Salary distribution
Where New York art directors fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Art Directors in New York: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 108 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $143,435. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 37 | $90,106 |
| Level II — qualified | 18 | $132,500 |
| Level III — experienced | 13 | $166,400 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 27 | $233,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Art Directors in New York. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANOMALY PARTNERS LLC | CREATIVE DIRECTOR | 5 | $190,000 |
| WASSERMAN MEDIA GROUP LLC | Creative Project Manager | 3 | $95,000 |
| Bandits & Friends LLC | Art Director | 2 | $89,898 |
| JOHANNES LEONARDO LLC | SENIOR ART DIRECTOR | 2 | $135,000 |
| GroupeConnect LLC | Vice President Group Director, Creative | 2 | $242,000 |
| Nebula Systems Corporation | Art Director | 2 | $89,898 |
| PAIR TO PAIR INC | Creative Director | 2 | $125,299 |
| BUCK Design, LLC | Creative Director | 2 | $220,000 |
| The Ogilvy Group, LLC | Associate Creative Director | 2 | $275,000 |
| Marc Jacobs International, LLC | Art Director | 2 | $351,475 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Associate Creative Director at ANOMALY PARTNERS LLC$190,00010th FloorDecided Dec 29, 2025I-202-25353-499158
- Executive Creative Director at Atlassian US, Inc.$360,000BrooklynDecided Dec 29, 2025I-203-25353-499466
- Art Director at DBOX, Inc.$103,000New YorkDecided Dec 16, 2025I-200-25343-468762
- ART DIRECTOR at PACIFIC POLLEN INC.$208,000BROOKLYNDecided Dec 15, 2025I-203-25342-464054
- Art Director at Bandits & Friends LLC$89,898New YorkDecided Dec 12, 2025I-202-25339-461294
- Creative Director at Tamaluma Inc.$93,600New YorkDecided Nov 21, 2025I-203-25318-407881
- Design Director at Entropico Inc$125,000New YorkDecided Nov 18, 2025I-203-25314-395327
- Art Director at ecoATM, LLC (dba Gazelle)$156,146BrooklynDecided Nov 17, 2025I-203-25311-386535
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Art Directors pay by experience level in New York
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Art Directors specialties in New York
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 76 certified offers. The most common variant is Creative Director at a median of $125,299.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Director | ANOMALY PARTNERS LLC | 38 | $125,299 |
| Art Director | Bandits & Friends LLC | 29 | $116,134 |
| Executive Creative Director | Accenture LLP | 5 | $365,760 |
| VP, Head of Creative | Highsnobiety Inc | 4 | $225,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Art Directors in New York, by industry
Median offered wage across 108 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $145,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | ANOMALY PARTNERS LLC | 68 | $145,000 |
| Technology and software | Highsnobiety Inc | 18 | $159,401 |
| Retail and wholesale | Marc Jacobs International, LLC | 9 | $120,000 |
| Manufacturing | Apple Inc. | 4 | $213,062 |
| Education | American University of Beirut | 4 | $114,281 |
| Finance and insurance | Stakeholder Ventures Management LLC | 3 | $89,898 |
| Media and entertainment | 1AND8 INC. | 2 | $105,063 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in New York over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.3 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Originality
Ability
- 4.3 / 5
Fluency of Ideas
Ability
- 4.2 / 5
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge
- 4.2 / 5
Fine Arts
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Communications and Media
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
- 02
Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- 03
Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
- 04
Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
- 05
Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
- 06
Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
- 07
Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
- 08
Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.2%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in New York
Metro-level salary data for art directors in major New York metropolitan areas.
- New York City$136,850
- Buffalo$102,110
Compare Art Directors pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Art Directors in New York?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Art Directors in New York is $136,610.
- How does New York compare to the national median for Art Directors?
- The New York median is +19.0% versus the BLS national figure of $114,795.
- Is Art Directors a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.2% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Art Directors?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.