Art Directors Salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Art Directors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is $105,990. BLS estimates approximately 820 people work in this occupation in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is 7.7% below the national median ($114,850).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $56,360 | $27.10 |
| 25th percentile | $80,530 | $38.72 |
| Median (50th) | $105,990 | $50.96 |
| 75th percentile | $130,990 | $62.98 |
| 90th percentile | $168,330 | $80.93 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 4.6% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 10% — Reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.262
- Location quotient
- 0.77
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV’s regional price level is above the national average (index 108.884, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $97,342 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.