Art Directors in the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Art Directors pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at a median of $87,570 per year ($42.10/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $114,850, the metro estimate is 24% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 130 art directors are employed across the Louisville/Jefferson County MSA in SOC 27-1011.

The Louisville/Jefferson County pay distribution spans from $50,180 at the 10th percentile to $151,070 at the 90th, a 3.0× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $61,270 and the 75th at $121,940, so half of Louisville/Jefferson County-based art directors earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide KY estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.