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Creative director salary in New York

Updated October 31, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$137,320median pay per year in New York, or $66.02 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $80,060lowest 10% earn less
  2. $105,75025th percentile
  3. $137,320median
  4. $198,33075th percentile
  5. $280,320top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $114,850[3]

The median pay for creative directors in New York was $137,320 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $22,470 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
8,720[4]
Rank by median pay
3 of 46[5]
Compared with US median
+19.6%[6]

How much do creative directors make in New York?

Half of the creative directors in New York earned more than $137,320 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $66.02 an hour[1]. The average was higher, at $159,200 a year[7]. Across the US as a whole, the median was $114,850[3]. Among all jobs in New York, the median was $59,670[8], so the creative director median sat $77,650 above it[9].

The lowest-paid 10% of creative directors in New York earned less than $80,060 a year[2]. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $280,320[2]. The middle half of the pay range ran from $105,750 to $198,330[2]. New York had the 3rd highest median for this job out of 46 states with a published median[5].

Pay differs inside the state. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area had the highest median among the 5 metro areas with a published figure, at $142,990[10]. Rochester was at $102,070 and Buffalo-Cheektowaga was at $95,770[11]. OEWS counts wage and salary workers only. Self-employed people are left out, and bonuses outside regular production pay and the cost of benefits are not part of the wages[12].

New York vs US pay

Pay for creative directors in New York next to the national figures[1][3].

NYUS
Median per year$137,320[1]$114,850[3]
Median per hour$66.02[1]$55.22[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$80,060[2]$64,900[13]
Top 10% earn more than$280,320[2]$213,050[13]
Jobs8,720[4]53,070[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for creative directors, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[11]$142,9908,980
Rochester, NY$102,070190
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$95,770140
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$117,11060
Syracuse, NY$118,56060

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for creative directors in the states that border New York, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[14]$149,3201,850
Vermont$129,26080
New Jersey$129,2001,840
Pennsylvania$97,4501,250
Connecticut$71,9001,160

Median pay for creative directors in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for creative directors are projected to grow 4.2% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: bachelor's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a creative director make in New York?
The median was $137,320 a year in May 2025, and the average was $159,200[1][7]. The US median was $114,850[3].
How much does a creative director make an hour in New York?
The median was $66.02 an hour[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38.49 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $134.77[17][2].
Which city in New York pays creative directors the highest?
Among the 5 metro areas with a published median, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was highest at $142,990 a year[10]. This metro area crosses state lines and is counted as a whole[11].
Is New York a good state for creative directors?
New York had the 3rd highest median annual wage for this job out of 46 states with a published median[5]. Its median was $22,470 above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a creative director in New York?
These are US figures, not New York figures. Across the US, the typical path calls for a bachelor's degree and 5 years or more of work experience in a related job[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Art Directors in New York was $137,320 per year and $66.02 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Art Directors in New York: 10th percentile $80,060, 25th percentile $105,750, 75th percentile $198,330, 90th percentile $280,320. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Art Directors in the US as a whole was $114,850 per year and $55.22 per hour, with about 53,070 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 8,720 people worked as Art Directors in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 3rd highest median annual wage for Art Directors out of the 46 states with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Art Directors in New York ($137,320) was $22,470 (19.6%) higher than the US median ($114,850). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Art Directors in New York was $159,200 per year and $76.54 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Art Directors in New York was $77,650 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 5 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Art Directors, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $142,990. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Art Directors in the US: 10th percentile $64,900, 25th percentile $82,480, 75th percentile $162,640, 90th percentile $213,050. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Art Directors in states that border New York (highest first): Massachusetts $149,320; Vermont $129,260; New Jersey $129,200; Pennsylvania $97,450; Connecticut $71,900. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Art Directors is projected to grow 4.2% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,200 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Art Directors: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Art Directors in New York: 10th percentile $38.49, 25th percentile $50.84, 75th percentile $95.35, 90th percentile $134.77. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.