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The differences between creative services managers 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 services manager, 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 $78,567 average annual salary of a creative services manager.
The top three skills for a creative services manager include graphic design, project management and photography. The most important skills for an associate creative director are graphic design, digital marketing, and creative concepts.
| Creative Services Manager | Associate Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $78,567 | $141,099 |
| Hourly rate | $37.77 | $67.84 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 113,897 | 8,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
Creative Services Managers are experienced employees with a creative streak and a strong design background. They are usually assigned to workgroups or special projects related to branding and other similar concepts. They are heavily involved in the planning stage of the project or program. A Corporate Services Manager may be directly hired by the company or outsourced from an advertising agency. They are in charge of managing the branding, choosing the best design elements for the project, and creating design palettes.
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 services managers and associate creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Creative Services Manager | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $78,567 | $141,099 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $115,000 | Between $87,000 And $226,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Howard Hughes |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a creative services manager and an associate creative director in terms of educational background:
| Creative Services Manager | Associate Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | 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 services managers' and associate creative directors' demographics:
| Creative Services Manager | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9% | 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% |