rise of in-house creative departments has also meant more opportunities for job seekers within brands rather than agencies. And because of the demand for more diversity from clients and those within advertising, recruiters are making more of an effort to hire multicultural talent.
At The One Club for Creativity, we've been at the forefront of change in the industry through our diversity and inclusion, professional development and gender equality programs. We recently hosted our annual multicultural career fair, "Where Are All the Black People?" that brought together thousands of diverse talent with 40 agencies and companies looking to hire. We launched One School, a free online program for Black creatives who want to get into the industry but don't have a portfolio or the economic means to afford to go to ad school. And we're working on upskilling courses for professionals who want to reinvent themselves or keep up with the changing demands of our industry.
So if you're a recent graduate who specializes in art direction, our advice would be to keep an open mind about what kind of company you want to work for and think about expanding your skillset to include digital skills so that you can future-proof your career. Where you are isn't as important because, since the pandemic, agencies have become more comfortable with working remotely and they are more open to having a workforce not centered on the traditional agency hubs, like New York or Los Angeles.
What experience really stands out on Creative Services Director resumes?
Scott Foster: Our undergraduates who have experience working on teams and with strong communication abilities tend to make more progress in their careers. It's a cliche that artists are loners, and while many of us do need time to incubate an idea or concept, it's what we do after that is critical. Furthermore, as the world becomes more technical (and career preparation in colleges and universities follow suit), employers find it harder and harder to find recruits who can interact well with their colleagues and communicate technical concepts in terms a layperson can understand. Those who have these skills and experience to back them up do succeed.
What Creative Services Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Scott Foster: Working on a team. The exact project might not matter much, although it's better if it dovetails with your interests or career goals. This could be as simple as volunteering at a non-profit to revamp a website or build an app to measure outcomes.
What experience really stands out on Creative Services Director resumes?
Nancy Snider: This is just to me, but-
- internships and other work at organizations in the graduate's primary area of study/interest
- creative work of distinction
- awards/honors
- international work in the graduate's primary area of study/interest
- language skills
- computer skills
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Creative Services Directors?
Nancy Snider: Absolutely, on them and all the rest of us. We are living through one of the significant moments in human history. It cannot help but shape everything to come in profound ways.
What type of skills will young Creative Services Directors need?
Brian Pirman: For someone who is contemplating a career in graphic design, I recommend several things. One would be to develop a portfolio that shows a diverse skill-set. This may include expertise in design and layout, photography, illustration, typography as well as animation and video. If you have a more varied skill set, you are more likely to either gain employment or able to do freelance work. The other thing is internships, internships, internships. Having a portfolio of applied work (versus school projects), as long as it's good, will separate you from the competition.