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The differences between freelance art directors and executive 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 freelance art director and an executive creative director. Additionally, an executive creative director has an average salary of $162,850, which is higher than the $85,453 average annual salary of a freelance 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 executive creative director are sketch, graphic design, and creative direction.
| Freelance Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $85,453 | $162,850 |
| Hourly rate | $41.08 | $78.29 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 9,215 | 72,952 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| 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.
An executive creative director is primarily in charge of directing and overseeing creative projects and campaigns. They manage a company's creative team that typically consist of writers, graphic designers, and content specialists. As an executive creative director, it is their duty to set goals and timelines, understand the client or company's needs, conceptualize plans and insights, control the budget, and develop strategies to optimize operations and outcomes. Moreover, they monitor the progress of all projects and campaigns, resolving issues and concerns should there be any.
Freelance art directors and executive creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freelance Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $85,453 | $162,850 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $142,000 | Between $88,000 And $300,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Estée Lauder |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a freelance art director and an executive creative director in terms of educational background:
| Freelance Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between freelance art directors' and executive creative directors' demographics:
| Freelance Art Director | Executive Creative Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9% | Male, 70.6% Female, 29.4% |
| 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, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |