27
Art Directors is a notable career in the 27 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Art Directors against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 27-1011 |
| title | Art Directors |
| onet code | 27-1011.00 |
| description | Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film. Direct workers engaged in artwork or layout design. |
| job zone | 4 |
| major group | 27 |
| tot emp | 50,370 |
| a mean | 128,100 |
| a median | 111,040 |
| a pct10 | 61,060 |
| a pct25 | 80,130 |
| a pct75 | 160,460 |
| a pct90 | 211,410 |
| h mean | 61 |
| h median | 53 |
The day-to-day work of a art directors typically centers on work with creative directors to develop design solutions. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.69 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working art directors, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (68.0%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 76% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in Oregon at $148,410 and lowest in New Mexico at $59,740 — a 2.5× spread. The top five states (Oregon, Washington, New York, California, Georgia) average $138,812. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $148,410 | $150,600 | $80,020 | $213,260 | 1,040 |
| Washington | $143,490 | $154,700 | $72,810 | — | 1,740 |
| New York | $136,610 | $156,580 | $77,960 | — | 8,300 |
| California | $133,930 | $150,260 | $76,470 | $226,370 | 12,540 |
| Georgia | $131,620 | $128,630 | $66,290 | $184,990 | 1,050 |
| Massachusetts | $131,050 | $145,220 | $73,490 | — | 1,810 |
| District of Columbia | $126,520 | $126,430 | $62,470 | $173,400 | — |
| New Jersey | $126,030 | $130,770 | $79,940 | $197,190 | 1,620 |
| Hawaii | $108,420 | $101,050 | $59,990 | $141,520 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $101,890 | $109,040 | $64,380 | $161,590 | 120 |
| Connecticut | $101,050 | $109,080 | $61,430 | $163,880 | 680 |
| Illinois | $100,530 | $110,670 | $64,880 | $168,850 | 2,750 |
| Maryland | $100,230 | $110,270 | $58,310 | $169,850 | 430 |
| Indiana | $98,560 | $118,070 | $59,990 | $206,830 | 320 |
| Minnesota | $98,330 | $109,120 | $68,840 | $170,250 | 1,120 |
| Delaware | $97,320 | $97,830 | $78,140 | $127,730 | 40 |
| Virginia | $95,680 | $97,980 | $61,840 | $129,050 | 860 |
| Vermont | $94,720 | $106,200 | $69,050 | $161,020 | 40 |
| Missouri | $94,000 | $96,680 | $52,420 | $159,130 | 740 |
| Florida | $93,630 | $99,120 | $52,400 | $159,820 | 2,240 |
| Colorado | $93,550 | $109,770 | $66,600 | $168,640 | 680 |
| Ohio | $92,370 | $97,360 | $54,720 | $135,500 | 1,140 |
| Utah | $91,020 | $97,080 | $49,710 | $135,960 | 400 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,990 | $101,410 | $57,450 | $166,940 | 890 |
| Nevada | $89,710 | $105,480 | $61,250 | $175,990 | 230 |
| North Carolina | $89,570 | $100,270 | $38,000 | $165,520 | 880 |
| Michigan | $86,720 | $98,540 | $55,180 | $162,420 | 1,020 |
| Arizona | $85,470 | $99,430 | $60,320 | $151,370 | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $85,370 | $97,430 | $54,890 | $149,510 | 580 |
| Iowa | $80,560 | $84,410 | $51,160 | $121,130 | 370 |
| Texas | $79,930 | $94,990 | $46,940 | $161,430 | 2,690 |
| Maine | $78,200 | $79,010 | $37,990 | $127,650 | 80 |
| Montana | $77,240 | $80,180 | $48,030 | $129,380 | 50 |
| Alabama | $77,140 | $81,740 | $50,450 | $123,910 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $75,820 | $96,710 | $40,320 | $151,190 | 750 |
| Nebraska | $75,010 | $74,380 | $50,080 | $94,740 | 150 |
| Idaho | $74,990 | $100,100 | $25,180 | $189,480 | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $72,740 | $81,850 | $50,330 | $129,960 | 190 |
| Kansas | $69,840 | $77,270 | $32,720 | $131,510 | 360 |
| Kentucky | $68,420 | $79,340 | $52,000 | $112,700 | 290 |
| Arkansas | $67,320 | $75,590 | $41,650 | $129,970 | 140 |
| South Carolina | $66,130 | $82,600 | $45,760 | $149,280 | 340 |
| Louisiana | $66,030 | $80,030 | $50,370 | $131,530 | 130 |
| Rhode Island | $65,270 | $87,200 | $54,070 | $171,260 | 110 |
| Alaska | $60,980 | $64,690 | $38,620 | $95,630 | 40 |
| New Mexico | $59,740 | $63,600 | $38,780 | $87,180 | 50 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for art directors. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Art Administrator (Art Admin) or Art Coordinator frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Art Directors compares to others in the 27 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Art Directors
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.