Creative Director Average Salary in Sydney 2024
How much money does a person working as Creative Director make in Sydney?
LOW
50,600
AUD AVERAGE
103,000
AUD HIGH
161,000
AUD
A person working as Creative Director in Sydney typically earns around 103,000 AUD. Salaries range from 50,600 AUD (lowest) to 161,000 AUD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Creative Director salaries in Sydney vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Creative Director Pay Scale and Salaries in Sydney
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
95,700 AUD or more
84,500 to 95,700 AUD
60,000 AUD or less
60,000 to 84,500 AUD
 50,600 AUD |
96,300 AUD |
161,000 AUD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Creative Director in Sydney range from 50,600 AUD (starting salary) to 161,000 AUD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 96,300 AUD, half of the professionals who work as Creative Director in Sydney earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Creative Director in Sydney earn less than 78,700 AUD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 110,000 AUD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Creative Director in Sydney compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 60,000 AUD to 84,500 AUD. About 20% of salaries are below the 60,000 AUD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 84,500 AUD to 95,700 AUD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 95,700 AUD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Creative Director / Sydney
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 60,000 AUD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +29% | 77,100 AUD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +38% | 106,000 AUD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +24% | 132,000 AUD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +7% | 141,000 AUD |
| 20+ Years | +7% | 151,000 AUD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Creative Director and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 60,000 AUD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 77,100 AUD, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 106,000 AUD, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 132,000 AUD, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 141,000 AUD, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 151,000 AUD, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Creative Director / Sydney
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Creative Director.
| High School | 74,900 AUD | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +15% | 85,900 AUD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +35% | 116,000 AUD |
| Master's Degree | +26% | 146,000 AUD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Creative Director in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 74,900 AUD.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 85,900 AUD, 15% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 116,000 AUD, 35% more than the previous level.
Level 4: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 146,000 AUD, 26% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Australia costs anywhere from 38,000 AUD to 114,000 AUD and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Creative Director / Sydney
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Creative Director in Australia, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
| Male | 93,900 AUD | |
| Female | -5% | 89,500 AUD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Australia for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Creative Director / Sydney
How much are annual salary increments in Sydney for individuals working as Creative Director? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Creative Director in Australia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
Australia / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Creative Director / Australia
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | % | |
| No Bonus | 100% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Creative Director / Sydney
50 AUD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Creative Director in Sydney is 50 AUD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Creative Director in Sydney is 24 AUD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Advertising / Graphic Design / Events |  -100% | |
| Advertisement Fraud Analyst | 107,000 AUD |  +4% |
| Advertising Account Executive | 116,000 AUD | +12% |
| Advertising Account Manager | 130,000 AUD | +26% |
| Advertising Account Planner | 62,300 AUD | -40% |
| Advertising and Promotions Manager | 175,000 AUD | +70% |
| Advertising Coordinator | 78,200 AUD | -24% |
| Advertising Data Analyst | 107,000 AUD | +4% |
| Advertising Manager | 172,000 AUD | +67% |
| Advertising Operations Manager | 174,000 AUD | +69% |
| Advertising Sales Director | 183,000 AUD | +77% |
| Advertising Strategic Planner | 114,000 AUD | +10% |
| Advertising Team Leader | 99,300 AUD | -4% |
| Animation Director | 135,000 AUD | +31% |
| Animator | 75,300 AUD | -27% |
| Art Director | 102,000 AUD | -1% |
| Art Manager | 99,600 AUD | -3% |
| Artificial Intelligence Advertising Analyst | 110,000 AUD | +7% |
| Artist | 81,900 AUD | -21% |
| Artworker | 64,600 AUD | -37% |
| Assistant Art Director | 79,500 AUD | -23% |
| Audio and Video Equipment Technician | 62,200 AUD | -40% |
| Audio Engineer | 69,100 AUD | -33% |
| Audiosual Technician | 57,300 AUD | -44% |
| Branding Consultant | 128,000 AUD | +24% |
| Broadcast Administrator | 112,000 AUD | +9% |
| Catering Sales | 67,500 AUD | -35% |
| Catering Trainer | 77,500 AUD | -25% |
| Color Consultant | 69,500 AUD | -33% |
| Commercial and Industrial Designer | 61,100 AUD | -41% |
| Conference Organiser | 76,300 AUD | -26% |
| Content and Media Production Lead | 115,000 AUD | +11% |
| CopyWriter | 71,300 AUD | -31% |
| Creative Content Strategist | 126,000 AUD | +22% |
| Creative Designer | 75,000 AUD | -27% |
| Creative Director | 103,000 AUD | -0% |
| Creative Technologist | 125,000 AUD | +21% |
| Crowd Management Specialist | 101,000 AUD | -2% |
| Design Strategist | 103,000 AUD | -0% |
| Designer | 59,800 AUD | -42% |
| Desktop Publisher | 51,700 AUD | -50% |
| Digital Campaign Manager | 113,000 AUD | +9% |
| Digital Media Manager | 125,000 AUD | +21% |
| Digital Media Strategist | 129,000 AUD | +25% |
| Director of Events | 175,000 AUD | +70% |
| Director of Graphic Design | 97,200 AUD | -6% |
| Director of Social Media Marketing | 132,000 AUD | +28% |
| Event Experience Designer | 118,000 AUD | +14% |
| Event Security Specialist | 101,000 AUD | -2% |
| Event Technology Consultant | 102,000 AUD | -1% |
| Event Technology Integration Specialist | 94,900 AUD | -8% |
| Events and Promotions Manager | 165,000 AUD | +60% |
| Events Director | 171,000 AUD | +66% |
| Exhibit Designer | 81,100 AUD | -21% |
| Exhibit Display Coordinator | 76,700 AUD | -26% |
| Exhibit Display Manager | 101,000 AUD | -2% |
| Experiential Designer | 100,000 AUD | -3% |
| Finisher | 52,300 AUD | -49% |
| Gamification Specialist | 109,000 AUD | +6% |
| Graphic Artist | 61,700 AUD | -40% |
| Graphic Design Specialist | 74,600 AUD | -28% |
| Graphic Designer | 67,900 AUD | -34% |
| Graphics Artist | 64,100 AUD | -38% |
| Graphics Design Supervisor | 85,900 AUD | -17% |
| Group Creative Director | 117,000 AUD | +13% |
| Imagery Analyst | 60,100 AUD | -42% |
| Imaging Technologist | 59,400 AUD | -42% |
| Immersive Storyteller | 88,000 AUD | -15% |
| Interaction Designer | 50,300 AUD | -51% |
| Lead Generation Specialist | 127,000 AUD | +23% |
| Media Analyst | 82,000 AUD | -21% |
| Media Executive | 105,000 AUD | +2% |
| Media Planner | 87,900 AUD | -15% |
| Media Production Coordinator | 75,900 AUD | -26% |
| Media Production Manager | 135,000 AUD | +31% |
| Media Project Manager | 132,000 AUD | +28% |
| Media Relations Representative | 111,000 AUD | +8% |
| Media Sales Executive | 128,000 AUD | +24% |
| Meeting and Event Planner | 78,300 AUD | -24% |
| Mobile Advertising Specialist | 131,000 AUD | +27% |
| Motion Graphic Artist | 80,500 AUD | -22% |
| Motion Graphics Designer | 87,800 AUD | -15% |
| Multimedia Artist | 63,700 AUD | -38% |
| Multimedia Specialist | 59,400 AUD | -42% |
| NFT Designer | 70,400 AUD | -32% |
| NFT Specialist | 82,800 AUD | -20% |
| Photographer | 58,400 AUD | -43% |
| PPC Campaign Manager | 105,000 AUD | +2% |
| Print Production Manager | 114,000 AUD | +10% |
| Product and Brand Manager | 161,000 AUD | +56% |
| Sales Promotion Manager | 154,000 AUD | +49% |
| Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO) | 73,300 AUD | -29% |
| Sketch Artist | 69,100 AUD | -33% |
| Social Media Event Strategist | 89,300 AUD | -13% |
| Social Media Executive | 132,000 AUD | +28% |
| Social Media Graphic Designer | 76,300 AUD | -26% |
| Social Media Manager | 130,000 AUD | +26% |
| Social Media Marketing Manager | 133,000 AUD | +29% |
| Social Media Strategist | 127,000 AUD | +23% |
| Special Events Supervisor | 99,900 AUD | -3% |
| Technical Typist | 48,000 AUD | -53% |
| User Experience UX Designer | 69,000 AUD | -33% |
| UX Designer | 63,000 AUD | -39% |
| Virtual / Augmented Reality Advertiser | 101,000 AUD | -2% |
| Virtual / Augmented Reality Event Producer | 83,500 AUD | -19% |
| Virtual / Augmented Reality Showroom Designer | 79,100 AUD | -23% |
| Virtual Events Planner | 90,100 AUD | -13% |
| Virtual Trade Show Manager | 76,800 AUD | -26% |
| Voice Search Optimization Specialist | 104,000 AUD | +1% |
| Web Accessibility Designer | 80,800 AUD | -22% |
| Web3 Designer | 82,700 AUD | -20% |
| Webinar Designer | 87,900 AUD | -15% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Melbourne | 96,200 AUD |
| Sydney | 103,000 AUD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Australia is 5% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 89,000 AUD | |
| Public Sector | +5% | 93,400 AUD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Creative Director in Sydney?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 96,300 AUD and 110,000 AUD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Creative Director in Sydney ranges from 50,600 AUD to 78,700 AUD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
