Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $126,050/year ($60.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $78K at the entry level to $212K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $112,655 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 40.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $126K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Art directors pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $126K locally vs. $115K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 40.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $138K | $121K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $165K | $143K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $170K | $154K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $104K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $78K. Mid-career wages sit at $126K. Top earners bring in $212K or more, a $133K 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $126K, rent takes 40.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $78K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,688/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $126K locally vs. $115K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for art directors?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $126K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $113K — below the national median.
How much do art directors make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $126,050 a year, that works out to about $61 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,140, and experienced art directors can clear $211,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $126K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,421/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 40.4% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (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 $112,655 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.