How much does an Art Director, Film make in the United States?
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Art Director, Film in the United States is $86,070 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.
However, an Art Director, Film's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $105,180
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $79,408 to $96,073
Key Factors That Influence Art Director, Film Salaries
An Art Director, Film's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Art Director, Film Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Art Director, Film's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $83,986
Early Career (1-2 years): $98,671
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $116,021
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $144,181
Expert (over 8 years): $171,366
Levels
Salary
Art Direc... Level Art Director, Film
$83,986
Sales Eng... Level Art Director, Film
$98,671
Sales Eng... Level Art Director, Film
$116,021
Sales Eng... Level Art Director, Film
$144,181
Sales Eng... Level Art Director, Film
$171,366
$83,9860 yr
$98,671< 2 yrs
$116,0212-4 yrs
$144,1815-8 yrs
$171,366> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Art Director, Film Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Art Director, Films.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $95,297.
California: $94,935.
Massachusetts: $93,670.
District of Columbia$95,297
California$94,935
Massachusetts$93,670
Washington$93,326
New Jersey$93,291
Alaska$93,171
Connecticut$91,983
New York$91,501
Hawaii$89,960
Rhode Island$89,237
Maryland$88,747
Minnesota$88,075
Colorado$87,817
Illinois$87,731
Oregon$87,404
Delaware$87,163
New Hampshire$87,012
Virginia$86,672
Pennsylvania$85,683
Nevada$85,183
North Dakota$85,020
Michigan$84,762
Wisconsin$84,667
Vermont$84,478
Texas$83,953
Maine$83,918
Arizona$83,867
Ohio$83,806
Georgia$83,014
Indiana$82,618
Wyoming$82,541
Utah$82,421
Iowa$82,369
Kansas$81,956
Louisiana$81,835
North Carolina$81,792
Missouri$81,775
Florida$81,439
Montana$81,259
Nebraska$81,086
Kentucky$80,992
South Carolina$80,647
Tennessee$80,432
Idaho$80,346
New Mexico$79,718
Oklahoma$79,580
Alabama$79,072
South Dakota$78,220
Arkansas$77,756
West Virginia$77,506
Mississippi$76,757
Top Paying Cities for Art Director, Films
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $108,560
San Francisco: $107,371
Oakland: $105,109
San Jose, CA$108,560
San Francisco, CA$107,371
Oakland, CA$105,109
New York, NY$99,100
Paramus, NJ$97,895
Queens Village, NY$97,891
Passaic, NJ$97,809
Bergenfield, NJ$97,801
Stamford, CT$97,612
Huntington, NY$97,577
Newark, NJ$96,941
Bridgeport, CT$96,759
Vallejo, CA$96,588
New Brunswick, NJ$96,553
Petaluma, CA$96,502
Middlesex, NJ$96,338
Somerset, NJ$96,278
Santa Cruz, CA$96,166
Boston, MA$95,641
Monterey, CA$95,339
Seattle, WA$95,142
Santa Rosa, CA$95,124
Los Angeles, CA$95,099
Juneau, AK$94,875
Washington, DC$94,780
Orange, CA$94,474
Santa Ana, CA$94,247
Long Beach, CA$94,160
Anaheim, CA$94,143
Anchorage, AK$94,100
Santa Maria, CA$93,842
Everett, WA$93,825
Danbury, CT$93,522
Bremerton, WA$93,403
Tacoma, WA$93,093
New Suffolk, NY$93,091
Sacramento, CA$93,067
Santa Barbara, CA$92,973
Trenton, NJ$92,878
San Diego, CA$92,878
Brockton, MA$92,783
Fairbanks, AK$92,572
Lompoc, CA$92,353
Lowell, MA$92,283
Ventura, CA$92,267
Nashua, NH$92,250
Stockton, CA$92,241
Modesto, CA$91,613
Poughkeepsie, NY$91,423
Olympia, WA$91,260
Kennewick, WA$91,260
New Haven, CT$91,225
Lawrence, MA$90,916
Hartford, CT$90,830
Riverside, CA$90,812
New Bedford, MA$90,726
Richland, WA$90,726
Bakersfield, CA$90,606
San Bernardino, CA$90,571
New Britain, CT$90,563
Atlantic City, NJ$90,563
New London, CT$90,528
Norwich, CT$90,502
Portsmouth, NH$90,485
Boulder, CO$90,303
Portland, OR$90,184
Worcester, MA$90,175
Minneapolis, MN$89,909
Philadelphia, PA$89,788
Honolulu, HI$89,504
Saint Paul, MN$89,463
Vineland, NJ$89,444
Providence, RI$89,194
Chicago, IL$88,945
Bellingham, WA$88,841
Springfield, MA$88,772
Baltimore, MD$88,747
Chico, CA$88,531
Pittsfield, MA$88,299
Manchester, NH$88,136
Spokane, WA$87,757
