How to hire a junior art director

How to hire a junior art director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step junior art director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a junior art director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new junior art director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a junior art director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your junior art director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a junior art director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect junior art director also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents junior art director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Junior Art Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Art Director	Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They create the overall design of a project and direct others who develop artwork and layouts.	$24-71
   Graphic Design Manager	A graphic design manager is primarily in charge of leading and overseeing the efforts of a graphic design team, ensuring adherence to goals and deadlines. It is their duty to learn and analyze the purpose of design, coordinate staff, liaise with internal and external parties, set goals and objectives, manage schedules, and conceptualize plans... Show more	$23-43
   Lead Graphic Designer	A lead graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team... Show more	$21-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Graphic Design
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Creative Concepts
   • Visual Design
   • Art Direction
   • Mac
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Web Banners
   • Account Executives
   • Photo Shoots
   • Print Production
   • Concept Development
   • Creative Solutions
   • Product Photography

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Direct and manage all photography including composition, talent acquisition and photo manipulation.
   • Lead the interactive team from concept, UX and design to implementation.
   • Key player responsible for the creation and maintenance of SEO ready web pages.
   • Develop portions of the corporate website relative to design, layout and HTML content.
   • Assist in planning and merchandising photographic shoots for large catalog projects and POS displays.
   • Provide clients with top SEO rankings and help them succeed with top-notch designs and online marketing campaigns.

   More junior art director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your junior art director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A junior art director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, junior art directors' average salary in kentucky is 53% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level junior art directors 66% less than senior-level junior art directors.
   • Certifications. A junior art director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a junior art director's salary.

   Average junior art director salary

   $86,890yearly

   $41.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level junior art director salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 11, 2026

   Average junior art director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,005	$61
   2	Washington	$110,921	$53
   3	New York	$105,812	$51
   4	Massachusetts	$102,391	$49
   5	Kansas	$98,414	$47
   6	Illinois	$93,422	$45
   7	Minnesota	$90,260	$43
   8	Michigan	$89,492	$43
   9	Ohio	$67,475	$32
   10	Pennsylvania	$66,797	$32
   11	North Carolina	$66,673	$32
   12	Alabama	$61,933	$30
   13	Colorado	$61,645	$30
   14	Georgia	$60,431	$29
   15	Arkansas	$56,014	$27
   16	South Carolina	$55,844	$27
   17	Texas	$54,591	$26
   18	Florida	$53,128	$26

   Average junior art director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Walt Disney Company	$163,066	$78.40	9
   2	Calvin Klein	$163,065	$78.40
   3	VF	$144,262	$69.36	2
   4	Creative Artists Agency	$142,662	$68.59	2
   5	Trailer Park	$142,533	$68.53
   6	TBWA Worldwide	$136,898	$65.82
   7	Taylor Corporation	$129,695	$62.35	1
   8	Lenovo	$127,767	$61.43
   9	Goodby Silverstein & Partners	$122,898	$59.09
   10	Leo Burnett	$119,409	$57.41
   11	Campbell-Ewald	$116,233	$55.88
   12	BBDO Detroit	$113,888	$54.75
   13	Havas Edge	$111,743	$53.72
   14	Grey Group	$111,157	$53.44
   15	KBS+ (Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners)	$110,471	$53.11
   16	Wpp Us Holdings Inc	$109,394	$52.59	20
   17	Sonoco	$104,124	$50.06
   18	Movement Strategy	$101,076	$48.59	2
   19	Draftfcb	$101,056	$48.58
   20	Wunderman Thompson	$100,894	$48.51

4. Writing a junior art director job description

   A junior art director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a junior art director job description:

   Junior art director job description example

   IMA Medical Group in Orlando, Florida is seeking to hire a Junior Art Director to join the organization.
   
   IMA Medical Group is a visionary and dynamic company focused on high-quality primary care services, with doctors and professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of the elderly. With more than 19 locations throughout Central Florida, we reiterate our commitment to provide quality medical care and an exceptional experience at each visit. That is the peace of mind and convenience that our patients deserve.
   
   We know that we would not be able to do this without our outstanding team. Together, we strive to be the number one choice for primary care in the communities that we serve. We recognize the hard work that our employees put in and offer competitive pay, excellent benefits, and an awesome work environment.
   
   AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE OUR AMAZING BENEFITS SUCH AS,
   Low-Cost Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Employer Paid Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability Insurance Voluntary Short-Term Disability and Life Insurance Voluntary Illness and Accidental Insurance 401K PTO Vacation Paid Holidays The junior graphic designer is involved with design tasks from conception to completion. He or she will produce support materials for our community outreach team to market in the community and the internal departments. The designer will have an active role in the development and organization of collaterals for the brand. They will produce preliminary versions of designs, engage in design solutions, and process feedback to improve designs. Our team is growing, and we are looking for a Jr designer that wants to learn and grow with the team. To be successful as a junior graphic designer, you should have original ideas and a keen eye for detail. Ultimately, the junior graphic designer should be able to create imaginative designs, be open to learning more and create impressive designs that promote the company's vision, maintain our website up to date, and create collateral for our Community Outreach team and advertising pieces adhering to IMA branding guidelines.
   
   Key Responsibilities:
   This is an entry-level graphic design position Create marketing materials Business cards Design for internal and external campaigns Social media designs Using graphic techniques to create drafts and finish advertising collaterals. Collaborating with the team to launch projects. Using feedback from other designers to improve. Maintaining the corporate website up to date (WordPress CMS a plus) Cooperate with the rest of the company across different types of media. Works with copywriters to develop strategies for advertising campaigns. Create on-brand, customer-facing print collateral in the form of brochures, flyers, postcards, and handouts.
   
   SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
   None
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   Knowledge of the Adobe Suit (Photoshop, Illustrator, other design software a plus) Preferred knowledge of Word Press CMS, video production and editing, photography skills. Understand print processes and readying files for print and willing to be trained in the process. Bilingual (English/Spanish) Patience and Willingness to learn Effective interpersonal relationship and customer service skills. Good Organizational and Time Management skills. Excellent Communication skills (Written and Oral). Able to Multitask. Creative and strategic mind set. Detailed Oriented. Team Player. Good Work Ethics. IMA Medical Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and we comply with all federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws, regulations and ordinances. IMA Medical Group participates in E-Verify, as required by the Florida Medicaid program. IMA maintains a drug-free workplace in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws.
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   To find junior art directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any junior art directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level junior art directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your junior art director job on Zippia to find and recruit junior art director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting junior art directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new junior art director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the junior art director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new junior art director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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