Side-by-side distribution
Creative Director
$165,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.7%
- Live roles
- 274
Motion Designer
$126,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 26.8%
- Live roles
- 138
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
Staff Motion Designer
Senior Creative Motion Designer (Short Term)
Founding Motion Designer
Rive Motion Designer and Animator (Contract-to-Hire)
Motion Designer
Motion Designer
Motion Designer, Paid Social (Contract)
Senior Motion Designer
Motion Designer
Senior Motion 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 |
|---|---|---|
|
Highwire
|
$97,500 | 4 |
Wild Card Creative Group
|
$120,000 | 2 |
Chase Design Group
|
$88,750 | 2 |
| DE DEPT® | $65,000 | 2 |
|
Roblox
|
$207,740 | 1 |
|
Profound
|
$200,000 | 1 |
|
Harvey
|
$196,300 | 1 |
|
Sierra
|
$185,000 | 1 |
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 |
Motion Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $145,000 | 7 |
| New York | $133,250 | 10 |
| Toronto | $65,000 | 3 |
Creative Director vs Motion Designer: which pays more?
The median for Creative Director is $165,000 per year (typically $135,250–$199,375), versus $126,250 for Motion Designer ($88,750–$157,500). That puts Creative Director about 31% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Creative Director and Motion 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.