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The differences between designer/art directors and associate art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a designer/art director and an associate art director. Additionally, a designer/art director has an average salary of $97,448, which is higher than the $82,664 average annual salary of an associate art director.
The top three skills for a designer/art director include photography, graphic design and creative concepts. The most important skills for an associate art director are graphic design, photography, and adobe creative suite.
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $82,664 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $39.74 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 8,646 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An art director collaborates with the design and art staff for books, public relations firms, advertising agencies, or newspaper publishers. Art directors create designs and layouts that embody the organization and send the message they want the audience to get. They work with producers and directors of theatres, television, and movie productions to oversee set designs. Being an art director also includes critiquing people's work, working to reach deadlines while still following the budget allocated for a certain project, and (on occasion) disciplining designers who are slacking off on the job.
Associate art directors are professionals who assist art directors in performing creative-driven tasks such as producing graphic design for brands, layouts, and advertisements. These associate art directors are required to stay updated on the latest techniques using computer-aided design software such as PhotoShop, AutoCAD, and After Effects. They must organize photoshoots and work with PR managers and agents to coordinate the schedules of their models. Associate art directors must also establish a graphic design studio team and provide training for their designers and interns.
Designer/art directors and associate art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $82,664 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $49,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and an associate art director in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and associate art directors' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |