Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Burlington-South Burlington, VT is $153,890/year ($73.99/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $84K at the entry level to $157K for experienced workers.
So what does $154K get you in Burlington-South Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington-South Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (100.9). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Burlington-South Burlington
Burlington-South Burlington sits well above the national pay line for art directors, local pay runs about 34% higher than the U.S. median of $115K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $2,140/month, 23.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.9) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Burlington-South Burlington offers a genuinely strong financial position for art directorss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near Burlington-South Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $101K | , |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $143K | , |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $152K | , |
| Rochester | $102K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington-South Burlington, VT
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $84K. Mid-career wages sit at $154K. Top earners bring in $157K or more, a $73K 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 Burlington-South Burlington numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington-South Burlington?
Yes — at the median salary of $154K, rent takes 23.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,140/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Burlington-South Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $84K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,057/month. At HUD’s $2,140/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Burlington-South Burlington?
Local pay is 34% above the national median — $154K here vs. $115K nationally.
How does Burlington-South Burlington compare to the national average for art directors?
Burlington-South Burlington pays $154K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s +34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $153K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do art directors make in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?
The median is $153,890 a year, that works out to about $74 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $84,280, and experienced art directors can clear $156,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $154K enough to live in Burlington-South Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,994/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,140/month, which eats 23.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a art directors salary go in Burlington-South Burlington?
Burlington-South Burlington 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 $152,517 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.