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Creative director & designer salary
Average creative director & designer salary
$108,589
Understanding the Salary for Creative Directors & Designers
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Creative Director & Designer stands at $108,589 annually. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For instance, entry-level positions may start at a lower range, while those with extensive experience can command higher salaries.
In terms of geographic distribution, salaries can differ greatly across states. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer more competitive compensation due to higher living costs and a robust job market. Additionally, major cities such as San Francisco and New York City often present the highest salaries for creative professionals.
Moreover, experience plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level positions may earn around $60,000, while seasoned professionals can exceed $150,000, particularly in leadership roles. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring Creative Directors & Designers make informed career decisions and target opportunities that align with their salary expectations.
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Where can a Creative Director & Designer earn more?
Creative director & designer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level creative director & designer | $67,800 | $32.62 |
| Mid-level creative director & designer | $95,100 | $45.73 |
| Senior-level creative director & designer | $148,000 | $71.29 |
Average creative director & designer salary by state
The highest-paying states for creative directors & designer are California, Washington, and New York. The lowest average creative director & designer salary states are Kansas, Kentucky, and Maine.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for creative directors & designer
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $132,251 | $63.58 |
| 2 | California | $147,096 | $70.72 |
| 3 | New York | $116,356 | $55.94 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $109,575 | $52.68 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $104,478 | $50.23 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $110,513 | $53.13 |
| 7 | Illinois | $104,165 | $50.08 |
| 8 | Arizona | $107,526 | $51.70 |
| 9 | Texas | $103,013 | $49.53 |
| 10 | Oregon | $100,814 | $48.47 |
| 11 | Nevada | $115,149 | $55.36 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $108,061 | $51.95 |
| 13 | Utah | $97,418 | $46.84 |
| 14 | Virginia | $101,019 | $48.57 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $95,754 | $46.04 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $99,920 | $48.04 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $101,748 | $48.92 |
| 18 | Michigan | $89,548 | $43.05 |
| 19 | Colorado | $95,823 | $46.07 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $96,230 | $46.26 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $90,115 | $43.32 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $83,538 | $40.16 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $90,715 | $43.61 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $85,464 | $41.09 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $84,146 | $40.45 |
| 26 | Maryland | $95,754 | $46.04 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $88,409 | $42.50 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $92,641 | $44.54 |
| 29 | Georgia | $85,936 | $41.32 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $85,143 | $40.93 |
| 31 | Ohio | $85,497 | $41.10 |
| 32 | Iowa | $81,358 | $39.11 |
| 33 | Alaska | $92,893 | $44.66 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $80,506 | $38.70 |
| 35 | Delaware | $89,398 | $42.98 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $84,526 | $40.64 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $83,087 | $39.95 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $98,748 | $47.48 |
| 39 | Montana | $85,293 | $41.01 |
| 40 | Missouri | $82,880 | $39.85 |
| 41 | Vermont | $84,879 | $40.81 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $64,999 | $31.25 |
| 43 | Florida | $83,200 | $40.00 |
| 44 | Alabama | $71,356 | $34.31 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $81,723 | $39.29 |
| 46 | Indiana | $79,975 | $38.45 |
| 47 | Kansas | $78,995 | $37.98 |
| 48 | Maine | $78,230 | $37.61 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $79,976 | $38.45 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $78,810 | $37.89 |
| 51 | Idaho | $77,026 | $37.03 |
Highest paying cities for creative directors & designer
The highest-paying cities for creative directors & designer are Menlo Park, CA, Carson City, NV, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menlo Park, CA | $157,453 | $75.70 |
| 2 | Carson City, NV | $116,774 | $56.14 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $116,634 | $56.07 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $109,540 | $52.66 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $104,635 | $50.31 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $104,451 | $50.22 |
| 7 | Denton, TX | $103,611 | $49.81 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $101,575 | $48.83 |
| 9 | Charleston, WV | $101,272 | $48.69 |
| 10 | Beaverton, OR | $99,853 | $48.01 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $95,983 | $46.15 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $95,373 | $45.85 |
| 13 | Concord, NH | $90,274 | $43.40 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $89,738 | $43.14 |
| 15 | Charlotte, NC | $89,070 | $42.82 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $88,512 | $42.55 |
| 17 | Cleveland, OH | $86,101 | $41.39 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $85,589 | $41.15 |
| 19 | Milwaukee, WI | $85,301 | $41.01 |
| 20 | Little Rock, AR | $83,890 | $40.33 |
Creative director & designer salary details
A creative director & designer's salary ranges from $72,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $163,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a creative director & designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $163,000 | $13,583 | $78 |
| 75th Percentile | $134,000 | $11,167 | $64 |
| Average | $108,589 | $9,049 | $52 |
| 25th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
Highest paying creative director & designer jobs
The highest paying types of creative directors & designer are associate creative director, creative director, and design director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
| Designer/Art Director | $97,448 | $8,121 | $46.85 | 53,314 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
| Design Director | $132,823 | $11,069 | $63.86 | 48,337 |
| Layout Designer | $94,509 | $7,876 | $45.44 | 43,997 |
| Freelance Art Director | $85,453 | $7,121 | $41.08 | 9,215 |
Top companies hiring creative directors & designer now:
Which companies pay creative directors & designer the most?
