Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA is $73,850/year ($35.51/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $172K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.35), that's roughly $73,592 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,131/month, or 22% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $74K get you in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Spokane-Spokane Valley’s Regional Price Parity (100.35). 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley
Pay for art directors in Spokane-Spokane Valley runs about 36% below the U.S. median of $115K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,131/month, 22.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Spokane-Spokane Valley 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $125K | $112K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $145K | $138K |
| Boise City | $85K | $86K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $103K | $102K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $172K or more, a $132K 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 22.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,131/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,385/month. At HUD’s $1,131/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Local pay runs 36% below the national median — $74K here vs. $115K nationally.
How does Spokane-Spokane Valley compare to the national average for art directors?
Spokane-Spokane Valley pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s -36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — below the national median.
How much do art directors make in Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA?
The median is $73,850 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,750, and experienced art directors can clear $171,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Spokane-Spokane Valley?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,028/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,131/month, which eats 22.5% 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 Spokane-Spokane Valley?
Spokane-Spokane Valley has a Regional Price Parity of 100.35 (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 $73,592 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.