Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $145,410/year ($69.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $96K at the entry level to $224K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $137,934 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,922/month, or 22.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $145K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for art directors, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $115K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,922/month, 23.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro offers a genuinely strong financial position for art directorss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Eugene-Springfield | $103K | $102K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $138K | $121K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $165K | $143K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $126K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $96K. Mid-career wages sit at $145K. Top earners bring in $224K or more, a $128K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Yes — at the median salary of $145K, rent takes 23.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $96K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,764/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $145K here vs. $115K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for art directors?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $145K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $138K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do art directors make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $145,410 a year, that works out to about $70 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $96,070, and experienced art directors can clear $224,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $145K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,145/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 23.6% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 $137,934 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.