### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Art Directors Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			art directors imageArt directors oversee the work of other designers and artists who produce images for television, film, advertisements, or video games.							
						Quick Facts:     Art Directors2023     Median Pay
            						$106,500     per year
										$51.20     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Bachelor's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    5 years or moreOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    135,100Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    6% (Faster than average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    8,200What Art Directors Do
                                                
                        
                        
Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Most art directors are self-employed. Others work for advertising and public relations firms, newspaper and magazine publishers, motion picture and video industries, and specialized design services firms.
            
                                                How to Become an Art Director
                                                
                        
Art directors need at least a bachelor’s degree in an art or design subject and previous work experience. Depending on the industry, art directors may have previously worked as graphic designers, illustrators, copy editors, or photographers, or in another art or design occupation.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for art directors was $106,500 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of art directors is projected to grow							 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
						About 13,800 openings for art directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for art directors.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of art directors with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about art directors by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Art Directors Do 
            

			Art directorsArt directors determine which photographs, art, or other design elements to use.			
Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions. They create the overall design and direct others who develop artwork or layouts.
Duties
Art directors typically do the following:
Determine how best to represent a concept visually
Determine which photographs, art, or other design elements to use
Develop the overall look or style of a publication, an advertising campaign, or a theater, television, or film set
Manage graphic designers, set and exhibit designers, or other design staff
Review and approve designs, artwork, photography, and graphics developed by other staff members
Talk to clients to develop an artistic approach and style
Coordinate activities with other artistic and creative departments
Develop detailed budgets and timelines
Present designs to clients for approvalArt directors typically oversee the work of other designers and artists who produce images for television, film, live performances, advertisements, or video games. They determine the overall style in which a message is communicated visually to its audience. For each project, they articulate their vision to artists. The artists then create images, such as illustrations, graphics, photographs, or charts and graphs, or design stage and movie sets, according to the art director’s vision.
Art directors work with art and design staffs in advertising agencies, public relations firms, or book, magazine, or newspaper publishing to create designs and layouts. They also work with producers and directors of theater, television, or movie productions to oversee set designs. Their work requires them to understand the design elements of projects, inspire other creative workers, and keep projects on budget and on time. Sometimes they are responsible for developing budgets and timelines.
The following are some specifics of what art directors do in different industries:
***In advertising and public relations***, art directors ensure that their clients’ desired message and image are conveyed to consumers. Art directors are responsible for the overall visual aspects of an advertising or media campaign and coordinate the work of other artistic or design staff, such as graphic designers.
***I******n publishing***, art directors typically oversee the page layout of catalogs, newspapers, or magazines. They also choose the cover art for books and periodicals. Often, this work includes publications for the Internet, so art directors oversee production of the websites used for publication.
***In movie production***, art directors collaborate with directors to determine what sets will be needed for the film and what style or look the sets should have. They hire and supervise a staff of assistant art directors or set designers to complete designs.
 Work Environment
			Art directorsArt directors determine how best to represent a concept visually.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Art directors held about 135,100 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of art directors were as follows:
        Self-employed workers
                58%Advertising, public relations, and related services
                13Motion picture and video industries
                3Specialized design services
                3Even though most art directors are self-employed, they must still collaborate with designers or other staff on visual effects or marketing teams. Art directors usually work in a fast-paced office environment, and they often work under pressure to meet strict deadlines.
 How to Become an Art Director

			Art directorsMany art directors start out as graphic designers or in another art occupation, such as fine artists or photographers.			
Art directors need at least a bachelor’s degree in an art or design subject and previous work experience. Depending on the industry, they may have worked as graphic designers, fine artists, editors, or photographers, or in another art or design occupation before becoming art directors.
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.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Most art directors have 5 or more years of work experience in another occupation before becoming art directors. Depending on the industry in which they previously worked, art directors may have had jobs as graphic designers, fine artists, editors, photographers, or in another art or design occupation.
For many artists, including art directors, developing a portfolio—a collection of an artist’s work that demonstrates his or her styles and abilities—is essential. Managers, clients, and others look at artists’ portfolios when they are deciding whether to hire an employee or contract for an art project.
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.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Art DirectorsMedian annual wages, May 2023Art directors$106,500  Art and design workers$51,660  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for art directors was $106,500 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $60,440, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $209,800.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for art directors in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Motion picture and video industries
                $133,260Specialized design services
                103,830Advertising, public relations, and related services
                102,750
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
               Art DirectorsPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Art directors6%  Total, all occupations3%  Art and design workers3%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of art directors is projected to grow				 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
			
			About 13,800 openings for art directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
As traditional print publications lose ground to other media forms, art directors are shifting their focus to the design of websites and mobile platforms. This shift in focus is expected to increase demand for art directors.
			

                        Employment projections data for     art directors, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Art directors**
			27-1011
			135,100
			143,200
			6
			8,200
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Art directors **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of art directors. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Craft and Fine Artists**
            Craft and fine artists use a variety of materials and techniques to create art for sale and exhibition.
            See How to Become One
            $52,910**Fashion Designers**
            Fashion designers create clothing, accessories, and footwear.
            Bachelor's degree
            $79,290**Graphic Designers**
            Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.
            Bachelor's degree
            $58,910**Industrial Designers**
            Industrial designers combine art, business, and engineering to develop the concepts for manufactured products.
            Bachelor's degree
            $76,250**Special Effects Artists and Animators**
            Special effects artists and animators create images that appear to move and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment.
            Bachelor's degree
            $99,060**Photographers**
            Photographers use their technical expertise, creativity, and composition skills to produce and preserve images.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $40,760**Writers and Authors**
            Writers and authors develop written content for various types of media.
            Bachelor's degree
            $73,690
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about art directors in film and television, visit:
Art Directors Guild

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Art Directors
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Art Directors, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


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