California was 20.0% above the U.S. median for Art Directors. It ranked 2 of 47 state areas with a published annual median. Neither comparison adjusts for cost of living, benefits, experience, employer mix, or hours.
Price-level context
What the local median may buy
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for California was 110.7, or 10.7% above the national price level. Its housing index was 154.3.
National-price-dollar proxy
$124,440
WageScope divides the published Art Directors median by the BEA all-items index. This is a price-level comparison, not take-home pay, a personal budget, or a quality-of-life score.
Use the local pay range, same-source bench marks, job scale, price level, and survey care marks as separate facts. This guide stays tied to SOC 27-1011 and BLS area 06.
Questions, answered
Art Directors pay in California: common questions
What is the median wage for Art Directors in California?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS release published a median of $137,780 per year for Art Directors in California. This describes an occupation-area estimate, not a promised offer or an individual's pay.
Is Art Directors pay higher in California than nationally?
California's published median was 20.0% above the U.S. median for the same occupation and release.
Does the wage estimate adjust for cost of living in California?
No. The BLS wage is nominal. WageScope separately shows BEA's 2024 all-items Regional Price Parity of 110.7 and a transparent national-price-dollar proxy.
How many Art Directors jobs does BLS estimate in California?
BLS published an employment estimate of 12,430 wage and salary jobs for this exact row. It is a survey estimate, not a current opening count or forecast.
From market data to your evidence
Tailor for a real Art Directors job, not a generic wage number.
Pick an eligible listing, then MeritLog can help you prepare from experience you have confirmed. WageScope never turns a BLS estimate into a qualification or résumé claim.
The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Art Directors median in California at $137,780 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 27-1011 and BLS area 06.
BLS lists 12,430 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $156,060 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
California's Art Directors median is 20.0% above the U.S. Art Directors median of $114,850 on the same published median. The comparison uses the same SOC code and source period. It does not add price levels, taxes, benefits, hours, or a person's work history.
This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 27-1011 and area 06. SOC 27-1011 names Art Directors. Area 06 names California. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 27-1011/06 row reports 12,430 wage and salary jobs, 0.68 jobs per 1,000 local jobs, and a 2 location quotient. Each value stays under the same two source keys.
For 27-1011/06, the annual median is $137,780 per year, while the matching mean is $156,060 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
Area 06 reports 18,213,700 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $80,690. Its annual median is $58,240. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.2%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 27-1011 row.
The all-jobs wage ladder in California runs from $35,950 at the 10th percentile to $159,080 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $41,600. The median is $58,240. The 75th percentile is $97,880. This is a place check, not a pay range for Art Directors.
The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 06. They do not show related skills or a path into Art Directors.
1. Area 06, SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides: 970,150 jobs, $34,320 annual median, 53.27 jobs per 1,000, and 1.92 location quotient.
2. Area 06, SOC 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers: 449,840 jobs, $42,280 annual median, 24.7 jobs per 1,000, and 1 location quotient.
3. Area 06, SOC 41-2031, Retail Salespersons: 376,460 jobs, $38,440 annual median, 20.67 jobs per 1,000, and 0.82 location quotient.
Pay range
Read the California wage ladder for Art Directors
The 10th percentile is $81,500 per year. The 25th percentile is $106,470 per year. The median is $137,780 per year. The 75th percentile is $192,380 per year. The 90th percentile is $249,210 per year.
A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.
The middle half runs from $106,470 per year to $192,380 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $167,710. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
California has a annual median of $137,780 per year. No exact state row is linked for this area. The U.S. row has $114,850 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.
A state comparison is not available for California. California is 20.0% above the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.
The state and U.S. rows are bench marks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.
California ranks 2 of 47 among states and territories with a published annual median for Art Directors. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.
Rank 2 of 47 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.
The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.
1. Massachusetts has a Art Directors median of $149,320 per year, 1,850 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.49.
3. New York has a Art Directors median of $137,320 per year, 8,720 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 2.64.
