Art Director salary
From 187 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 27-1011: Art Directors
At a glance
- Mostly Level IV (expert). 29% of Art Director filings are Level IV, compared with 18% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Apple. 20 filings (11% of the total), median $193,000.
- Median up 9% since FY2020. From $129,085 in FY2020 to $141,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Art Director H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 187 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Art Director jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 27-1011, Art Directors). The median base salary is $135,000, 10% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $102,471 and $193,246. The most common wage level is Level IV (expert), at 29% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (58), and Apple is the employer that files the most (20).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Art Director
AppleEmployers with the most Art Director filings. Bar: share of all Art Director filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 27% of filings
Mid-level · 28% of filings
Senior · 16% of filings
Expert · 29% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $89,898 | 47 |
| Level II · Qualified | $125,299 | 50 |
| Level III · Experienced | $175,763 | 28 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $199,243 | 52 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Art Director pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 4 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $125,300 | 58 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $150,114 | 33 |
| San Francisco, CA | $200,075 | 22 |
| San Jose, CA | $181,541 | 16 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Art Director does
Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film. Direct workers engaged in artwork or layout design.
Typical tasks
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- 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.
- Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
- Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Art Directors (27-1011.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Art Directors), the median annual wage was $114,850 in May 2025, with 53,070 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $135,000, 18% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $85,000 | $64,900 |
| 25th percentile | $102,471 | $82,480 |
| Median | $135,000 | $114,850 |
| 75th percentile | $193,246 | $162,640 |
| 90th percentile | $224,415 | $213,050 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $85,000 |
| 25th | $102,471 |
| 50th (median) | $135,000 |
| 75th | $193,246 |
| 90th | $224,415 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $129,085 | $86,271 | $173,500 | 167 |
| FY2021 | $130,000 | $100,000 | $173,125 | 138 |
| FY2022 | $131,435 | $100,000 | $180,000 | 146 |
| FY2023 | $117,291 | $86,674 | $172,000 | 115 |
| FY2024 | $115,398 | $90,000 | $190,000 | 81 |
| FY2025 | $130,000 | $96,255 | $191,908 | 107 |
| FY2026 | $141,000 | $118,838 | $195,473 | 80 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Art Director make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Art Director jobs is $135,000 (187 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $102,471 and $193,246.
What does an entry-level Art Director earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $89,898. Level I accounts for 27% of Art Director filings.
Do H-1B Art Directors earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($135,000) is 18% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($114,850, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.