SOC 27-1011 · Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro

Art Directors Salary in Dayton, OH

The average salary for art directors in Dayton, Ohio is $101,700 a year ($48.90 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $89,520: half of the 50 people in this job in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($134,942).

$101,700average per year

$48.90 / hourMedian $89,520Take-home ≈ $75,472

  • $52K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $90KMedian
  • $128K75th
  • $166K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

50people in this job
-25%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 5Ohio metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Art Directors pay range in Dayton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $166,030 or more. The middle half of art directors in Dayton earn between $77,530 and $127,740.

  • $52K10th
  • $78K25th
  • $90KMedian
  • $128K75th
  • $166K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$101,700$8,475$48.89
Median$89,520$7,460$43.04
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,530$6,461$37.27
Experienced (75th percentile)$127,740$10,645$61.41

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Art Directors salary after taxes in Dayton

On the average salary of $101,700, a single filer in Dayton takes home about $75,472 a year, or $6,289 a month and $2,903 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Dayton's local income tax (2.5%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.

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Is Dayton a good place for art directors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Dayton area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.7), so the average $101,700 buys what about $109,716 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Dayton ($49,980). A typical home costs $186,200, or 1.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $101,700 is worth in another city

Art Directors salary in other Ohio cities

Dayton ranks 3rd of 5 Ohio metro areas for this job; Columbus pays the most ($106,430).

All Art Directors salaries in Ohio

Highest-paying cities for art directors

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($182,620).

Art Directors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Art Directors in Dayton, OH.

Art Directors salary in Dayton: questions

How much do art directors make an hour in Dayton?

$48.90 an hour on average, and $43.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level art directors salary in Dayton?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,530, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the art directors take-home pay in Dayton?

About $75,472 a year ($6,289 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $101,700. Includes Dayton's local income tax (2.5%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.

Do art directors earn more in Dayton than elsewhere?

The average here is 25% 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 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH (19430). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.6%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Census median home value (Zillow does not cover this metro). 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 Dayton's local income tax (2.5%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.38, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.38).

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