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The differences between editorial directors and creative directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an editorial director, becoming a creative director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a creative director has an average salary of $137,779, which is higher than the $99,934 average annual salary of an editorial director.
The top three skills for an editorial director include editorial content, web content and editorial strategy. The most important skills for a creative director are graphic design, creative concepts, and creative direction.
| Editorial Director | Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $99,934 | $137,779 |
| Hourly rate | $48.05 | $66.24 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 11,143 | 11,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
An Editorial Director will plan, coordinate, and edit all written content for a publication or a website. As the Editorial Director, they are responsible for planning the company's vision for the publication, including its short- and long-term goals. They are also responsible for supervising other editors and developing the guidelines on the types of manuscripts they should seek. Other duties that Editorial Directors perform include planning the publication's contents, allocating work to editors-in-chief and editorial managers, and coordinating other departments' work as needed.
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.
Editorial directors and creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Editorial Director | Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $99,934 | $137,779 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $144,000 | Between $82,000 And $228,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Haven, CT | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an editorial director and a creative director in terms of educational background:
| Editorial Director | Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | English | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between editorial directors' and creative directors' demographics:
| Editorial Director | Creative Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 76.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 12% | 11% |