Art Director Salary (2026)
The median art director in the games industry earns $89,316 per year with 6–10 years of experience (global, base salary in USD), with most offers falling between $71k and $112k.
Figures are based on 12+ anonymous community salary reports and public industry surveys, resolved per experience band. Rows marked model estimate have no direct survey data yet — submit your salary to improve them. See the methodology for how numbers are computed.
Salary by experience (global)
| Experience | Low | Median | High | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 years | $30,293 | $37,867 | $47,334 | Industry report |
| 3–5 years | $46,327 | $57,909 | $72,386 | Industry report |
| 6–10 years | $71,452 | $89,316 | $111,644 | Industry report |
| 11–15 years | $88,781 | $110,977 | $138,720 | Industry report |
| 16+ years | $119,630 | $137,786 | $155,942 | Community datan=12 |
Salary by region
Median base salary (USD) for the best-covered experience band per region — bands differ where coverage differs. US buying power converts that figure to what it buys locally (World Bank 2023 price levels, see methodology).
| Region | Median | Experience | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $110,313 | 6–10 years | Industry report |
| Rest of World | $100,000 | 11–15 years | Community datan=5 |
| Asia Pacific | $76,265 | 3–5 years | Industry report |
| Nordic Countries | $62,217 | 6–10 years | Industry report |
| United Kingdom · Western Europe · Eastern Europe | $57,661 | 6–10 years | Industry report |
Open art director jobs
Recent listings from games-industry job boards:
Sources used on this page
- Community data — public community salary datasets, individual reports shared with us, and anonymous submissions on this site (2018–2026).
- 8Bit Gamedev Salary Pulse 2026 — Games-industry recruitment agency salary report. Cited with permission.
- Skillsearch Games & Immersive Salary and Satisfaction Report 2026 — Annual survey by games recruitment agency Skillsearch. Cited with permission.