Side-by-side distribution
Creative Director
$165,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 52.4%
- Live roles
- 246
Motion Designer
$127,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 26.5%
- Live roles
- 136
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
Staff Motion Designer
Founding Motion Designer
Member of Creative Studio (Motion Designer)
Rive Motion Designer and Animator (Contract-to-Hire)
Motion Designer
Senior Video Producer and Motion Designer
Motion Designer
Senior Motion Designer
Motion Designer
Senior Motion Designer
Monks
VML
Braze
Weedmaps
TubeScience
Ogilvy
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 |
|
Profound
|
$200,000 | 1 |
|
Harvey
|
$196,300 | 1 |
|
Perplexity
|
$195,000 | 1 |
|
Sierra
|
$185,000 | 1 |
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 |
Motion Designer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $176,000 | 6 |
| New York | $152,500 | 11 |
Creative Director vs Motion Designer: which pays more?
The median for Creative Director is $165,000 per year (typically $136,750–$193,750), versus $127,500 for Motion Designer ($85,000–$160,000). That puts Creative Director about 29% 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.