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The differences between senior designers and art directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior designer, becoming an art director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, which is higher than the $88,367 average annual salary of an art director.
The top three skills for a senior designer include sketch, graphic design and human centered design. The most important skills for an art director are graphic design, art direction, and creative concepts.
| Senior Designer | Art Director | |
| Yearly salary | $102,058 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $49.07 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 47,503 | 11,472 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
An art director's duty will vary depending on the line of industry involved. However, most of the responsibilities will revolve in taking charge of the artistic direction and decisions in a project or campaign. Most of the time, it is an art director's call to conceptualize and bring a vision to completion and take the lead in coordinating with various artists and creative staff. Furthermore, an art director must oversee the progress of workflow and workforce, develop plans and strategies, and approve or provide suggestions in every creative output from staff.
Senior designers and art directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Designer | Art Director | |
| Average salary | $102,058 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $143,000 | Between $57,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Lyft | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior designer and an art director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Designer | Art Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior designers' and art directors' demographics:
| Senior Designer | Art Director | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 11% |