Art Directors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for art directorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $129,440 ≈ $62/hr
National median salary $114,850
Total employment 53,070 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.2%
Faster than average
Annual openings 12,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 135,000 → 140,700 (+5,700)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$159,200
- California$156,060
- Oregon$152,490
- Massachusetts$147,040
- New Jersey$136,160
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$69,360
- West Virginia$69,420
- Montana$70,850
- Kansas$76,950
- Nebraska$77,260
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $159,200 | $137,320 | $77 | +23% | 8,720 |
| 2 | California | $156,060 | $137,780 | $75 | +20.6% | 12,430 |
| 3 | Oregon | $152,490 | $133,840 | $73 | +17.8% | 1,040 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $147,040 | $149,320 | $71 | +13.6% | 1,850 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $136,160 | $129,200 | $65 | +5.2% | 1,840 |
| 6 | Washington | $130,550 | $121,170 | $63 | +0.9% | 650 |
| 7 | Vermont | $122,490 | $129,260 | $59 | -5.4% | 80 |
| 8 | Indiana | $122,190 | $105,690 | $59 | -5.6% | 350 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $117,900 | $109,700 | $57 | -8.9% | 920 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $117,230 | $132,000 | $56 | -9.4% | 160 |
| 11 | Georgia | $117,070 | $110,430 | $56 | -9.6% | 1,420 |
| 12 | Illinois | $114,870 | $103,550 | $55 | -11.3% | 2,960 |
| 13 | Colorado | $112,040 | $99,990 | $54 | -13.4% | 720 |
| 14 | Nevada | $111,350 | $98,070 | $54 | -14% | 290 |
| 15 | Utah | $110,860 | $106,500 | $53 | -14.4% | 290 |
| 16 | Maryland | $110,790 | $98,400 | $53 | -14.4% | 570 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $108,720 | $89,860 | $52 | -16% | 930 |
| 18 | Missouri | $108,630 | $100,940 | $52 | -16.1% | 780 |
| 19 | Virginia | $107,540 | $101,150 | $52 | -16.9% | 670 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $105,970 | $87,990 | $51 | -18.1% | 550 |
| 21 | Florida | $105,200 | $99,660 | $51 | -18.7% | 2,520 |
| 22 | Maine | $102,820 | $100,300 | $49 | -20.6% | — |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $102,660 | $97,450 | $49 | -20.7% | 1,250 |
| 24 | Texas | $101,580 | $88,270 | $49 | -21.5% | 2,480 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $101,260 | $71,900 | $49 | -21.8% | 1,160 |
| 26 | Ohio | $100,300 | $94,390 | $48 | -22.5% | 1,050 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $98,270 | $83,640 | $47 | -24.1% | 160 |
| 28 | Michigan | $98,020 | $86,660 | $47 | -24.3% | 1,080 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $95,580 | $72,550 | $46 | -26.2% | 90 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $95,460 | $90,000 | $46 | -26.3% | — |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $95,070 | $81,130 | $46 | -26.6% | 730 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $92,600 | $80,680 | $45 | -28.5% | 290 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $91,610 | $89,300 | $44 | -29.2% | 40 |
| 34 | Iowa | $91,220 | $80,940 | $44 | -29.5% | 280 |
| 35 | Idaho | $89,980 | $80,680 | $43 | -30.5% | — |
| 36 | Alabama | $85,210 | $77,220 | $41 | -34.2% | 210 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $83,170 | $83,170 | $40 | -35.7% | 30 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $82,350 | $71,930 | $40 | -36.4% | 240 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $80,360 | $76,160 | $39 | -37.9% | 320 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $79,440 | $66,020 | $38 | -38.6% | 90 |
| 41 | Alaska | $79,370 | $75,200 | $38 | -38.7% | 40 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $77,260 | $73,270 | $37 | -40.3% | 140 |
| 43 | Kansas | $76,950 | $60,460 | $37 | -40.6% | — |
| 44 | Montana | $70,850 | $73,850 | $34 | -45.3% | 100 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $69,420 | $63,550 | $33 | -46.4% | 30 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $69,360 | $66,610 | $33 | -46.4% | 30 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 120 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $170,140 | $182,620 | 600 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $165,210 | $169,940 | 2,390 |
| 3 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $153,890 | $130,330 | 50 |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $151,820 | $147,730 | 1,550 |
| 5 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $145,410 | $158,630 | 880 |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $142,990 | $161,120 | 8,980 |
| 7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $137,560 | $156,680 | 6,590 |
| 8 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $133,680 | $128,810 | 70 |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | $131,240 | $133,850 | 100 |
| 10 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $126,410 | $144,450 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing art directorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $182,730 | $173,440 | 220 |
| 2 | Temporary Help Services | $175,010 | $190,170 | 360 |
| 3 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | $166,760 | $174,670 | 300 |
| 4 | Apparel Manufacturing | $164,140 | $168,160 | 320 |
| 5 | Health and Personal Care Retailers | $161,190 | $144,590 | 120 |
| 6 | Health and Personal Care Retailers | $161,190 | $144,590 | 120 |
| 7 | Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers | $160,980 | $164,130 | 1,170 |
| 8 | Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $160,290 | $161,220 | 180 |
| 9 | Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $160,290 | $161,220 | 180 |
| 10 | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers | $155,260 | $165,470 | 590 |
| 11 | Engineering Services | $153,890 | $155,580 | 110 |
| 12 | Employment Services | $150,710 | $164,670 | 770 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do art directors make in the U.S.?
The median art directors salary in the United States is $114,850 per year (mean $129,440), and about 80% earn between $64,900 and $213,050.
How much do art directors make per hour?
Roughly $62 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $129,440 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays art directors the most?
New York has the highest average pay for art directors at $159,200 per year (median $137,320).
What is the job outlook for art directors?
Employment is projected to change +4.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 12,300 openings per year.
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