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Media director salary
Average media director salary
$112,564
Average Media Director Salary
The average salary for a media director is $112,564 per year, translating to approximately $54 per hour. This figure reflects the compensation for professionals who manage media strategies, ensuring brands communicate effectively across various channels. Salaries can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and the industry in which one works.
Where Can Media Directors Earn More?
Media directors in states like California, New York, and Texas typically earn higher salaries compared to those in other regions. For instance, top-paying industries include advertising, public relations, and entertainment, where demand for media expertise is high. Understanding these trends allows aspiring media directors to target their career paths effectively.
Salary Estimates Across the Web
Salary estimates for media directors vary widely. Some resources suggest figures closer to $120,000 annually, while others may report lower averages depending on local market conditions. Researching these estimates can provide valuable insights into potential earnings.
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Where can a Media Director earn more?
Media director salary estimates from across the web
Average media director salary by state
The average media director salary in Nevada, Idaho, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average media director salary states are Oklahoma, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for media directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $148,661 | $71.47 |
| 2 | Alaska | $144,525 | $69.48 |
| 3 | Nevada | $150,514 | $72.36 |
| 4 | Vermont | $133,268 | $64.07 |
| 5 | Oregon | $138,093 | $66.39 |
| 6 | Iowa | $127,962 | $61.52 |
| 7 | New York | $134,427 | $64.63 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $135,376 | $65.08 |
| 9 | Washington | $136,335 | $65.55 |
| 10 | Delaware | $131,646 | $63.29 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $131,886 | $63.41 |
| 12 | California | $131,073 | $63.02 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $128,720 | $61.88 |
| 14 | Arizona | $127,744 | $61.42 |
| 15 | Maryland | $130,413 | $62.70 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $127,888 | $61.48 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $123,710 | $59.48 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $115,550 | $55.55 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $124,499 | $59.86 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $120,401 | $57.89 |
| 21 | Colorado | $123,676 | $59.46 |
| 22 | Utah | $114,398 | $55.00 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $117,992 | $56.73 |
| 24 | Kansas | $123,821 | $59.53 |
| 25 | Montana | $114,204 | $54.91 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $113,860 | $54.74 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $112,241 | $53.96 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $111,562 | $53.64 |
| 29 | Missouri | $117,414 | $56.45 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $115,595 | $55.57 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $106,536 | $51.22 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $111,525 | $53.62 |
| 33 | Virginia | $110,431 | $53.09 |
| 34 | Ohio | $109,185 | $52.49 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $106,108 | $51.01 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $103,002 | $49.52 |
| 37 | Alabama | $91,886 | $44.18 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $91,018 | $43.76 |
| 39 | Maine | $106,459 | $51.18 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $85,880 | $41.29 |
| 41 | Illinois | $96,589 | $46.44 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $102,555 | $49.31 |
| 43 | Georgia | $99,794 | $47.98 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $81,434 | $39.15 |
| 45 | Indiana | $102,068 | $49.07 |
| 46 | Michigan | $97,587 | $46.92 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $97,834 | $47.04 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $94,626 | $45.49 |
| 49 | Texas | $85,179 | $40.95 |
| 50 | Florida | $66,612 | $32.02 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $85,701 | $41.20 |
Highest paying cities for media directors
The highest-paying cities for media directors are San Francisco, CA, Fairbanks, AK, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $147,353 | $70.84 |
| 2 | Fairbanks, AK | $142,681 | $68.60 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $139,461 | $67.05 |
| 4 | Albany, NY | $138,994 | $66.82 |
| 5 | Rockville, MD | $131,246 | $63.10 |
| 6 | Manhattan, KS | $125,578 | $60.37 |
| 7 | Boulder, CO | $125,010 | $60.10 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $118,350 | $56.90 |
| 9 | Kansas City, MO | $118,112 | $56.78 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $115,943 | $55.74 |
| 11 | Boston, MA | $112,592 | $54.13 |
| 12 | Hartford, CT | $112,582 | $54.13 |
| 13 | Cleveland, OH | $110,378 | $53.07 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $103,168 | $49.60 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $101,565 | $48.83 |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $97,636 | $46.94 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $96,840 | $46.56 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $94,879 | $45.61 |
| 19 | Dallas, TX | $89,369 | $42.97 |
| 20 | Dothan, AL | $86,569 | $41.62 |
Media director salary details
A media director's salary ranges from $73,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $172,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a media director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $172,000 | $14,333 | $83 |
| 75th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| Average | $112,564 | $9,380 | $54 |
| 25th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
Highest paying media director jobs
The highest paying types of media directors are vice president of communication, director, customer relations, and director of client relations.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communications Lead | $96,988 | $8,082 | $46.63 | 20,413 |
| Public Relations Manager | $91,426 | $7,619 | $43.95 | 35,273 |
| Public Information Officer | $56,725 | $4,727 | $27.27 | 129,237 |
| Manager Of Corporate Communications | $84,161 | $7,013 | $40.46 | 34,908 |
| Vice President Of Communication | $156,662 | $13,055 | $75.32 | 43,726 |
| Director, Customer Relations | $134,672 | $11,223 | $64.75 | 26,470 |
Top companies hiring media directors now:
Which companies pay media directors the most?
Media director salaries at Google and APCO Worldwide are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average media director salary at companies like Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Wpp Us Holdings Inc are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $200,730 | $96.50 | |
| 2 | APCO Worldwide | $182,111 | $87.55 |
| 3 | Crispin Porter + Bogusky | $165,633 | $79.63 |
| 4 | Wpp Us Holdings Inc | $164,128 | $78.91 |
| 5 | Point B | $163,484 | $78.60 |
| 6 | The Walt Disney Company | $162,132 | $77.95 |
| 7 | QuinStreet | $155,039 | $74.54 |
| 8 | Fahlgren Mortine | $151,625 | $72.90 |
| 9 | Merkle | $149,225 | $71.74 |
| 10 | Ketchum | $148,477 | $71.38 |
| 11 | The Home Depot | $145,214 | $69.81 |
| 12 | FTI Consulting | $142,705 | $68.61 |
| 13 | BCW Global | $141,336 | $67.95 |
| 14 | MX | $140,946 | $67.76 |
| 15 | Concord | $140,293 | $67.45 |
| 16 | ZTE USA | $136,154 | $65.46 |
| 17 | Bloomingdale's | $135,524 | $65.16 |
| 18 | Pwc | $134,588 | $64.71 |
| 19 | NRDC | $133,248 | $64.06 |
| 20 | Sony Music Entertainment | $132,562 | $63.73 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Media Director salary by industry
The average media director salary varies across industries:
- The average media director salary in the professional industry is $117,485, the highest of any industry.
- The average media director salary in the finance industry is $117,040.
- Media directors in the health care industry earn an average salary of $85,463, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for media directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $117,485 | $56.48 |
| 2 | Media | $117,040 | $56.27 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $110,215 | $52.99 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $96,152 | $46.23 |
| 5 | Education | $92,254 | $44.35 |
| 6 | Health Care | $85,463 | $41.09 |
High paying media director jobs
Media director salary trends
The average media director salary has risen by $26,440 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average media director earned $86,124 annually, but today, they earn $112,564 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for media directors over the last decade.
Compare media director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average media director salary over time
Compare media director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Media director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $113,000 | $54.12 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $108,000 | $52.00 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $106,000 | $50.94 | +3.1% |
| 2022 | $103,000 | $49.38 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $99,100 | $47.62 | +3.0% |
Recently added media director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPP PLC | Media Director | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| Crossmedia | Group Media Director | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $150,000 |
| Dci Group | Director-Media Affairs | Ione, WA | 06/29/2025 | $100,000 |
| Horizon Media | Media Director | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $145,000 |
| a Best Place To Work | Director, Paid Media | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $135,500 |
| CVS Health | Director of Measurement and Insights Product-CVS Media Exchange (CMX) | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| CVS Health | Director of Measurement and Insights Product-CVS Media Exchange (CMX) | Boston, MA | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| CVS Health | Director of Measurement and Insights Product-CVS Media Exchange (CMX) | Blue Bell, PA | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| CVS Health | Director of Measurement and Insights Product-CVS Media Exchange (CMX) | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $100,000 |
| CVS Health | Director of Measurement and Insights Product-CVS Media Exchange (CMX) | Woonsocket, RI | 06/25/2025 | $100,000 |
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