Side-by-side distribution
Art Director
$155,557
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 42.9%
- Live roles
- 380
Graphic Designer
$100,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.5%
- Live roles
- 680
Highest-paying jobs
Design Director, Core Experience
Director, Product Design
Design Director, Visual Systems
Art Director, Claude
Director Product Design - Structured Modes
Sr Director, Sound Design
Director, Design Verification
Director, Product Design
Executive Director, Motion Design
Director, User Research - Product Design
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Brand Designer
Staff Visual Designer, Design Lab
Senior Staff Visual Designer, Design Lab
Brand Designer
Brand Designer
UI/UX Visual Designer - AI Trainer
Graphic Designer - AI Trainer
Lead Brand / UI Designer - Automotive
Web/Brand/Visual Designer
Staff Brand Designer, Interactive
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Omnicom Media
|
$115,000 | 7 |
| DE DEPT® | $146,000 | 5 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$141,811 | 5 |
Ogilvy
|
$100,000 | 5 |
Filevine
|
$125,000 | 4 |
VML
|
$122,927 | 4 |
| SX SALT XC | $97,000 | 4 |
The New York Times
|
$132,990 | 3 |
Mindrift
NoGigiddy
Highwire
IDEO
Sierra
Suno
TP-Link Systems Inc.
Art Director salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $214,304 | 14 |
| Seattle | $214,304 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $162,500 | 13 |
| New York | $156,423 | 54 |
| Atlanta | $155,000 | 3 |
| London | $125,498 | 9 |
| Chicago | $115,000 | 7 |
| Denver | $95,000 | 3 |
| Toronto | $80,855 | 7 |
Graphic Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $162,500 | 34 |
| New York | $108,750 | 44 |
| Los Angeles | $90,750 | 10 |
| London | $86,016 | 9 |
| Toronto | $83,000 | 9 |
| Chicago | $65,120 | 7 |
Art Director vs Graphic Designer: which pays more?
The median for Art Director is $155,557 per year (typically $115,000–$213,500), versus $100,000 for Graphic Designer ($75,000–$150,000). That puts Art Director about 56% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Art 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.