Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$56,360
To
$80,530
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$105,990
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$80,530
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$130,990
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$111,400
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for Creative Director in Washington DC
Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$105,990
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$80,530
To
$130,990
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$130,990
To
$168,330
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare creative director offers in Washington DC against $56,360 to $80,530.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare creative director offers in Washington DC against $80,530 to $130,990.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare creative director offers in Washington DC against $130,990 to $168,330.
How Washington DC Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Washington DC is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Art Directors, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$169,940
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$161,120
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$156,680
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$147,730
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$133,830
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$122,130
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$117,930
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$116,590
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$112,360
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$111,400
How Creative Director Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares creative director pay in Washington DC with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Corporate Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
General Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Lawyer
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$215,610
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$206,960
Creative Director
Art Directors, SOC 27-1011
$111,400
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for creative directors in Washington DC is $105,990. The middle market range runs from $80,530 at the 25th percentile to $130,990 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $56,360to $168,330.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $56,360 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $80,530 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $105,990 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $130,990 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $168,330 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Creative Director to BLS occupation Art Directors, SOC 27-1011. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Art Directors, SOC 27-1011, as the public wage source for Creative Director.
- BLS area
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Employment estimate
- 820
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median creative director salary in Washington DC?
The median annual salary for creative directors in Washington DC is $105,990, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Art Directors.
How much can fresher creative director candidates expect in Washington DC?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For creative directors in Washington DC, that range is $56,360 to $80,530. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate creative director salary range in Washington DC?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For creative directors in Washington DC, that range is $80,530 to $130,990.
What do senior creative director candidates earn in Washington DC?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For creative directors in Washington DC, that range is $130,990 to $168,330.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Art Directors instead of only Creative Director?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Creative Director to Art Directors, SOC 27-1011, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Washington DC mean city limits or a metro area?
Washington DC is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 13 Jun 2026|Last updated: 19 Jul 2026
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