The median annual wage for art directors was $80,630 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,840, and the top 10 percent earned more than $163,430. In May 2010, the wages of art directors in the industries employing the most art directors were as follows:
| Motion picture and video industries | $108,860 |
| Specialized design services | 85,130 |
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 82,770 |
| Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers | 67,630 |
Most art directors work full time.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition