Art Directors
Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions.
Is art directors a good career?
It scores 27/100 and ranks #171 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- Pays well above the U.S. median wage ($114,850 vs $61,390)
Possible tradeoffs
- Typically requires a bachelor's degree
- Often needs prior experience (5 years or more)
What art directors earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. art directors earn between $82,480 and $162,640 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live art directors jobs
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- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- None
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow as fast as average through 2034.
Education
Art directors typically need a bachelor's degree in fine arts, a design subject, or a related field, such as communications technology.
Many art directors start out in another art-related occupation, such as fine artists or photographers. Work experience in art or design occupations develops an art director’s ability to visually communicate to a specific audience creatively and effectively. Workers gain the appropriate education for that occupation, usually by earning a bachelor of arts or bachelor of fine arts degree.
Some art directors earn a master of fine arts (MFA) degree to supplement their work experience and show their creative or managerial ability.
Important qualities
Communication skills. Art directors must be able to listen to and speak with staff and clients to ensure that they understand employees’ ideas and clients’ desires for advertisements, publications, or movie sets.
Creativity. Art directors must be able to come up with interesting and innovative ideas to develop advertising campaigns, set designs, or layout options.
Leadership skills. Art directors must be able to organize, direct, and motivate other artists. They need to articulate their visions to artists and oversee the work as it progresses.
Resourcefulness. Art directors must be able to adapt their latest designs to the changing technology used in their industry.
Time-management skills. Balancing competing priorities and multiple projects while meeting strict deadlines is critical for art directors.
Related occupations
How much do art directors make?
The national median wage is $114,850 a year, with the middle half earning between $82,480 and $162,640 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is art directors a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 27 of 100 and ranks #171 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +4.2% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a art director?
The typical entry-level education is bachelor's degree, usually with 5 years or more.
Where do art directors earn the most?
Among states, Massachusetts pays the highest median ($149,320). Local pay for every state and metro is below.