Career Explorer Arts, media and sport
Grows with AI
Art directors
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.
Changing faster than most: more resilient than 39% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it very high), and US jobs are projected to change by +4.2% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on creative vision and emotional intelligence.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $114,850
- Job growth to 2035
- +4.2%
- Openings a year
- 12,200
- People doing it (2025)
- 140,000
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Explain technical details of products or services
- Study details of artistic productions
- Determine operational methods or procedures
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Coordinate artistic or entertainment activities
- Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures
- Direct scientific or technical activities
What the work looks like
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
- Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
- Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Landscape architectsGrows with AI, Index 58, +4.4%
- Interior designersChanging shape, Index 56, +2.7%
- Anthropologists and archeologistsGrows with AI, Index 44, +6.0%
- Soil and plant scientistsGrows with AI, Index 41, +6.7%
Also known as: Art Director, Creative Director (CD Director), Creative Services Director, Design Director, Art Supervisor, Creative Manager, Creative Services Manager, Graphic Design and Art Production Manager.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.