Creative director & designer salaries at Meta and The Walt Disney Company are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average creative director & designer salary at companies like Apple and Sally Beauty Holdings are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $209,376 | $100.66 |
| 2 | The Walt Disney Company | $181,058 | $87.05 |
| 3 | Apple | $180,759 | $86.90 |
| 4 | Sally Beauty Holdings | $169,820 | $81.64 |
| 5 | Datadog | $164,942 | $79.30 |
| 6 | MAC Cosmetics | $164,481 | $79.08 |
| 7 | Nike | $163,998 | $78.85 |
| 8 | Fox News | $155,874 | $74.94 |
| 9 | Estée Lauder | $152,142 | $73.15 |
| 10 | Luckie & Company | $130,881 | $62.92 |
| 11 | Kwikee | $128,437 | $61.75 |
| 12 | Papa John's International | $127,866 | $61.47 |
| 13 | NVE Experience Agency | $124,598 | $59.90 |
| 14 | K Hovnanian Companies Of New York Inc | $123,216 | $59.24 |
| 15 | InvestCloud | $122,233 | $58.77 |
| 16 | Jack Morton Worldwide | $121,991 | $58.65 |
| 17 | NYU Lutheran Medical Center | $120,873 | $58.11 |
| 18 | Merkle | $120,271 | $57.82 |
| 19 | Chartwell | $119,685 | $57.54 |
| 20 | Crispin Porter + Bogusky | $118,034 | $56.75 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Creative Director & Designer salary by industry
The average creative director & designer salary varies across industries:
- The average creative director & designer salary in the internet industry is $170,028, the highest of any industry.
- The average creative director & designer salary in the finance industry is $137,694.
- Creative directors & designer in the professional industry earn an average salary of $94,562, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for creative directors & designer
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internet | $170,028 | $81.74 |
| 2 | Technology | $137,694 | $66.20 |
| 3 | Media | $122,532 | $58.91 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $118,823 | $57.13 |
| 5 | Automotive | $100,887 | $48.50 |
| 6 | Professional | $94,562 | $45.46 |
High paying creative director & designer jobs
Creative director & designer salary trends
The average creative director & designer salary has risen by $19,061 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average creative director & designer earned $89,528 annually, but today, they earn $108,589 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for creative directors & designer over the last decade.
Compare creative director & designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average creative director & designer salary over time
Compare creative director & designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Creative director & designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $109,000 | $52.21 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $106,000 | $50.96 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $49.26 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $99,100 | $47.63 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $96,900 | $46.59 | +1.6% |
Recently added creative director & designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Corporation | Creative Director, Experiential & Design | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $202,400 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Creative Director, Experiential & Design | Redmond, WA | 06/26/2025 | $202,400 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Creative Director, Experiential & Design | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $202,400 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Creative Director, Experiential & Design | Atlanta, GA | 06/26/2025 | $202,400 |
| Aerovironment | Creative Director and Lead Designer | Simi Valley, CA | 06/25/2025 | $148,891 |
| DEPT | Basic/Dept Creative Director, Contract-CX & Design-US | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $155,100 |
| DEPT | Basic/Dept Creative Director-CX & Design-US | New York, NY | 05/29/2025 | $155,100 |
| Bonterra Tech | Director, Creative Design | Nome, TX | 05/23/2025 | $110,000 |
| Meta | Director, Product Creative | Genai Central Design & Content | San Francisco, CA | 05/09/2025 | $221,000 |
| Meta | Director, Product Creative | Genai Central Design & Content | Seattle, WA | 05/09/2025 | $221,000 |
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