Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Boulder, CO is $107,130/year ($51.51/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $164K for experienced workers.
So what does $107K get you in Boulder?
About art directors
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $100K | , |
| Colorado Springs | $93K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $112K | , |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $109K | $109K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $164K or more, a $84K 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 Boulder numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 31% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,784/month.
Is art director a high-paying job in Boulder?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $107K locally vs. $115K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for art directors?
Boulder pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s -7%.
How much do art directors make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $107,130 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,730, and experienced art directors can clear $163,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,587/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 31% 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 Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art directors salary is worth about $107,130 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.