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The differences between designer/art directors and 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 a creative director. Additionally, a creative director has an average salary of $137,779, 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 a creative director are graphic design, creative concepts, and creative direction.
| Designer/Art Director | Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $137,779 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $66.24 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 11,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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.
A creative director is an individual who creates and maintains a vision for a company's products and branding through digital, print, and film installations. Creative directors supervise and innovative staff team such as graphic designers and artists to discuss and plan the vision's layout and visuals. They also meet with clients or marketing and advertising departments to create designs and make the necessary changes to the systems. Most creative directors must have a bachelor's degree in fine arts and should build work portfolios while starting their careers as graphic designers or photographers.
Designer/art directors and creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $137,779 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $82,000 And $228,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and a creative director in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and creative directors' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Creative Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% |
| 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, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |