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The differences between senior art directors and freelance art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior art director and a freelance art director. Additionally, a senior art director has an average salary of $103,294, which is higher than the $85,453 average annual salary of a freelance art director.
The top three skills for a senior art director include graphic design, photography and creative concepts. The most important skills for a freelance art director are photography, strong work ethic, and creative development.
| Senior Art Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $103,294 | $85,453 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $41.08 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 9,098 | 9,215 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior art director is responsible for monitoring the creative art department's operations, ensuring the adequacy of resources and materials, as well as high-quality outputs based on clients' specifications and business requirements. Senior art directors implement strategic project management procedures to offer deliverables within the budget goals and set timeframe. They coordinate with the clients for progress updates and inform them of any adjustments as needed. A senior art director should have a keen eye for details and knowledge of various art software applications to assist the team, especially when doing revisions.
As a freelance art director, you will work hand-in-hand with the production designer to procure works of art for your organization. Note that your duties will depend on your particular industry. Generally, though, you will determine the artistic tone of various projects and use visuals to give life to magazines, websites, ad campaigns, and lots more. You may also lead a team of artists, evaluate the art, and approve copies. In this role, it is very likely you will work for an advertising agency, publisher, or media production company.
Senior art directors and freelance art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Art Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Average salary | $103,294 | $85,453 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $167,000 | Between $51,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | DoorDash | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a senior art director and a freelance art director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Art Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior art directors' and freelance art directors' demographics:
| Senior Art Director | Freelance Art Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% | Male, 59.1% Female, 40.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |