How much should I pay a art directors in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Art Directors is $114,858 to $162,635 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows professional services wages growing about 2.5% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a art directors?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $82,472 is below market, $114,858 to $162,635 is competitive, and above $162,635 is above market for Art Directors.

How is art directors pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 3.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI). Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Art Directors Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 27-1011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$114,858

$55.22/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Art Directors salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$65K

P25$82K

P50$115K

P75$163K

P90$213K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

🔥

Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $114,858 to $162,635 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Art Directors pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 3.3 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Art Directors is $114,858 per year ($55.22/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $82,472 and $162,635 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $213,054 per year. There are approximately 53,070 art directors employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+4.2%

Faster than average

Annual openings

12K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

135K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree

Experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800	16K	$121,490
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600	5K	$95,200
Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100	3K	$136,020
Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100	3K	$142,570
Specialized Design Services NAICS 541400	3K	$107,990

Wage range across top 5 industries: $95,200 to $142,570 (50% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$31.20	$64,896
P25	$39.65	$82,472
P50MEDIAN	$55.22	$114,858
P75	$78.19	$162,635
P90	$102.43	$213,054

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · professional sector

Hot

Openings Rate

5.5%

Quits Rate

2.2%

Professional & Business Services openings eased to 1.30M in June (-71K), rate 5.5% -- still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%. White-collar demand is cooling at the edges but remains the tightest market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average art directors salary?

The national median salary for Art Directors is $114,858 per year ($55.22/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $82,472 and $162,635 annually.

How much do top-earning art directors make?

The 90th percentile salary for Art Directors is $213,054 per year ($102.43/hr). The 75th percentile is $162,635 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for art directors?

Entry-level Art Directors (10th percentile) earn approximately $64,896 per year ($31.20/hr). The 25th percentile is $82,472 per year.

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Art Directors Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California12,430 workers New York8,720 workers Illinois2,960 workers Florida2,520 workers Texas2,480 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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