Side-by-side distribution
Creative Director
$165,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 52.4%
- Live roles
- 246
Graphic Designer
$100,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.5%
- Live roles
- 680
Highest-paying jobs
Head of Creative, Business
Creative Director
Creative Director, Marketing
Head of Creative
Head of Creative Operations
Head of Brand Creative
Creative Director
Creative Director
Creative Director
Director, Creative Operations
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
Highwire
Monks
VML
Braze
Weedmaps
TubeScience
Ogilvy
Mindrift
NoGigiddy
IDEO
Sierra
Suno
TP-Link Systems Inc.
Creative Director salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| London | $216,252 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $199,125 | 20 |
| New York | $175,000 | 51 |
| Chicago | $173,000 | 6 |
| Austin | $171,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 13 |
| Toronto | $104,361 | 6 |
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 |
Creative Director vs Graphic Designer: which pays more?
The median for Creative Director is $165,000 per year (typically $136,750–$193,750), versus $100,000 for Graphic Designer ($75,000–$150,000). That puts Creative Director about 65% 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.