Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Madison, WI is $83,650/year ($40.22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $85,980 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 22.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $84K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Pay for art directors in Madison runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $115K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 22% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Madison can be a reasonable trade-off for art directorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $91K | $94K |
| Green Bay | $80K | $86K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $105K | $101K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $119K | $114K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $69K 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 with published data
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 Madison numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 22% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,698/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Madison?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $84K here vs. $115K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for art directors?
Madison pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — below the national median.
How much do art directors make in Madison, WI?
The median is $83,650 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,630, and experienced art directors can clear $130,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,321/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 22% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $85,980 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.