Art Directors Salary
The median pay for a art directors in Worcester, MA is $131,240/year ($63.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $195K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.52), that's roughly $128,014 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,056/month, or 25.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $131K get you in Worcester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Worcester’s Regional Price Parity (102.52). 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 Worcester
Worcester sits well above the national pay line for art directors, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $115K. Rent runs $2,056/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 102.52) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for art directors in metros near Worcester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $152K | $140K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $101K | $102K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $143K | $127K |
| Rochester | $102K | $105K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Worcester, MA
Entry-level art directors (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $131K. Top earners bring in $195K or more, a $119K 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 Worcester numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a art director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Worcester?
Yes — at the median salary of $131K, rent takes 26.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,056/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for art directors in Worcester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new art directors typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,564/month. At HUD’s $2,056/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Worcester?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $131K here vs. $115K nationally.
How does Worcester compare to the national average for art directors?
Worcester pays $131K median vs. the U.S. average of $115K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $128K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do art directors make in Worcester, MA?
The median is $131,240 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,060, and experienced art directors can clear $195,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $131K enough to live in Worcester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,824/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,056/month, which eats 26.3% 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 Worcester?
Worcester has a Regional Price Parity of 102.52 (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 $128,014 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.