Your work. Your records.
Art Director Workplace Records
Art directors may guide creative concepts, coordinate production, and manage budgets or schedules while others approve the final work. An employment timeline should identify your authority at each stage and how the expectations for the project changed.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Approval roles
Identify who proposed, reviewed, and approved the work at the project stages involved.
Scope changes
List changes to deliverables, resources, or schedule and who communicated them.
Asset boundaries
Keep client creative files and licensed materials separate from permitted personal employment records.
Start with the work you actually 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.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Art Directors (27-1011.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.Source task 291 · updated 08/2023
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.Source task 288 · updated 08/2023
- Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.Source task 286 · updated 08/2023
- Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.Source task 287 · updated 08/2023
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Art Directors (SOC 27-1011). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $31.82 | $37.13 | $47.23 | $77,220 |
| Alaska | $32.32 | $36.16 | $45.31 | $75,200 |
| Arizona | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Arkansas | $29.84 | $34.58 | $39.46 | $71,930 |
| Connecticut | $33.65 | $34.57 | $62.63 | $71,900 |
| Florida | $35.43 | $47.91 | $60.67 | $99,660 |
| Georgia | $25.43 | $53.09 | $75.84 | $110,430 |
| Hawaii | $30.33 | $42.93 | $52.30 | $89,300 |
| Idaho | $37.83 | $38.79 | $38.79 | $80,680 |
| Indiana | $39.89 | $50.81 | $68.01 | $105,690 |
| Iowa | $34.02 | $38.92 | $51.40 | $80,940 |
| Kansas | $27.88 | $29.07 | $46.21 | $60,460 |
| Kentucky | $28.62 | $36.61 | $47.27 | $76,160 |
| Louisiana | $34.00 | $40.21 | $49.91 | $83,640 |
| Maine | $33.88 | $48.22 | $66.40 | $100,300 |
| Michigan | $31.25 | $41.66 | $58.47 | $86,660 |
| Minnesota | $42.97 | $52.74 | $64.90 | $109,700 |
| Mississippi | $25.86 | $31.74 | $42.27 | $66,020 |
| Missouri | $37.99 | $48.53 | $60.75 | $100,940 |
| Montana | $24.53 | $35.50 | $40.35 | $73,850 |
| Nebraska | $28.91 | $35.23 | $43.58 | $73,270 |
| New Hampshire | $39.91 | $63.46 | $64.67 | $132,000 |
| New Mexico | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| New York | $50.84 | $66.02 | $95.35 | $137,320 |
| North Carolina | $39.59 | $43.27 | $47.93 | $90,000 |
| North Dakota | $37.86 | $39.98 | $45.80 | $83,170 |
| Ohio | $37.30 | $45.38 | $57.90 | $94,390 |
| Oklahoma | $35.53 | $38.79 | $48.07 | $80,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $36.86 | $46.85 | $54.62 | $97,450 |
| Rhode Island | $31.85 | $34.88 | $51.83 | $72,550 |
| South Dakota | $29.36 | $32.02 | $35.90 | $66,610 |
| Tennessee | $34.42 | $43.20 | $60.38 | $89,860 |
| Texas | $36.30 | $42.44 | $52.08 | $88,270 |
| Utah | $36.49 | $51.20 | $63.53 | $106,500 |
| Vermont | $46.29 | $62.14 | $73.99 | $129,260 |
| Virginia | $40.14 | $48.63 | $60.16 | $101,150 |
| West Virginia | $25.55 | $30.56 | $39.66 | $63,550 |
| Wisconsin | $31.85 | $39.00 | $51.09 | $81,130 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Distinguish direction from final approval
Describe the creative brief, your assigned role, and the review stages you managed. Note who approved layouts or authorized production. If criticism concerns a final result, distinguish your recommendation from a decision made by a client or another manager.
Track scope and staffing changes
Record changes in deliverables, staffing, schedule, or budget that affected your responsibilities. Identify the instruction and approximate date rather than reconstructing a complete client project file. Separate creative work you personally produced from work you supervised or coordinated.
Protect creative and commercial assets
Do not copy unreleased campaigns, client brand files, licensed images, or confidential budgets into a personal folder. Use your own assignment notices and employment records where permitted. Identify the approved location of relevant reviews and summarize their connection to your employment concern without reproducing the assets.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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