Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Hawaii is $89,300/year ($42.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $154K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.17), so that salary is closer to $81,057 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,240/month, about 39.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Hawaii. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $89K get you in Hawaii?
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What this looks like in Hawaii
Pay for art directors in Hawaii runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $115K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,240/month, which is 41.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.17), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for art directorss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hawaii
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $89K. Top earners bring in $154K or more, a $105K spread from bottom to top.
Art Directors salary by metro in Hawaii
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu | $78K | -13% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track art directors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hawaii numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hawaii?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $89K, rent takes 41.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,240/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Hawaii?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,935/month. At HUD’s $2,240/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Hawaii?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $89K here vs. $115K nationally.
How does Hawaii compare to the national average for art directors?
Hawaii pays $89K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — below the national median.
How much do art directors make in Hawaii?
The median is $89,300 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,920, and experienced art directors can clear $154,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $89K enough to live in Hawaii?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,397/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,240/month, which eats 41.5% 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 Hawaii?
Hawaii has a Regional Price Parity of 110.17 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median art directors salary is worth about $81,057 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.