Side-by-side distribution
Creative Director
$165,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.7%
- Live roles
- 274
Graphic Designer
$105,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.4%
- Live roles
- 630
Highest-paying jobs
Creative Director
Head of Creative
Head of Creative Operations
Head of Brand Creative
Creative Director
Creative Director
Creative Director
Creative Director, Demand Gen
Director, Creative Operations
Creative Director, Marketing
Highest-paying jobs
Brand Designer
Visual Designer, Web
Principal Brand Designer
Staff Visual Designer, Design Lab
Senior Staff Visual Designer, Design Lab
Brand Designer
Graphic Designer - AI Trainer
UI/UX Visual Designer - AI Trainer
Lead Brand / UI Designer - Automotive
Lead Brand/Visual Designer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Monks
|
$168,750 | 12 |
Highwire
|
$130,000 | 9 |
SharkNinja
|
$152,500 | 5 |
Braze
|
$175,250 | 4 |
TubeScience
|
$150,000 | 3 |
Ogilvy
|
$127,500 | 3 |
VML
|
$80,855 | 3 |
Peregrine Technologies
|
$262,500 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Mindrift
|
$104,000 | 12 |
NoGigiddy
|
$46,800 | 12 |
|
Highwire
|
$92,500 | 6 |
IDEO
|
$90,000 | 5 |
Brex
|
$210,500 | 3 |
TP-Link Systems Inc.
|
$105,000 | 3 |
CoCreativ
|
$100,000 | 3 |
CannonDesign
|
$59,619 | 3 |
Creative Director salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $216,252 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $179,750 | 20 |
| Boston | $171,250 | 4 |
| Austin | $170,000 | 9 |
| Chicago | $170,000 | 10 |
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 21 |
| New York | $165,000 | 55 |
| Atlanta | $165,000 | 3 |
| Toronto | $105,079 | 6 |
Graphic Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $169,975 | 38 |
| New York | $112,500 | 53 |
| Berlin | $108,632 | 3 |
| London | $104,000 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | $80,033 | 8 |
| Chicago | $70,000 | 9 |
| Toronto | $58,019 | 7 |
| Seattle | $46,800 | 3 |
Creative Director vs Graphic Designer: which pays more?
The median for Creative Director is $165,000 per year (typically $135,250–$199,375), versus $105,000 for Graphic Designer ($76,066–$156,000). That puts Creative Director about 57% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Creative Director and Graphic Designer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.