Career Profile: Art Directors

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 121,500 people employed as art directors in the United States. The median annual salary is $100,890. Entry level employees earn approximately $57,220 per year and senior employees earn approximately $194,130 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices.
• Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production.
• Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained.
• Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends.
• Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing.
• Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
• Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
• Present final layouts to clients for approval.
• Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
• Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
• Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.
• Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
• Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.
• Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed.
• Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
• Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.

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