10 Countries With The Highest Creative Director Salaries

(Last Updated On: November 7, 2020)

A creative director is a position mainly in the graphic design, film, music, video game, fashion, advertising and media industries. The position’s responsibilities include leading the interactive design, communication design and concept forward in any work assigned. They determine the creative vision of a brand or project and manifests the vision through digital, print and film installations. They maintain a cohesive look and feel of a project. Here is a list of countries with the highest paid creative directors in the world. (Salaries converted to US dollars for comparison)

1. United States

Salary – $141,000

Creative directors in the United States with above average work experience are able to command a salary of $141,000 a year based on a study conducted by The Creative Group. Those in the early years of their career with little experience get paid around $93,000 a year.

2. Ireland

Salary – $125,000

A creative director based in Ireland with less than three years of work of experience earns between €60,000 – €70,000 annually. Those with mid level experience of between 3 and 5 years earn €70k – €80k and those with over five years of work experience earn €80,000 – €130,000.

3. New Zealand

Salary – $122,000

Based on data provided by The Creative Store, the average salary of a creative director based in New Zealand is NZ$180,000 while the salary range between NZ$120,000 – NZ$250,000 per year.

4. Australia

Salary -$116,500

A creative director is among the highest paying creative jobs in Australia with an average salary of AU$160,000 a year. Those based in urban areas like Sydney are able to command salaries as high as AU$200,000 a year.

5. Switzerland

Salary – $114,000

According to data on Jobs.ch the average salary of a creative director based in Switzerland is around CHF102,000 per year.

6. United Kingdom

LONDON, UK – APRIL 10, 2016, London streets.

Salary – $105,000

The starting salaries for advertising creatives are between £20,000 and £28,000. Those with a number of years of work experience can earn between £40,000 – £60,000. Creative director who are highly experienced can earn salaries of over £80,000.

7. Norway

Salary – $89,500

According to a study conducted by Grafill in Norway, a Norwegian creative director is expected to earn an average salary of kr816,500 annually.

8. Canada

Salary – $87,500

According to a survey conducted by Creative Niche on members & non members of ADCC,AMPA, CAPIC, Design Algoma, Editors Canada, IABC Ottawa, IABC London, IABC Toronto and Sudbury Design Society, a senior creative director with over 15 years of work experience earns an average salary of CA$114,000 per annum. Those who are in the early years of their careers are able to earn CA$90,000 a year. The national average annual salary for a creative director is CA$102,000 and some of the top paying provinces are Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.