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The differences between designer/art directors and senior designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a designer/art director, becoming a senior designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, 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 designer are sketch, graphic design, and human centered design.
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,448 | $102,058 |
| Hourly rate | $46.85 | $49.07 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,314 | 47,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
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.
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
Designer/art directors and senior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Designer | |
| Average salary | $97,448 | $102,058 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $157,000 | Between $72,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between a designer/art director and a senior designer in terms of educational background:
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between designer/art directors' and senior designers' demographics:
| Designer/Art Director | Senior Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 13% |