Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between freelance art directors and associate 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 freelance art director and an associate art director. Additionally, a freelance art director has an average salary of $85,453, which is higher than the $82,664 average annual salary of an associate art director.
The top three skills for a freelance art director include photography, strong work ethic and creative development. The most important skills for an associate art director are graphic design, photography, and adobe creative suite.
| Freelance Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $85,453 | $82,664 |
| Hourly rate | $41.08 | $39.74 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 9,215 | 8,646 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
As a freelance art director, you will work hand-in-hand with the production designer to procure works of art for your organization. Note that your duties will depend on your particular industry. Generally, though, you will determine the artistic tone of various projects and use visuals to give life to magazines, websites, ad campaigns, and lots more. You may also lead a team of artists, evaluate the art, and approve copies. In this role, it is very likely you will work for an advertising agency, publisher, or media production company.
Associate art directors are professionals who assist art directors in performing creative-driven tasks such as producing graphic design for brands, layouts, and advertisements. These associate art directors are required to stay updated on the latest techniques using computer-aided design software such as PhotoShop, AutoCAD, and After Effects. They must organize photoshoots and work with PR managers and agents to coordinate the schedules of their models. Associate art directors must also establish a graphic design studio team and provide training for their designers and interns.
Freelance art directors and associate art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelance Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Average salary | $85,453 | $82,664 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $142,000 | Between $49,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Best paying industry | - | Media |
There are a few differences between a freelance art director and an associate art director in terms of educational background:
| Freelance Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between freelance art directors' and associate art directors' demographics:
| Freelance Art Director | Associate Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9% | Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |