What is an Art Director?
Art Director Job Description Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual communications media, such as print, broadcasting, and advertising. Direct workers engaged in art work or layout design.
Art Director Responsibilities
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
- Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
- Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
- Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices.
- Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
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What an Art Director Should Know
When polled, Art Directors say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Creative Director
- Art Director
- Creative Services Designer
- Presentation Specialist
- Arts Administrator
Is There Going to be Demand for Art Directors?
There were about 90,300 jobs for Art Director in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,900 new jobs for Art Director by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 7,700 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Art Director are Washington, Utah, and Oregon. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or West Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does an Art Director Make?
The salary for Art Directors ranges between about $52,160 and $172,570 a year.

Art Directors who work in California, New York, or New Mexico, make the highest salaries.
How much do Art Directors make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $82,670 |
Alaska | $91,510 |
Arizona | $74,270 |
Arkansas | $67,030 |
California | $127,630 |
Colorado | $92,440 |
Connecticut | $96,780 |
Delaware | $99,760 |
District of Columbia | $78,270 |
Florida | $78,840 |
Georgia | $111,500 |
Hawaii | $75,120 |
Idaho | $69,230 |
Illinois | $99,800 |
Indiana | $82,720 |
Iowa | $75,110 |
Kansas | $82,340 |
Kentucky | $75,540 |
Louisiana | $68,040 |
Maine | $93,590 |
Maryland | $74,850 |
Massachusetts | $97,810 |
Michigan | $87,330 |
Minnesota | $95,300 |
Mississippi | $58,350 |
Missouri | $91,090 |
Nebraska | $90,350 |
Nevada | $77,830 |
New Hampshire | $92,080 |
New Jersey | $104,820 |
New Mexico | $100,030 |
New York | $124,710 |
North Carolina | $96,680 |
North Dakota | $76,520 |
Ohio | $82,630 |
Oklahoma | $68,420 |
Oregon | $108,830 |
Pennsylvania | $98,410 |
Rhode Island | $83,690 |
South Carolina | $81,410 |
Tennessee | $78,320 |
Texas | $81,170 |
Utah | $103,570 |
Vermont | $86,740 |
Virginia | $91,770 |
Washington | $106,260 |
West Virginia | $89,760 |
Wisconsin | $78,920 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Art Directors
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Art Directors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- JavaScript
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- jQuery
- Data visualization software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
- Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver
- WordPress
- Adobe Systems Adobe Flash
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Apple macOS
How do I Become an Art Director?
What education is needed to be an Art Director?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Art Directors?

Art Directors work in the following industries:

References:
Image Credit: Szilas in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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