4. Oregon has a Art Directors median of $133,840 per year, 1,040 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.55.
5. New Hampshire has a Art Directors median of $132,000 per year, 160 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.7.
Where Art Directors medians lead among states and territories
The rows below use the same SOC 27-1011, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same state map type. Massachusetts has the highest published median in this set, at $149,320 per year. California sits at $137,780 per year.
A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Art Directors is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.
Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey care marks, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.
1. Massachusetts has a Art Directors median of $149,320 per year, or $11,540 above California. BLS lists 1,850 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 1.49.
2. California has a Art Directors median of $137,780 per year, or $0 above California. BLS lists 12,430 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 2.
3. New York has a Art Directors median of $137,320 per year, or $460 below California. BLS lists 8,720 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 2.64.
Job-base leaders
Where BLS counts the most Art Directors jobs
California has the largest published state job estimate for Art Directors in this same-source set, at 12,430 jobs. California has 12,430. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.
A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.
Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.
1. California has 12,430 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 0 jobs from California. Its median is $137,780 per year, or $0 above California. Its location quotient is 2.
2. New York has 8,720 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 3,710 jobs from California. Its median is $137,320 per year, or $460 below California. Its location quotient is 2.64.
3. Illinois has 2,960 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 9,470 jobs from California. Its median is $103,550 per year, or $34,230 below California. Its location quotient is 1.42.
Local-share leaders
Where Art Directors takes the largest share of local jobs
New York has the highest published location quotient in this state set, at 2.64. California has 2. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.
A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.
Use this list to ask where Art Directors is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.
1. New York has a location quotient of 2.64, a gap of 0.64 from California. BLS lists 8,720 Art Directors jobs and a median of $137,320 per year, or $460 below California.
2. California has a location quotient of 2, a gap of 0.00 from California. BLS lists 12,430 Art Directors jobs and a median of $137,780 per year, or $0 above California.
3. Connecticut has a location quotient of 2, a gap of 0.00 from California. BLS lists 1,160 Art Directors jobs and a median of $71,900 per year, or $65,880 below California.
Job scale and share
How common Art Directors is in California
BLS lists 12,430 Art Directors jobs in California. It also lists 0.68 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.
The location quotient is 2. A value of 1 means Art Directors has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is higher than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.
Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.
The all-occupations median in California is $58,240 per year. The Art Directors median is $137,780 per year. Art Directors is 136.6% above the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.
The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for California. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.
Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Art Directors. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.
1. Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141, has a California median of $140,270 per year. BLS lists 338,940 jobs and a location quotient of 0.86.
2. General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021, has a California median of $124,390 per year. BLS lists 300,840 jobs and a location quotient of 0.73.
3. Management Analysts, SOC 13-1111, has a California median of $101,460 per year. BLS lists 137,280 jobs and a location quotient of 1.3.
Area job mix
The largest detailed roles in California
Home Health and Personal Care Aides is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded California table, at 970,150 jobs. Art Directors has 12,430 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.
The all-occupations job count is 18,213,700. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.
A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Art Directors's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.
1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 970,150 jobs in California, a gap of 957,720 from Art Directors. Its median is $34,320 per year, or $103,460 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.92.
2. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 449,840 jobs in California, a gap of 437,410 from Art Directors. Its median is $42,280 per year, or $95,500 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.
Area pay mix
Published role medians around California
Software Developers has the highest published median in the bounded California role table, at $174,410 per year. Art Directors has $137,780 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $58,240 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.
The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.
1. Software Developers has a median of $174,410 per year in California, or $36,630 above Art Directors. BLS lists 284,390 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.44.
2. Registered Nurses has a median of $140,270 per year in California, or $2,490 above Art Directors. BLS lists 338,940 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.86.
3. General and Operations Managers has a median of $124,390 per year in California, or $13,390 below Art Directors. BLS lists 300,840 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.73.
Area role shares
Roles with the largest local share in California
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse has the highest location quotient in the bounded California role table, at 5.54. Art Directors has 2. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.
