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Assistant art director salary
Average assistant art director salary
$77,835
Average Assistant Art Director Salary
The average salary for an Assistant Art Director in the United States is approximately $77,835 per year, translating to about $37 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, Assistant Art Directors in high-demand markets or specialized sectors often see higher compensation.
Highest Paying States
States like California and New York offer some of the highest salaries for this role, with averages exceeding $90,000 annually. Additionally, positions in the entertainment and advertising industries tend to provide higher pay due to their competitive nature.
Career Advancement Opportunities
As professionals gain experience and develop a strong portfolio, they may have opportunities to transition into roles such as Art Director or Creative Director, which can command salaries well above $100,000. Networking within the industry and continuing education can also play crucial roles in career progression.
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Where can an Assistant Art Director earn more?
Assistant art director salary estimates from across the web
Average assistant art director salary by state
The highest-paying states for assistant art directors are Oregon, California, and Washington. The lowest average assistant art director salary states are Texas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for assistant art directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $106,173 | $51.04 |
| 2 | California | $103,550 | $49.78 |
| 3 | Washington | $102,606 | $49.33 |
| 4 | New York | $96,924 | $46.60 |
| 5 | Vermont | $90,064 | $43.30 |
| 6 | Idaho | $97,386 | $46.82 |
| 7 | Maine | $95,261 | $45.80 |
| 8 | Alaska | $95,171 | $45.76 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $90,695 | $43.60 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $83,971 | $40.37 |
| 11 | Utah | $90,124 | $43.33 |
| 12 | Iowa | $95,751 | $46.03 |
| 13 | Kansas | $91,135 | $43.81 |
| 14 | Nevada | $80,424 | $38.67 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $82,945 | $39.88 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $70,436 | $33.86 |
| 17 | Illinois | $79,791 | $38.36 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $86,020 | $41.36 |
| 19 | Montana | $81,574 | $39.22 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $78,534 | $37.76 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $81,779 | $39.32 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $77,158 | $37.10 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $65,053 | $31.28 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $73,294 | $35.24 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $63,127 | $30.35 |
| 26 | Michigan | $76,364 | $36.71 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $73,737 | $35.45 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $66,507 | $31.97 |
| 29 | Alabama | $59,466 | $28.59 |
| 30 | Colorado | $63,121 | $30.35 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $53,698 | $25.82 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $62,665 | $30.13 |
| 33 | Virginia | $62,297 | $29.95 |
| 34 | Delaware | $65,700 | $31.59 |
| 35 | Ohio | $62,334 | $29.97 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $60,240 | $28.96 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $52,655 | $25.31 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $62,416 | $30.01 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $59,624 | $28.67 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $56,581 | $27.20 |
| 41 | Missouri | $58,506 | $28.13 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $42,661 | $20.51 |
| 43 | Georgia | $58,513 | $28.13 |
| 44 | Maryland | $54,949 | $26.42 |
| 45 | Arizona | $55,273 | $26.57 |
| 46 | Texas | $52,430 | $25.21 |
| 47 | Florida | $49,855 | $23.97 |
| 48 | Indiana | $53,397 | $25.67 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $49,889 | $23.99 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $50,049 | $24.06 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $43,180 | $20.76 |
Highest paying cities for assistant art directors
The highest-paying cities for assistant art directors are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $118,046 | $56.75 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $96,777 | $46.53 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $90,860 | $43.68 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $80,325 | $38.62 |
| 5 | Westport, CT | $76,613 | $36.83 |
| 6 | Fort Collins, CO | $63,158 | $30.36 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $60,708 | $29.19 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $55,533 | $26.70 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $52,824 | $25.40 |
| 10 | Plano, TX | $50,835 | $24.44 |
Assistant art director salary details
An assistant art director's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $130,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an assistant art director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $130,000 | $10,833 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| Average | $77,835 | $6,486 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
Highest paying assistant art director jobs
The highest paying types of assistant art directors are executive creative director, senior creative director, and associate creative director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Design Manager | $66,975 | $5,581 | $32.20 | 48,269 |
| Creative Services Director | $108,980 | $9,082 | $52.39 | 60,237 |
| Creative Director | $137,779 | $11,482 | $66.24 | 11,610 |
| Creative/Art Director | $125,743 | $10,479 | $60.45 | 10,403 |
| Freelance Art Director | $85,453 | $7,121 | $41.08 | 9,215 |
| Designer/Art Director | $97,448 | $8,121 | $46.85 | 53,314 |
Top companies hiring assistant art directors now:
Which companies pay assistant art directors the most?
Assistant art director salaries at JCPenney and Ris are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant art director salary at companies like BBDO Detroit and Arnold Worldwide are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JCPenney | $135,805 | $65.29 |
| 2 | Ris | $111,996 | $53.84 |
| 3 | BBDO Detroit | $107,335 | $51.60 |
| 4 | Arnold Worldwide | $106,869 | $51.38 |
| 5 | Harlem Children's Zone | $99,128 | $47.66 |
| 6 | California Baptist University | $98,367 | $47.29 |
| 7 | Dow Jones | $95,661 | $45.99 |
| 8 | New York University | $94,187 | $45.28 |
| 9 | University of California-Berkeley | $79,866 | $38.40 |
| 10 | Temple University | $70,772 | $34.02 |
| 11 | Saint Joseph's University | $70,592 | $33.94 |
| 12 | Tiffany & Co. | $69,956 | $33.63 |
| 13 | Boston University | $67,439 | $32.42 |
| 14 | Johns Hopkins University | $66,462 | $31.95 |
| 15 | PSEA | $63,689 | $30.62 |
| 16 | Tufts University | $63,686 | $30.62 |
| 17 | DePaul University | $59,638 | $28.67 |
| 18 | Dordt University | $58,187 | $27.97 |
| 19 | University of Indianapolis | $56,510 | $27.17 |
| 20 | One River School | $54,644 | $26.27 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Assistant Art Director salary by industry
The average assistant art director salary varies across industries:
- The average assistant art director salary in the technology industry is $102,665, the highest of any industry.
- The average assistant art director salary in the finance industry is $94,541.
- Assistant art directors in the retail industry earn an average salary of $73,746, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for assistant art directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $102,665 | $49.36 |
| 2 | Media | $94,541 | $45.45 |
| 3 | Professional | $84,918 | $40.83 |
| 4 | Health Care | $80,852 | $38.87 |
| 5 | Retail | $73,746 | $35.45 |
High paying assistant art director jobs
Assistant art director salary trends
The average assistant art director salary has risen by $12,811 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant art director earned $65,024 annually, but today, they earn $77,835 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for assistant art directors over the last decade.
Compare assistant art director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average assistant art director salary over time
Compare assistant art director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Assistant art director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,800 | $37.42 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $75,400 | $36.25 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $74,200 | $35.69 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | $74,000 | $35.59 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $71,900 | $34.55 | +0.1% |
Recently added assistant art director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crowley Webb & Associates | Assistant Art Director-Future Opportunity | Buffalo, NY | 06/29/2025 | $38,025 |
| Palecek | Assistant Art Director | Richmond, CA | 06/22/2025 | $100,000 |
| Human Resources | Assistant Director, Science, Arts and Humanities | Philadelphia, PA | 06/18/2025 | $62,630 |
| Drexel University | Assistant Director, Science, Arts and Humanities | Philadelphia, PA | 06/16/2025 | $62,630 |
| Museum of Fine Arts | Assistant Director, Gifts of Art | Boston, MA | 06/16/2025 | $70,000 |
| Seattle University | Senior Assistant Director of Fine Arts & Performance Recruitment | Seattle, WA | 05/29/2025 | $68,000 |
| Paradise Valley USD 69 | Administrative Assistant V/Director-Fine Arts (DAC) | Phoenix, AZ | 05/19/2025 | $37,879 |
| Crowley Webb & Associates | Assistant Art Director-Future Opportunity | Buffalo, NY | 05/18/2025 | $38,025 |
| Paradise Valley Unified School District | Administrative Assistant V/Director-Fine Arts (DAC) | Phoenix, AZ | 05/15/2025 | $37,879 |
| College for Creative Studies | Assistant Director-Kresge Arts | Detroit, MI | 05/14/2025 | $50,000 |
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