Art Directors pay range in Detroit
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,700 a year or less, while the top 10% make $173,040 or more. The middle half of art directors in Detroit earn between $72,430 and $123,470.
- $58K10th
- $72K25th
- $95KMedian
- $123K75th
- $173K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $103,310 | $8,609 | $49.67 |
| Median | $95,390 | $7,949 | $45.86 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $72,430 | $6,036 | $34.82 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $123,470 | $10,289 | $59.36 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Art Directors salary after taxes in Detroit
On the average salary of $103,310, a single filer in Detroit takes home about $75,024 a year, or $6,252 a month and $2,886 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
Is Detroit a good place for art directors? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Detroit area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.3), so the average $103,310 buys what about $103,003 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Detroit ($52,080). A typical home costs $269,080, or 2.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Art Directors salary in other Michigan cities
Detroit ranks 2nd of 4 Michigan metro areas for this job; Ann Arbor pays the most ($106,420).
- Ann Arbor$106,420
- Detroit$103,310
- Lansing$94,810
- Grand Rapids$93,820
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 Detroit: questions
How much do art directors make an hour in Detroit?
$49.67 an hour on average, and $45.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level art directors salary in Detroit?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,700 a year and the 25th percentile is $72,430, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the art directors take-home pay in Detroit?
About $75,024 a year ($6,252 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $103,310. Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
Do art directors earn more in Detroit than elsewhere?
The average here is 23% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (19820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.4%.
- 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 (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.01, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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