Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Winston-Salem, NC is $84,100/year ($40.44/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $73K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.04), which stretches that salary to about $91,373 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,232/month, or 22.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $84K get you in Winston-Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Winston-Salem’s Regional Price Parity (92.04). 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 Winston-Salem
Pay for art directors in Winston-Salem runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $115K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,232/month, 23.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.04 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $90K | $92K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $104K | $106K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $94K | $96K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $86K | $92K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Winston-Salem, NC
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $73K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $53K 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 Winston-Salem numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Winston-Salem?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 23.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,232/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Winston-Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $73K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,357/month. At HUD’s $1,232/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is art director a high-paying job in Winston-Salem?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $84K here vs. $115K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Winston-Salem compare to the national average for art directors?
Winston-Salem pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — below the national median.
How much do art directors make in Winston-Salem, NC?
The median is $84,100 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $72,620, and experienced art directors can clear $125,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Winston-Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,314/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,232/month, which eats 23.2% 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 Winston-Salem?
Winston-Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 92.04 (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 $91,373 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.