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The differences between group creative directors and associate 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 group creative director and an associate creative director. Additionally, a group creative director has an average salary of $237,604, which is higher than the $141,099 average annual salary of an associate creative director.
The top three skills for a group creative director include client relationships, creative direction and business development. The most important skills for an associate creative director are graphic design, digital marketing, and creative concepts.
| Group Creative Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $237,604 | $141,099 |
| Hourly rate | $114.23 | $67.84 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 17,927 | 8,945 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Group Creative Directors are responsible for leading the creative vision of a product or service for an organization. Their duties include creating promotional or advertising campaigns, conducting creative strategy presentations to management, liaising, participating in client needs negotiation, and developing creative storyboards. They are responsible for assessing project content, overseeing brand visuals, and monitoring project progress. Group Creative Directors also supervise writing scripts, direct TV and photoshoots, and facilitate external supplier engagements. They help in the recruitment process of the creative team.
An associate creative director helps the creative director in creating design concepts and directions for multiple design projects, marketing materials, and campaigns. Other tasks include researching marketing trends and strategies and overseeing multiple design projects. The skills that an associate creative director should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good interpersonal skills and knowledge of social media platforms and trends. The requirements to qualify for the job including possessing a degree in advertising, fine arts, or related fields and experience in supervising staff.
Group creative directors and associate creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Group Creative Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $237,604 | $141,099 |
| Salary range | Between $130,000 And $433,000 | Between $87,000 And $226,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Illinois | California |
| Best paying company | Golin | The Howard Hughes |
| Best paying industry | Media | Media |
There are a few differences between a group creative director and an associate creative director in terms of educational background:
| Group Creative Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between group creative directors' and associate creative directors' demographics:
| Group Creative Director | Associate Creative Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |