Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Asheville, NC is $72,710/year ($34.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $75,339 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,567/month, about 32.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $73K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About art directors
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What this looks like in Asheville
Pay for art directors in Asheville runs about 37% below the U.S. median of $115K. Rent runs $1,567/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near Asheville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $90K | $92K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $104K | $106K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $94K | $96K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $86K | $92K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $77K spread from bottom to top.
Art Directors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Art Directors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $149K | +30% | 1,850 |
| California | $138K | +20% | 12,430 |
| New York | $137K | +20% | 8,720 |
| Oregon | $134K | +17% | 1,040 |
| New Hampshire | $132K | +15% | 160 |
| Vermont | $129K | +13% | 80 |
| New Jersey | $129K | +12% | 1,840 |
| Washington | $121K | +6% | 650 |
| Georgia | $110K | -4% | 1,420 |
| Minnesota | $110K | -4% | 920 |
| Utah | $107K | -7% | 290 |
| Indiana | $106K | -8% | 350 |
| Illinois | $104K | -10% | 2,960 |
| Virginia | $101K | -12% | 670 |
| Missouri | $101K | -12% | 780 |
| Maine | $100K | -13% | N/A |
| Colorado | $100K | -13% | 720 |
| Florida | $100K | -13% | 2,520 |
| Maryland | $98K | -14% | 570 |
| Nevada | $98K | -15% | 290 |
| Pennsylvania | $97K | -15% | 1,250 |
| Ohio | $94K | -18% | 1,050 |
| North Carolina | $90K | -22% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $90K | -22% | 930 |
| Hawaii | $89K | -22% | 40 |
| Texas | $88K | -23% | 2,480 |
| South Carolina | $88K | -23% | 550 |
| Michigan | $87K | -25% | 1,080 |
| Louisiana | $84K | -27% | 160 |
| North Dakota | $83K | -28% | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $81K | -29% | 730 |
| Iowa | $81K | -30% | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $81K | -30% | 290 |
| Idaho | $81K | -30% | N/A |
| Alabama | $77K | -33% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $76K | -34% | 320 |
| Alaska | $75K | -35% | 40 |
| Montana | $74K | -36% | 100 |
| Nebraska | $73K | -36% | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $73K | -37% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $72K | -37% | 240 |
| Connecticut | $72K | -37% | 1,160 |
| South Dakota | $67K | -42% | 30 |
| Mississippi | $66K | -43% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $64K | -45% | 30 |
| Kansas | $60K | -47% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track art directors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Asheville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Asheville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 33.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,567/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Asheville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,315/month. At HUD’s $1,567/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is art director a high-paying job in Asheville?
Local pay runs 37% below the national median — $73K here vs. $115K nationally.
How does Asheville compare to the national average for art directors?
Asheville pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s -37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — below the national median.
How much do art directors make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $72,710 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,580, and experienced art directors can clear $115,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,689/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 33.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a art directors salary go in Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art directors salary is worth about $75,339 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do art directors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.