Denver, CO$87,748
Albany, NY$87,344
Troy, NY$87,309
Nassau, NY$87,217
Schenectady, NY$87,129
Wilmington, DE$87,060
Burlington, VT$86,939
Salem, OR$86,905
Portland, ME$86,638
Yakima, WA$86,552
Rochester, MN$86,285
Reno, NV$86,242
Fresno, CA$86,242
Milwaukee, WI$86,165
Detroit, MI$86,079
Ann Arbor, MI$86,064
Allentown, PA$86,053
Colorado Springs, CO$85,906
Syracuse, NY$85,863
Carson City, NV$85,863
Houston, TX$85,743
Eugene, OR$85,700
Gary, IN$85,597
Springfield, OR$85,528
Bismarck, ND$85,510
Galveston, TX$85,450
Medford, OR$85,321
Fort Collins, CO$85,287
Concord, NH$85,244
Austin, TX$85,218
Mesa, AZ$85,037
Reading, PA$85,028
Phoenix, AZ$85,020
Dallas, TX$84,994
Saint Cloud, MN$84,911
Madison, WI$84,796
Utica, NY$84,564
Rochester, NY$84,426
Des Moines, IA$84,417
Raleigh, NC$84,409
Atlanta, GA$84,280
Battle Creek, MI$84,254
Salt Lake City, UT$84,228
Lancaster, PA$84,099
Harrisburg, PA$83,978
Kansas City, MO$83,892
Champaign, IL$83,875
Kansas City, KS$83,875
Fort Worth, TX$83,867
Columbus, OH$83,852
Boca Raton, FL$83,832
Pittsburgh, PA$83,798
Richmond, VA$83,763
Indianapolis, IN$83,746
Cleveland, OH$83,737
Las Vegas, NV$83,634
Cincinnati, OH$83,634
Petersburg, VA$83,505
Huntsville, AL$83,376
Lansing, MI$83,318
Lebanon, PA$83,307
Pueblo, CO$83,298
Appleton, WI$83,273
Buffalo, NY$83,238
Dayton, OH$83,212
Racine, WI$83,195
Charlotte, NC$83,187
Saint Louis, MO$83,161
York, PA$83,109
Elkhart, IN$83,109
Gastonia, NC$83,093
Billings, MT$83,072
Beaumont, TX$83,049
Lorain, OH$83,032
Benton Harbor, MI$83,014
Toledo, OH$82,997
Binghamton, NY$82,954
Rock Hill, SC$82,946
Rockford, IL$82,903
Springfield, IL$82,868
Elyria, OH$82,859
Fargo, ND$82,859
Flagstaff, AZ$82,799
Fort Lauderdale, FL$82,748
Duluth, MN$82,696
Miami, FL$82,696
Cheyenne, WY$82,636
Grand Forks, ND$82,636
Bangor, ME$82,446
Cedar Rapids, IA$82,352
Durham, NC$82,316
Louisville, KY$82,309
Grand Rapids, MI$82,291
Hialeah, FL$82,283
Casper, WY$82,162
Scranton, PA$82,059
New Orleans, LA$82,033
Virginia Beach, VA$82,025
Akron, OH$81,982
Peoria, IL$81,870
Sarasota, FL$81,852
Nashville, TN$81,792
Omaha, NE$81,792
Green Bay, WI$81,792
Baton Rouge, LA$81,749
Charleston, SC$81,732
Jamestown, NY$81,689
Davenport, IA$81,689
Tucson, AZ$81,646
Saint Petersburg, FL$81,594
Tampa, FL$81,577
Evansville, IN$81,525
Port Arthur, TX$81,525
Bradenton, FL$81,491
Santa Fe, NM$81,336
Orlando, FL$81,181
Clearwater, FL$81,155
Canton, OH$80,975
La Crosse, WI$80,975
Albuquerque, NM$80,923
Newport News, VA$80,914
High Point, NC$80,888
Ogden, UT$80,854
Corpus Christi, TX$80,785
Norfolk, VA$80,734
Laramie, WY$80,734
Rock Island, IL$80,682
Saginaw, MI$80,665
Jacksonville, FL$80,656
Salisbury, NC$80,639
Boise, ID$80,622
Moline, IL$80,579
Fort Myers, FL$80,553
Memphis, TN$80,536
Tulsa, OK$80,493
Waterloo, IA$80,441
Spartanburg, SC$80,355
Lincoln, NE$80,312
Fort Wayne, IN$80,295
Provo, UT$80,286
Cedar Falls, IA$80,183
San Antonio, TX$80,148
Greensboro, NC$80,114
South Bend, IN$80,105
Savannah, GA$80,011
Muskegon, MI$79,976
Birmingham, AL$79,968
Winston Salem, NC$79,925
Lake Charles, LA$79,718
Anderson, IN$79,701
Lexington, KY$79,675
Augusta, GA$79,649
Greenville, SC$79,649
Lima, OH$79,580
Wichita, KS$79,572
Tuscaloosa, AL$79,572
Columbia, SC$79,494
Springfield, OH$79,477
Asheville, NC$79,339
Bloomington, IN$79,279
Knoxville, TN$78,969
Shreveport, LA$78,961
Wilmington, NC$78,849
Roanoke, VA$78,849
Topeka, KS$78,694
Frankfort, KY$78,684
Oklahoma City, OK$78,625
Chillicothe, OH$78,590
Longview, TX$78,582
Melbourne, FL$78,573
Sioux Falls, SD$78,435
Mobile, AL$78,427
Terre Haute, IN$78,392
Altoona, PA$78,341
Amarillo, TX$78,281
Killeen, TX$78,255
Fayetteville, AR$78,186
Chattanooga, TN$78,160
Sioux City, IA$78,083
Idaho Falls, ID$78,065
Lynchburg, VA$77,997
Gainesville, FL$77,885
Portsmouth, OH$77,842
Little Rock, AR$77,824
Lafayette, LA$77,790
Youngstown, OH$77,790
Daytona Beach, FL$77,738
Clarksville, TN$77,730
Pensacola, FL$77,721
Temple, TX$77,715
Hopkinsville, KY$77,463
Erie, PA$77,446
Florence, SC$77,411
Charleston, WV$77,274
Great Falls, MT$77,231
Macon, GA$77,110
Tallahassee, FL$77,101
Fayetteville, NC$77,084
Waco, TX$77,067
Helena, MT$77,007
Pine Bluff, AR$76,974
Vincennes, IN$76,869
Lubbock, TX$76,835
Alamogordo, NM$76,783
Twin Falls, ID$76,705
Rapid City, SD$76,680
Jackson, MS$76,525
Huntington, WV$76,519
Greenville, MS$76,516
Parkersburg, WV$76,428
Montgomery, AL$76,413
Wichita Falls, TX$76,327
Springfield, MO$76,327
Biloxi, MS$76,284
Monroe, LA$76,198
Johnstown, PA$76,137
Sumter, SC$76,103
Columbus, GA$76,094
Pascagoula, MS$75,931
Abilene, TX$75,931
Kingsport, TN$75,707
Albany, GA$75,707
Gulfport, MS$75,681
Alexandria, LA$75,397
Fort Smith, AR$75,182
El Paso, TX$74,950
Las Cruces, NM$74,562
Harlingen, TX$74,344
Pocatello, ID$74,330
Florence, AL$74,218
Brownsville, TX$74,201
Mcallen, TX$74,020
Dothan, AL$73,900
Columbus, MS$73,388
Altus, OK$72,987
Lawton, OK$72,824
Pierre, SD$72,514
What Skills Can Increase an Art Director, Film's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Presentation (Mentioned in 8.64% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
Use Cases (Mentioned in 2.15% Job Postings): A use case is a written description of how users will perform tasks on your website. It is a methodology used in system analysis to identify, clarify and organize system requirements.
CRM (Mentioned in 1.58% Job Postings): Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Presentation
8.64%
Use Cases
2.15%
CRM
1.58%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Art Director, Film's salary.
Onboarding: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Python: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Open Source: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Onboarding
$96,398
12%
Python
$95,538
11%
Open Source
$94,677
10%
Use Cases
$93,816
9%
SQL
$92,095
7%
Risk Management
$92,095
7%
Get Latest Data
Art Director, Film Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Art Director, Film roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 84% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Art Director, Film positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Art Director, Film as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Art Director, Film
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$107,587
$52.0
25%
Financial Services
$103,284
$50.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$101,562
$49.0
18%
Energy & Utilities
$98,980
$48.0
15%
Biotechnology
$96,398
$46.0
12%
How Education impacts an Art Director, Film's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Art Director, Films enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Art Director, Film with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$75,820
and $80,288).
Art Director, Film Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Art Director, Film
No Diploma7.4%
High School7.4%
Associates5.9%
Bachelors66.6%
Masters19.3%
Doctorate0.6%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
7.4%
High School
7.4%
Associates
5.9%
Bachelors
66.6%
Masters
19.3%
Doctorate
0.6%
view as graph
Art Director, Film Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Art Director, Film's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for an Art Director, Film can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $65,989 in 2023
to around $65,590 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Art Director, Film salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Art Director, Film Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$65,989
2024
$66,357
2025
$65,590
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$65,989
2024
$66,357
2025
$65,590
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Art Director, Film
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Art Director, Film
Here are companies hiring for Art Director, Film and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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FAQ about Art Director, Film
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Art Director, Film?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Art Director, Film roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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