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Artistic director salary in New York

Updated November 1, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$107,550median pay per year in New York, or $51.71 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $61,960lowest 10% earn less
  2. $79,70025th percentile
  3. $107,550median
  4. $169,26075th percentile
  5. $222,580top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $90,360[3]

The median pay for artistic directors in New York was $107,550 a year[1]. That ranked 3rd highest among the states with a published median[5].

Jobs in NY
27,990[4]
Rank by median pay
3 of 50[5]
Compared with US median
+19.0%[6]

How much do artistic directors make in New York?

The median wage for artistic directors in New York was $107,550 a year, or $51.71 an hour[1]. Half of these workers earned more than that and half earned less. The average was higher, at $134,810 a year[7].

Across the US as a whole, the median was $90,360 a year[3]. New York's median was $17,190 (19.0%) higher[6]. For all jobs in New York, the median was $59,670[8], so artistic directors had a median $47,880 higher[9].

Pay varies a lot within the job. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $61,960, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $222,580[2]. By hour, those two lines were $29.79 and $107.01[10]. Among metro areas, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median, $108,460[11]. Binghamton had a median of $60,490[12].

OEWS only counts people on a payroll, whether part-time or full-time. Self-employed people and business owners are not in the data. Bonuses unrelated to production are not in the wages, and neither is the cost of benefits like health insurance[13].

New York vs US pay

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

NYUS
Median per year$107,550[1]$90,360[3]
Median per hour$51.71[1]$43.44[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$61,960[2]$45,780[14]
Top 10% earn more than$222,580[2]$198,540[14]
Jobs27,990[4]143,120[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for artistic directors, and the median pay in each[12]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[12]$108,46027,020
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$78,810380
Rochester, NY$83,030360
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$79,450350
Syracuse, NY$79,680230
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$82,440160
Binghamton, NY$60,49060
Kingston, NY$74,52060

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for artistic directors in the states that border New York, highest first[15].

StateMedian per yearJobs
New Jersey[15]$119,8402,970
Connecticut$88,2602,200
Massachusetts$80,9703,440
Pennsylvania$75,4604,200
Vermont$55,660290

Median pay for artistic directors in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for artistic directors are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035[16]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: bachelor's degree[17].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does an artistic director make in New York?
The median was $107,550 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $134,810 a year[7].
How much does an artistic director make an hour in New York?
The median was $51.71 an hour[1]. The low end of hourly pay was under $29.79 and the high end was over $107.01[10].
Which city in New York pays artistic directors the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median, $108,460 a year[11]. Albany-Schenectady-Troy was at $78,810[12].
Is New York a good state for artistic directors?
New York had the 3rd highest median annual wage out of the 49 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was 19.0% higher than the US median[6].
What do you need to become an artistic director in New York?
These are US figures, not New York figures. The typical path across the US is a Bachelor's degree and less than 5 years of related work experience, with no typical on-the-job training[17].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Producers and Directors in New York was $107,550 per year and $51.71 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 Producers and Directors in New York: 10th percentile $61,960, 25th percentile $79,700, 75th percentile $169,260, 90th percentile $222,580. 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 Producers and Directors in the US as a whole was $90,360 per year and $43.44 per hour, with about 143,120 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 27,990 people worked as Producers and 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 Producers and Directors out of the 49 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Producers and Directors in New York ($107,550) was $17,190 (19.0%) higher than the US median ($90,360). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Producers and Directors in New York was $134,810 per year and $64.81 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 Producers and Directors in New York was $47,880 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Producers and Directors in New York: 10th percentile $29.79, 25th percentile $38.32, 75th percentile $81.37, 90th percentile $107.01. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 10 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Producers and Directors, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $108,460. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. 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
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Producers and Directors in the US: 10th percentile $45,780, 25th percentile $62,670, 75th percentile $134,800, 90th percentile $198,540. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Producers and Directors in states that border New York (highest first): New Jersey $119,840; Connecticut $88,260; Massachusetts $80,970; Pennsylvania $75,460; Vermont $55,660. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Producers and Directors is projected to grow 4% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,100 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Producers and Directors: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: Less than 5 years; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections

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.