Lead Creative Designer Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Creative Designer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Creative Designer in the United States is $104,630 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $50.

However, a Lead Creative Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $121,385
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $94,985 to $113,400
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $86,204
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View as table View as graph 25% $94,985 10% $86,204 90% $121,385 75% $113,400 $104,630 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Lead Creative Designer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $113,400 $9,450 $2,181 $55
Average $104,630 $8,719 $2,012 $50
25th Percentile $94,985 $7,915 $1,827 $46
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Key Factors That Influence Lead Creative Designer Salaries

A Lead Creative Designer'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Creative Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Creative Designer'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): $102,352
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $103,960
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $106,277
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $108,372
  • Expert (over 8 years): $110,188
Levels Salary
Entry Level Lead Creative Designer$102,352
Intermediate Level Lead Creative Designer$103,960
Senior Level Lead Creative Designer$106,277
Specialist Level Lead Creative Designer$108,372
Expert Level Lead Creative Designer$110,188
$102,352 0 yr
$103,960 < 2 yrs
$106,277 2-4 yrs
$108,372 5-8 yrs
$110,188 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Creative Designer 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 Lead Creative Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $115,846.
  • California: $115,407.
  • Massachusetts: $113,869.

Top Paying Cities for Lead Creative Designers

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: $131,970
  • San Francisco: $130,672
  • Oakland: $127,774

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Creative Designer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Presentation (Mentioned in 4.32% 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.
  • Adobe Illustrator (Mentioned in 3.07% Job Postings): Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design program developed and marketed by Adobe Inc. Graphic designers use Illustrator to create vector graphics. You can produce logos, detailed illustrations, web page designs and many more.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.61% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Presentation 4.32%
Adobe Illustrator 3.07%
Microsoft Office 1.61%
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 a Lead Creative Designer's salary.
  • Advertising: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
  • Packaging: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Integrity: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Advertising
 $130,788
25%
Packaging
 $118,232
13%
Integrity
 $116,139
11%
Digital Design
 $116,139
11%
Digital Marketing
 $116,139
11%
Adobe Creative Suite
 $114,047
9%
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Lead Creative Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Creative Designer'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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on January 01, 2026
$94,985
Average $104,630/year
$113,400
$7,915
Average $8,719/month
$9,450
$1,827
Average $2,012/week
$2,181
$46
Average $50/hour
$55
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $113,400 $9,450 $2,181 $55
Average $104,630 $8,719 $2,012 $50
25th Percentile $94,985 $7,915 $1,827 $46

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Creative Designer

Salary Trends for Lead Creative Designer

Salaries for a Lead Creative Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $111,166 in 2023 to around $106,538 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Creative Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Creative Designer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$111,166
2024
$108,833
2025
$106,538
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $111,166
2024 $108,833
2025 $106,538
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Lead Creative Designer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Lead Creative Designer

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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