Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
27-1011 Art Directors
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. Excludes “Set and Exhibit Designers” (27-1027).
National estimates for Art Directors
Industry profile for Art Directors
Geographic profile for Art Directors
National estimates for Art Directors:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Art Directors:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 51,200 |
2.0 % |
$ 60.54 |
$ 125,920 |
1.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Art Directors:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 29.06 |
$ 37.97 |
$ 51.20 |
$ 74.84 |
$ 100.87 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 60,440 |
$ 78,970 |
$ 106,500 |
$ 155,680 |
$ 209,800 |
Industry profile for Art Directors:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Art Directors are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Art Directors, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Art Directors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services |
15,260 |
3.05 |
$ 61.16 |
$ 127,210 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries |
3,610 |
0.89 |
$ 75.82 |
$ 157,700 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services |
3,460 |
0.19 |
$ 55.62 |
$ 115,700 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers |
3,080 |
1.05 |
$ 49.66 |
$ 103,290 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
3,020 |
0.12 |
$ 69.79 |
$ 145,150 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Art Directors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services |
15,260 |
3.05 |
$ 61.16 |
$ 127,210 |
| Specialized Design Services |
2,970 |
1.92 |
$ 56.25 |
$ 117,010 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers |
3,080 |
1.05 |
$ 49.66 |
$ 103,290 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries |
3,610 |
0.89 |
$ 75.82 |
$ 157,700 |
| Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures |
210 |
0.66 |
(8) |
(8) |
Top paying industries for Art Directors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Software Publishers |
1,150 |
0.18 |
$ 86.67 |
$ 180,280 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services |
450 |
0.09 |
$ 79.61 |
$ 165,580 |
| Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services |
200 |
0.11 |
$ 77.34 |
$ 160,860 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries |
3,610 |
0.89 |
$ 75.82 |
$ 157,700 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities |
40 |
(7) |
$ 74.57 |
$ 155,100 |
Geographic profile for Art Directors:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Art Directors are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Art Directors, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Art Directors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
11,340 |
0.63 |
1.87 |
$ 71.18 |
$ 148,060 |
| New York |
8,680 |
0.92 |
2.74 |
$ 77.64 |
$ 161,490 |
| Illinois |
3,520 |
0.59 |
1.74 |
$ 54.58 |
$ 113,520 |
| Texas |
3,100 |
0.23 |
0.68 |
$ 45.64 |
$ 94,940 |
| Florida |
2,290 |
0.24 |
0.71 |
$ 47.28 |
$ 98,350 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Art Directors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York |
8,680 |
0.92 |
2.74 |
$ 77.64 |
$ 161,490 |
| District of Columbia |
600 |
0.85 |
2.53 |
$ 70.49 |
$ 146,630 |
| California |
11,340 |
0.63 |
1.87 |
$ 71.18 |
$ 148,060 |
| Illinois |
3,520 |
0.59 |
1.74 |
$ 54.58 |
$ 113,520 |
| New Jersey |
2,070 |
0.49 |
1.46 |
$ 62.89 |
$ 130,820 |
Top paying states for Art Directors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York |
8,680 |
0.92 |
2.74 |
$ 77.64 |
$ 161,490 |
| Washington |
1,170 |
0.33 |
0.99 |
$ 73.81 |
$ 153,530 |
| California |
11,340 |
0.63 |
1.87 |
$ 71.18 |
$ 148,060 |
| District of Columbia |
600 |
0.85 |
2.53 |
$ 70.49 |
$ 146,630 |
| New Jersey |
2,070 |
0.49 |
1.46 |
$ 62.89 |
$ 130,820 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Art Directors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
9,320 |
0.98 |
2.91 |
$ 77.44 |
$ 161,070 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
6,370 |
1.03 |
3.06 |
$ 72.47 |
$ 150,740 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,870 |
0.64 |
1.89 |
$ 55.27 |
$ 114,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
2,160 |
0.89 |
2.64 |
$ 78.00 |
$ 162,240 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,240 |
0.31 |
0.92 |
$ 42.25 |
$ 87,880 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,090 |
0.35 |
1.05 |
$ 62.69 |
$ 130,400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
990 |
0.36 |
1.06 |
$ 62.00 |
$ 128,950 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
980 |
0.47 |
1.40 |
$ 76.99 |
$ 160,140 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
930 |
0.34 |
1.01 |
$ 47.67 |
$ 99,150 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
830 |
0.43 |
1.29 |
$ 52.63 |
$ 109,460 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Art Directors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
6,370 |
1.03 |
3.06 |
$ 72.47 |
$ 150,740 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
9,320 |
0.98 |
2.91 |
$ 77.44 |
$ 161,070 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
2,160 |
0.89 |
2.64 |
$ 78.00 |
$ 162,240 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
300 |
0.76 |
2.25 |
$ 50.70 |
$ 105,450 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,870 |
0.64 |
1.89 |
$ 55.27 |
$ 114,970 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
770 |
0.64 |
1.88 |
$ 58.64 |
$ 121,970 |
| Salt Lake City, UT |
460 |
0.57 |
1.70 |
$ 39.30 |
$ 81,740 |
| Santa Fe, NM |
30 |
0.55 |
1.63 |
$ 38.39 |
$ 79,860 |
| Toledo, OH |
150 |
0.53 |
1.56 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Trenton, NJ |
130 |
0.53 |
1.56 |
$ 58.04 |
$ 120,710 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Art Directors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
810 |
0.29 |
0.85 |
$ 79.13 |
$ 164,580 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
2,160 |
0.89 |
2.64 |
$ 78.00 |
$ 162,240 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
570 |
0.50 |
1.48 |
$ 77.74 |
$ 161,690 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
9,320 |
0.98 |
2.91 |
$ 77.44 |
$ 161,070 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
980 |
0.47 |
1.40 |
$ 76.99 |
$ 160,140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
6,370 |
1.03 |
3.06 |
$ 72.47 |
$ 150,740 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,090 |
0.35 |
1.05 |
$ 62.69 |
$ 130,400 |
| Syracuse, NY |
60 |
0.22 |
0.64 |
$ 62.35 |
$ 129,680 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
990 |
0.36 |
1.06 |
$ 62.00 |
$ 128,950 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA |
70 |
0.34 |
1.01 |
$ 61.37 |
$ 127,650 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Art Directors:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Art Directors:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Art Directors:
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
