Art Directors
SOC: 27-1011.00

Description:

Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual communications media, such as print, broadcasting, and advertising. Direct workers engaged in art work or layout design.

National Salary Information:

Hourly Statistics:

Annual Statistics:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data.

Employment Projections:

Employment (2014):
74,600 employed

Projected (2024):
76,400 employed

Projected growth (2014-2024)


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 2014-2024 employment projections external site. "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Alternate Titles:

  • Art Coordinator
  • Art Department Head
  • Art Director
  • Art Supervisor
  • Artistic Director
  • Arts Administrator
  • Arts Manager
  • Associate Creative Director ACD Art Director
  • Creative Director
  • Creative Guru
  • Creative Manager
  • Creative Services Coordinator
  • Creative Services Designer
  • Creative Services Director
  • Creative Services Manager
  • Creative/Art Director
  • Design Director
  • Designer
  • Director Design
  • Director of Creative Services, Consumer Products
  • Director of Operations and Creative Services
  • Exec. Creative Director
  • Freelance Art Director
  • Group Art Supervisor
  • Interactive Art Director
  • Magazine Designer
  • Presentation Specialist
  • Product Designer
  • Production Coordinator
  • Production Manager
  • Senior Art Director
  • Senior Designer/Art Director

    • Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

    Experience:

    A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

    Education:

    Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

    Job Training:

    Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

    Required Skills:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis
  • Technology Design
  • Equipment Selection
  • Programming
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Troubleshooting
  • Repairing
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Time Management
  • Management of Financial Resources
  • Management of Material Resources
  • Management of Personnel Resources

    • Knowledge Used:

  • Administration and Management
  • Clerical
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Production and Processing
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Design
  • Building and Construction
  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Psychology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Geography
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Fine Arts
  • History and Archeology
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media
  • Transportation

    • Tasks:

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

    • Tools & Technology:

  • Desktop computers
  • Digital still cameras
  • Digital video cameras
  • Laptop computers
  • Personal computers
  • Sketching pencils
  • Tablet computers
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Director
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Fireworks
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Flash
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Systems Adobe ImageReady
  • Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop software
  • AJAX
  • Apache Software Foundation Flex
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Apple iWork Keynote
  • Atlassian Confluence
  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Autodesk 3ds Max Design
  • Autodesk Maya
  • Cascading Style Sheets CSS
  • Drupal
  • Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
  • Extensible HyperText Markup Language XHTML
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • JavaScript
  • jQuery
  • Mag+ software
  • MAXON CINEMA 4D software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Mobile application software
  • PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
  • Quark software
  • Social media software
  • Tablet application software
  • Web broswer software
  • WoodWing software
  • WordPress

    • arts design entertainment sports and media

    industry stats

    SOC: 27-0000

    Total Employed: 1,843,600

    Average Annual Salary: $56,980