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The differences between media 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 a media 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 $112,564 average annual salary of a media director.
The top three skills for a media director include digital marketing, video production and media planning. The most important skills for a creative director are graphic design, creative concepts, and creative direction.
| Media Director | Creative Director | |
| Yearly salary | $112,564 | $137,779 |
| Hourly rate | $54.12 | $66.24 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 22,511 | 11,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A media director spearheads and oversees a company's entire media-related activities, including marketing and advertising campaigns. They are in charge of setting goals and guidelines, liaising and building positive relationships with external parties, conceptualizing plans for projects and campaigns, and developing strategies to optimize operations. It is also their duty to address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a media director, it is essential to monitor the progress of different teams, leading and encouraging them to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Media directors and creative directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Director | Creative Director | |
| Average salary | $112,564 | $137,779 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $172,000 | Between $82,000 And $228,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a media director and a creative director in terms of educational background:
| Media Director | Creative Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Communication | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between media directors' and creative directors' demographics:
| Media Director | Creative Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 16% | 11% |