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The differences between designer/art directors and associate creative 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 creative director. Additionally, an associate creative director has an average salary of $141,099, which is higher than the $97,448 average annual salary of a designer/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 creative director are graphic design, digital marketing, and creative concepts.
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $141,099 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $67.84 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 8,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| 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.
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.
Designer/art directors and associate creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $141,099 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $87,000 And $226,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | The Howard Hughes |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and an associate creative director in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and associate creative directors' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |