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The differences between designer/art directors and senior 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 a senior art director. Additionally, a senior art director has an average salary of $103,294, 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 senior art director are graphic design, photography, and creative concepts.
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $103,294 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $49.66 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 9,098 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 senior art director is responsible for monitoring the creative art department's operations, ensuring the adequacy of resources and materials, as well as high-quality outputs based on clients' specifications and business requirements. Senior art directors implement strategic project management procedures to offer deliverables within the budget goals and set timeframe. They coordinate with the clients for progress updates and inform them of any adjustments as needed. A senior art director should have a keen eye for details and knowledge of various art software applications to assist the team, especially when doing revisions.
Designer/art directors and senior art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $103,294 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $63,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | DoorDash |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and a senior art director in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and senior art directors' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| 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, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |