Art Directors pay range in Lexington
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,690 a year or less, while the top 10% make $118,950 or more. The middle half of art directors in Lexington earn between $59,240 and $95,460.
- $55K10th
- $59K25th
- $74KMedian
- $95K75th
- $119K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $80,730 | $6,728 | $38.81 |
| Median | $73,960 | $6,163 | $35.56 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,240 | $4,937 | $28.48 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $95,460 | $7,955 | $45.89 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Art Directors salary after taxes in Lexington
On the average salary of $80,730, a single filer in Lexington takes home about $60,696 a year, or $5,058 a month and $2,334 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Lexington's local income tax (2.75%).
Is Lexington a good place for art directors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Lexington area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.9), so the average $80,730 buys what about $86,910 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Lexington ($48,620). A typical home costs $327,671, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Art Directors salary in other Kentucky cities
Lexington ranks 2nd of 2 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Louisville pays the most ($92,010).
- Louisville$92,010
- Lexington$80,730
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 Lexington: questions
How much do art directors make an hour in Lexington?
$38.81 an hour on average, and $35.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level art directors salary in Lexington?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,690 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,240, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the art directors take-home pay in Lexington?
About $60,696 a year ($5,058 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $80,730. Includes Lexington's local income tax (2.75%).
Do art directors earn more in Lexington than elsewhere?
The average here is 40% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($134,942).
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 Lexington-Fayette, KY (30460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.9%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Includes Lexington's local income tax (2.75%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.50, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.50).
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