Art Directors pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $83,720 a year or less, while the top 10% make $238,320 or more. The middle half of art directors in Los Angeles earn between $107,590 and $191,950.
- $84K10th
- $108K25th
- $138KMedian
- $192K75th
- $238K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $156,680 | $13,057 | $75.33 |
| Median | $137,560 | $11,463 | $66.13 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $107,590 | $8,966 | $51.73 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $191,950 | $15,996 | $92.28 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Art Directors pay in Los Angeles vs. California and the U.S.
Art directors in Los Angeles earn about the same as the California average ($156,060) and 21% more than the U.S. average ($129,440). At the median the gap is +20% against the U.S. median of $114,850.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $156,680 | $137,560 | $83,720 | $238,320 | 6,590 |
| California | $156,060 | $137,780 | $81,500 | $249,210 | 12,430 |
| United States | $129,440 | $114,850 | $64,900 | $213,050 | 53,070 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Art Directors salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $156,680, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $107,878 a year, or $8,990 a month and $4,149 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for art directors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $156,680 buys what about $137,964 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Art Directors salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 3rd of 12 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($182,620).
- San Jose$182,620
- San Francisco$169,940
- Los Angeles$156,680
- Stockton$147,650
- Santa Cruz$144,450
- San Diego$137,320
- Oxnard$130,960
- Fresno$123,560
- Santa Maria$121,830
- Riverside$120,670
Highest-paying cities for art directors
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($182,620).
- San Jose, CA$182,620
- San Francisco, CA$169,940
- New York, NY$161,120
- Portland, OR$158,630
- Los Angeles, CA$156,680
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Art Directors salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do art directors make an hour in Los Angeles?
$75.33 an hour on average, and $66.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level art directors salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $83,720 a year and the 25th percentile is $107,590, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the art directors take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $107,878 a year ($8,990 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $156,680. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do art directors earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 21% more than the U.S. average for this job ($129,440).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-1011; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 3.08, this job is 3.1 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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