Art Directors pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,800 a year or less, while the top 10% make $172,750 or more. The middle half of art directors in Chicago earn between $80,230 and $134,860.
- $74K10th
- $80K25th
- $105KMedian
- $135K75th
- $173K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $116,590 | $9,716 | $56.05 |
| Median | $104,570 | $8,714 | $50.27 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $80,230 | $6,686 | $38.57 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $134,860 | $11,238 | $64.84 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Art Directors pay in Chicago vs. Illinois and the U.S.
Art directors in Chicago earn about the same as the Illinois average ($114,870) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($129,440). At the median the gap is -9% against the U.S. median of $114,850.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $116,590 | $104,570 | $73,800 | $172,750 | 2,560 |
| Illinois | $114,870 | $103,550 | $69,200 | $172,050 | 2,960 |
| 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 Chicago
On the average salary of $116,590, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $85,221 a year, or $7,102 a month and $3,278 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $87,383 | $7,282 |
| Working in IL | $85,221 | $7,102 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for art directors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $116,590 buys what about $112,544 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 3.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Art Directors salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 2 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$116,590
- Peoria$93,040
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 Chicago: questions
How much do art directors make an hour in Chicago?
$56.06 an hour on average, and $50.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level art directors salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $73,800 a year and the 25th percentile is $80,230, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the art directors take-home pay in Chicago?
About $85,221 a year ($7,102 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $116,590.
Do art directors earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% less 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.66, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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