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The differences between design managers and art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a design manager, becoming an art director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design manager has an average salary of $102,637, which is higher than the $88,367 average annual salary of an art director.
The top three skills for a design manager include sketch, project management and visualization. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.
| Design Manager | Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $102,637 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $49.34 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 61,273 | 11,472 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 48 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
An art director's duty will vary depending on the line of industry involved. However, most of the responsibilities will revolve in taking charge of the artistic direction and decisions in a project or campaign. Most of the time, it is an art director's call to conceptualize and bring a vision to completion and take the lead in coordinating with various artists and creative staff. Furthermore, an art director must oversee the progress of workflow and workforce, develop plans and strategies, and approve or provide suggestions in every creative output from staff.
Design managers and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manager | Art Director | |
| Average salary | $102,637 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $150,000 | Between $57,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design manager and an art director in terms of educational background:
| Design Manager | Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between design managers' and art directors' demographics:
| Design Manager | Art Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 11.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |