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Creative Director Average Salary in United States 2024

How much money does a person working as Creative Director make in United States?


Average Yearly Salary
92,300 USD
( 7,690 USD monthly)

LOW
44,300
USD
AVERAGE
92,300
USD
HIGH
145,000
USD
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
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.

A person working as Creative Director in United States typically earns around 92,300 USD. Salaries range from 44,300 USD (lowest) to 145,000 USD (highest).


Salary Variance

This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Creative Director salaries in United States 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 United States

Median and salary distribution United States Creative Director yearly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
86,200 USD or more
10% of people earn
76,000 to 86,200 USD
20% of people earn
53,400 USD or less
65% of people earn
53,400 to 76,000 USD
Minimum Salary
44,300 USD
Median
86,800 USD
Maximum
145,000 USD




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Creative Director in United States range from 44,300 USD (starting salary) to 145,000 USD (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 86,800 USD, half of the professionals who work as Creative Director in United States 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 United States earn less than 70,600 USD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 99,500 USD 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 United States compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 53,400 USD to 76,000 USD. About 20% of salaries are below the 53,400 USD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 76,000 USD to 86,200 USD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 86,200 USD.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Creative Director / United States

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
51,800 USD
2 - 5 Years+42%
73,500 USD
5 - 10 Years+31%
96,600 USD
10 - 15 Years+23%
119,000 USD
15 - 20 Years+6%
126,000 USD
20+ Years+10%
138,000 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience yearly United States Creative Director
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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.


All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 51,800 USD.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 73,500 USD, 42% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 96,600 USD, 31% 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 119,000 USD, 23% 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 126,000 USD, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 138,000 USD, 10% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Creative Director / United States

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
64,400 USD
Certificate or Diploma+16%
74,500 USD
Bachelor's Degree+46%
109,000 USD
Master's Degree+23%
134,000 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level yearly United States Creative Director
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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 64,400 USD.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 74,500 USD, 16% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 109,000 USD, 46% more than the previous level.


Level 4: Master's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 134,000 USD, 23% 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 United States costs anywhere from 39,600 USD to 119,000 USD 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 Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Creative Director / United States

Salary comparison by gender United States Creative Director yearly
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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 United States, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.

Male
94,700 USD
Female-5%
90,300 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly United States
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Creative Director / United States

How much are annual salary increments in United States for individuals working as Creative Director? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Creative Director in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate United States Creative Director
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

United States / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate United States
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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

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in United States is 6%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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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 / United States

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate United States Creative Director
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42% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 58% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
58%
No Bonus
42%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, 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 Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These 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 GeneratorsSupporting 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:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


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.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

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 / United States


44 USD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Creative Director in United States is 44 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

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 United States is 21 USD. 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 TitleAverage Salary
Advertising / Graphic Design / Events-100%
Advertisement Fraud Analyst104,000 USD+13%
Advertising Account Executive103,000 USD+12%
Advertising Account Manager115,000 USD+25%
Advertising Account Planner58,700 USD-36%
Advertising and Promotions Manager159,000 USD+72%
Advertising Coordinator72,700 USD-21%
Advertising Data Analyst98,600 USD+7%
Advertising Manager151,000 USD+64%
Advertising Operations Manager160,000 USD+73%
Advertising Sales Director167,000 USD+81%
Advertising Strategic Planner103,000 USD+12%
Advertising Team Leader91,400 USD-1%
Animation Director129,000 USD+40%
Animator71,800 USD-22%
Art Director92,000 USD-0%
Art Manager97,500 USD+6%
Artificial Intelligence Advertising Analyst101,000 USD+9%
Artist75,600 USD-18%
Artworker56,600 USD-39%
Assistant Art Director74,700 USD-19%
Audio and Video Equipment Technician56,800 USD-38%
Audio Engineer68,400 USD-26%
Audiosual Technician55,300 USD-40%
Branding Consultant118,000 USD+28%
Broadcast Administrator102,000 USD+11%
Catering Sales64,300 USD-30%
Catering Trainer69,700 USD-24%
Color Consultant65,000 USD-30%
Commercial and Industrial Designer59,300 USD-36%
Conference Organiser71,100 USD-23%
Content and Media Production Lead109,000 USD+18%
CopyWriter67,500 USD-27%
Creative Content Strategist117,000 USD+27%
Creative Designer73,700 USD-20%
Creative Director92,300 USD+0%
Creative Technologist120,000 USD+30%
Crowd Management Specialist95,200 USD+3%
Design Strategist102,000 USD+11%
Designer 53,200 USD-42%
Desktop Publisher48,300 USD-48%
Digital Campaign Manager98,900 USD+7%
Digital Media Manager118,000 USD+28%
Digital Media Strategist115,000 USD+25%
Director of Events156,000 USD+69%
Director of Graphic Design90,700 USD-2%
Director of Social Media Marketing123,000 USD+33%
Event Experience Designer110,000 USD+19%
Event Security Specialist88,700 USD-4%
Event Technology Consultant94,300 USD+2%
Event Technology Integration Specialist91,000 USD-1%
Events and Promotions Manager160,000 USD+73%
Events Director166,000 USD+80%
Exhibit Designer76,600 USD-17%
Exhibit Display Coordinator70,400 USD-24%
Exhibit Display Manager96,600 USD+5%
Experiential Designer91,600 USD-1%
Finisher47,700 USD-48%
Gamification Specialist101,000 USD+9%
Graphic Artist59,500 USD-36%
Graphic Design Specialist67,900 USD-26%
Graphic Designer61,500 USD-33%
Graphics Artist58,200 USD-37%
Graphics Design Supervisor85,200 USD-8%
Group Creative Director103,000 USD+12%
Imagery Analyst58,000 USD-37%
Imaging Technologist54,000 USD-41%
Immersive Storyteller80,300 USD-13%
Interaction Designer46,700 USD-49%
Lead Generation Specialist119,000 USD+29%
Media Analyst78,900 USD-14%
Media Executive95,700 USD+4%
Media Planner82,800 USD-10%
Media Production Coordinator69,200 USD-25%
Media Production Manager128,000 USD+39%
Media Project Manager132,000 USD+43%
Media Relations Representative106,000 USD+15%
Media Sales Executive126,000 USD+37%
Meeting and Event Planner73,300 USD-21%
Mobile Advertising Specialist115,000 USD+25%
Motion Graphic Artist74,500 USD-19%
Motion Graphics Designer76,700 USD-17%
Multimedia Artist63,200 USD-32%
Multimedia Specialist54,000 USD-41%
NFT Designer70,100 USD-24%
NFT Specialist77,600 USD-16%
Photographer51,900 USD-44%
PPC Campaign Manager94,800 USD+3%
Print Production Manager105,000 USD+14%
Product and Brand Manager156,000 USD+69%
Sales Promotion Manager153,000 USD+66%
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO)67,000 USD-27%
Sketch Artist64,400 USD-30%
Social Media Event Strategist80,500 USD-13%
Social Media Executive118,000 USD+28%
Social Media Graphic Designer71,700 USD-22%
Social Media Manager122,000 USD+32%
Social Media Marketing Manager127,000 USD+38%
Social Media Strategist117,000 USD+27%
Special Events Supervisor96,600 USD+5%
Technical Typist42,300 USD-54%
User Experience UX Designer67,800 USD-27%
UX Designer59,900 USD-35%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Advertiser90,400 USD-2%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Event Producer80,400 USD-13%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Showroom Designer74,500 USD-19%
Virtual Events Planner81,800 USD-11%
Virtual Trade Show Manager73,400 USD-20%
Voice Search Optimization Specialist100,000 USD+8%
Web Accessibility Designer79,500 USD-14%
Web3 Designer75,600 USD-18%
Webinar Designer83,800 USD-9%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Boston99,200 USD
Chicago117,000 USD
Houston107,000 USD
Las Vegas93,300 USD
Los Angeles114,000 USD
New York115,000 USD
San Francisco97,600 USD
San Jose106,000 USD

Salary Comparison By State

StateAverage Salary
Alabama101,000 USD
Alaska84,000 USD
Arizona105,000 USD
Arkansas92,200 USD
California111,000 USD
Colorado94,800 USD
Connecticut96,600 USD
Delaware85,300 USD
District of Columbia87,700 USD
Florida104,000 USD
Georgia107,000 USD
Hawaii86,800 USD
Idaho91,200 USD
Illinois102,000 USD
Indiana103,000 USD
Iowa90,200 USD
Kansas94,700 USD
Kentucky92,700 USD
Louisiana97,400 USD
Maine85,200 USD
Maryland101,000 USD
Massachusetts96,000 USD
Michigan105,000 USD
Minnesota94,000 USD
Mississippi93,000 USD
Missouri94,700 USD
Montana88,000 USD
Nebraska86,300 USD
Nevada92,700 USD
New Hampshire84,300 USD
New Jersey103,000 USD
New Mexico86,900 USD
New York107,000 USD
North Carolina98,400 USD
North Dakota84,500 USD
Ohio110,000 USD
Oklahoma94,800 USD
Oregon99,400 USD
Pennsylvania105,000 USD
Rhode Island90,300 USD
South Carolina96,300 USD
South Dakota90,100 USD
Tennessee99,800 USD
Texas112,000 USD
Utah90,200 USD
Vermont87,800 USD
Virginia101,000 USD
Washington105,000 USD
West Virginia88,900 USD
Wisconsin102,000 USD
Wyoming82,200 USD

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 United States is 5% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
92,800 USD
Public Sector+5%
97,500 USD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Creative Director in United States?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 86,800 USD and 99,500 USD. 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 United States ranges from 44,300 USD to 70,600 USD. 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


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