Art Directors

What Art Directors Do

Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film. Direct workers engaged in artwork or layout design.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

61.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Designimportance 4.3/5
• English Languageimportance 4.3/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.2/5
• Fine Artsimportance 4.2/5
• Communications and Mediaimportance 4.1/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.7/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.3/5
• Production and Processingimportance 3.0/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.8/5
• Spend Time Sitting4.8/5
• Time Pressure4.8/5
• E-Mail4.8/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5

Related Careers

• Graphic Designers
• Special Effects Artists and Animators
• Producers and Directors
• Project Management Specialists
• Writers and Authors
• Set and Exhibit Designers
• Computer Occupations, All Other
• Public Relations Specialists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Marketing Managers98% skill match
• Fashion Designers98% skill match
• Financial Managers98% skill match
• Advertising and Promotions Managers98% skill match
• Logisticians98% skill match
• Training and Development Managers98% skill match
• Dietitians and Nutritionists98% skill match
• Medical and Health Services Managers97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.8/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.6/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.6/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.4/5
• Operations Analysisimportance 3.4/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.3/5
• Instructingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Innovation
• Leadership Orientation
• Adaptability
• Self-Confidence
• Dependability
• Achievement Orientation
• Attention to Detail

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ArtisticHigh
• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• RealisticLow
• SocialLow
• InvestigativeLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where art directors make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA3.08× national avg
2. 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2.95× national avg
3. 3New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ2.77× national avg
4. 4Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA2.14× national avg
5. 5Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1.68× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Set and Exhibit DesignersLateral Move
• Marketing ManagersCareer Change
• Financial ManagersCareer Change
• Fashion DesignersLateral Move

See the full career path from Art Directors →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.