Average Art Director Salary UK
The average Art Director salary in UK is £57,114.34.
What does an Art Director earn?
On average, art directors earn around £57,114.34 per year in the UK. Art directors oversee the visual elements of advertising campaigns and other media. They supervise artistic staff and creatives to produce graphics and images to fit the campaign brief. Art directors manage and hire graphic designers, artists, and other marketing staff.
To be an art director, you will need a foundation degree and a higher degree in graphic design or advertising design. To earn more as an art director, you can work up to a senior director or creative director role. You can also set up your design agency or work as a freelancer.
Average Salary: £57,114.34
Min: £26,372 Max: £91,000
Average Salary in UK: £57,114.34
Read about Art Director salaries and related job and salary information across the UK
Salary by Region
Compare Art Director salaries across different regions
Location |
Salary |
Art Director
salary Scotland |
£62,853.13 |
Art Director
salary Wales |
£42,136.36 |
Art Director
salary East Midlands |
£41,930.86 |
Art Director
salary Eastern |
£52,218.99 |
Art Director
salary London |
£63,584.12 |
Art Director
salary North East |
£43,484.79 |
Art Director
salary North West |
£46,944.10 |
Art Director
salary South East |
£56,487.44 |
Art Director
salary South West |
£51,230.83 |
Art Director
salary West Midlands |
£46,721.69 |
Art Director
salary Yorkshire and the Humber |
£43,921.37 |
Average Art Director salary
The average salary for Art Director jobs is a valuable metric for employees, employers, and candidates. The salary information can be a helpful insight when advertising jobs, making a job search, applying for jobs and negotiating salary.
Newly qualified Art Director basic salary
Newly qualified Art Directors should expect to start their career with a salary that is lower than the UK average earnings for the role. It can take several years working as an Art Director to achieve the average UK salary.
Your initial per year salary may also be influenced by factors such as the region and city where you work, with London typically offering more than other major cities. Whether you work in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland will also alter the job’s average gross and net earnings.
Fully qualified Art Director salaries
Your experience level directly affects where in the salary range your earnings will fall. Senior salaries are usually achieved by those who become fully qualified in their field.
Art Director career development
In the Marketing industry, you might be rewarded for the number of years you have worked with the employer. However, promotions and higher pay per year cannot always be achieved by remaining in the same department or company.
Professional development and specialising in a specific area will warrant an appropriate salary increase. Still, you might need to consider setting up a job alert, making a job search, and moving to another company or department to maximise your earnings or find relevant opportunities for progression.
Art Director take home pay
In the United Kingdom, your career decisions should not be solely focused on take-home pay. Your average total compensation may include benefits that offer more value than a paycheque.
For example, health insurance, a company vehicle, part or full-time remote working, company share schemes, higher paid annual holiday days, a short commute, and maternity and paternity leave are benefits that can contribute towards your living standards, work/life balance, and job satisfaction.
Increase your annual salary with an Art Director pay rise
A pay rise can raise your earnings per year and should be compared against the Marketing industry average salary pay rise. Comparing your salary rise against metrics such as inflation will tell you if you will be better or worse off during the following year. It would help if you also weighed up your pay increase against the nation's cost of living increase.
If you intend to negotiate a rise above the UK average salary, you will need facts, figures, and percentages to quantify your rise. Before negotiating better pay rates, you should prepare yourself for the discussion. Bring together all the evidence that adds weight to your case for a higher salary, including the average Art Director wage, your qualifications, achievements, and recognition.
Get paid more than your job’s average base salary with further training
Further qualifications and training will help you increase your average earnings. Training options include job-relevant diplomas, A levels, and degrees. Completing a course on a specific topic, application, or equipment will also improve your earning potential.
Earn more per year with extra shifts
Working overtime is another option that will help you be paid more than an average salary for your job. If your personal circumstances and commitments allow, you could also work unsocial hours with an hourly pay rate higher than your standard hourly rate.