Art Directors Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for art directors is $114,850, or $55.22 per hour. About 53,070 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $149,320 in Massachusetts to $60,460 in Kansas.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 46 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $149,320 | $71.79 | 1,850 | 1.49 |
| 2 | California | $137,780 | $66.24 | 12,430 | 2.00 |
| 3 | New York | $137,320 | $66.02 | 8,720 | 2.64 |
| 4 | Oregon | $133,840 | $64.34 | 1,040 | 1.55 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $132,000 | $63.46 | 160 | 0.70 |
| 6 | Vermont | $129,260 | $62.14 | 80 | 0.82 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $129,200 | $62.12 | 1,840 | 1.26 |
| 8 | Washington | $121,170 | $58.25 | 650 | 0.54 |
| 9 | Georgia | $110,430 | $53.09 | 1,420 | 0.85 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $109,700 | $52.74 | 920 | 0.92 |
| 11 | Utah | $106,500 | $51.20 | 290 | 0.50 |
| 12 | Indiana | $105,690 | $50.81 | 350 | 0.32 |
| 13 | Illinois | $103,550 | $49.79 | 2,960 | 1.42 |
| 14 | Virginia | $101,150 | $48.63 | 670 | 0.48 |
| 15 | Missouri | $100,940 | $48.53 | 780 | 0.78 |
| 16 | Maine | $100,300 | $48.22 | — | — |
| 17 | Colorado | $99,990 | $48.07 | 720 | 0.73 |
| 18 | Florida | $99,660 | $47.91 | 2,520 | 0.74 |
| 19 | Maryland | $98,400 | $47.31 | 570 | 0.60 |
| 20 | Nevada | $98,070 | $47.15 | 290 | 0.56 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $97,450 | $46.85 | 1,250 | 0.60 |
| 22 | Ohio | $94,390 | $45.38 | 1,050 | 0.55 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $90,000 | $43.27 | — | — |
| 24 | Tennessee | $89,860 | $43.20 | 930 | 0.83 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $89,300 | $42.93 | 40 | 0.18 |
| 26 | Texas | $88,270 | $42.44 | 2,480 | 0.52 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $87,990 | $42.30 | 550 | 0.70 |
| 28 | Michigan | $86,660 | $41.66 | 1,080 | 0.72 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $83,640 | $40.21 | 160 | 0.24 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $83,170 | $39.98 | 30 | 0.23 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $81,130 | $39.00 | 730 | 0.73 |
| 32 | Iowa | $80,940 | $38.92 | 280 | 0.52 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $80,680 | $38.79 | 290 | 0.49 |
| 34 | Idaho | $80,680 | $38.79 | — | — |
| 35 | Alabama | $77,220 | $37.13 | 210 | 0.30 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $76,160 | $36.61 | 320 | 0.47 |
| 37 | Alaska | $75,200 | $36.16 | 40 | 0.35 |
| 38 | Montana | $73,850 | $35.50 | 100 | 0.56 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $73,270 | $35.23 | 140 | 0.40 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $72,550 | $34.88 | 90 | 0.55 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $71,930 | $34.58 | 240 | 0.54 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $71,900 | $34.57 | 1,160 | 2.00 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $66,610 | $32.02 | 30 | 0.21 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $66,020 | $31.74 | 90 | 0.23 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $63,550 | $30.56 | 30 | 0.14 |
| 46 | Kansas | $60,460 | $29.07 | — | — |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do art directors make?
The median annual wage for art directors in the United States is $114,850, or $55.22 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $64,900, and the top 10% earn $213,050.
How many art directors are employed in the U.S.?
About 53,070 people work as art directors nationwide.
Which state pays art directors the most?
Massachusetts pays the most at a median of $149,320, followed by California ($137,780) and New York ($137,320).
Which state pays art directors the least?
Kansas has the lowest median at $60,460.
Where are art directors jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is New York at 2.64×.