A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.
The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare Art Directors with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.
1. Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse has a location quotient of 5.54 in California, a gap of 3.54 from Art Directors. BLS lists 172,260 jobs and a median of $35,580 per year, or $102,200 below Art Directors.
2. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has a location quotient of 1.92 in California, a gap of 0.08 from Art Directors. BLS lists 970,150 jobs and a median of $34,320 per year, or $103,460 below Art Directors.
3. Cooks, Fast Food has a location quotient of 1.66 in California, a gap of 0.34 from Art Directors. BLS lists 124,440 jobs and a median of $42,050 per year, or $95,730 below Art Directors.
Price-level view
What $137,780 may mean after the California price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for California is 110.7. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 10.7% above that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $137,780 Art Directors median by 110.7 divided by 100. The result is $124,440 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.
Housing is 154.3. Goods are 106.1. Utilities are 158.9. Other services are 102.6. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.
The employment RSE for this Art Directors row is 6.1%. The mean-wage RSE is 2.7%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.
The employment RSE belongs to the 12,430 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $156,060 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.
A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.
The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Art Directors. It uses a California place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.
Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $137,780 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.
Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.
What the Art Directors row for California does not claim
The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.
The 12,430 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 2 is not a growth score. Rank 2 of 47 is not a place score. The 110.7 price index is not a personal budget.
Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 27-1011 in BLS area 06. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.
Are the current job listings included in the BLS wage calculation?
No. MeritLog shows eligible live public-catalog listings separately, with their own source and observation date. Posted pay never changes the official BLS distribution.
4. Area 06, SOC 53-7062, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: 355,500 jobs, $44,710 annual median, 19.52 jobs per 1,000, and 1.03 location quotient.
5. Area 06, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses: 338,940 jobs, $140,270 annual median, 18.61 jobs per 1,000, and 0.86 location quotient.
6. Area 06, SOC 41-2011, Cashiers: 336,110 jobs, $37,100 annual median, 18.45 jobs per 1,000, and 0.93 location quotient.
4. Oregon has a Art Directors median of $133,840 per year, or $3,940 below California. BLS lists 1,040 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 1.55.
5. New Hampshire has a Art Directors median of $132,000 per year, or $5,780 below California. BLS lists 160 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 0.7.
6. Vermont has a Art Directors median of $129,260 per year, or $8,520 below California. BLS lists 80 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 0.82.
7. New Jersey has a Art Directors median of $129,200 per year, or $8,580 below California. BLS lists 1,840 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 1.26.
8. Washington has a Art Directors median of $121,170 per year, or $16,610 below California. BLS lists 650 jobs there, compared with 12,430 in California. The location quotient is 0.54.
4. Florida has 2,520 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 9,910 jobs from California. Its median is $99,660 per year, or $38,120 below California. Its location quotient is 0.74.
5. Texas has 2,480 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 9,950 jobs from California. Its median is $88,270 per year, or $49,510 below California. Its location quotient is 0.52.
6. Massachusetts has 1,850 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 10,580 jobs from California. Its median is $149,320 per year, or $11,540 above California. Its location quotient is 1.49.
7. New Jersey has 1,840 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 10,590 jobs from California. Its median is $129,200 per year, or $8,580 below California. Its location quotient is 1.26.
8. Georgia has 1,420 estimated Art Directors jobs, a gap of 11,010 jobs from California. Its median is $110,430 per year, or $27,350 below California. Its location quotient is 0.85.
4. Oregon has a location quotient of 1.55, a gap of 0.45 from California. BLS lists 1,040 Art Directors jobs and a median of $133,840 per year, or $3,940 below California.
5. Massachusetts has a location quotient of 1.49, a gap of 0.51 from California. BLS lists 1,850 Art Directors jobs and a median of $149,320 per year, or $11,540 above California.
6. Illinois has a location quotient of 1.42, a gap of 0.58 from California. BLS lists 2,960 Art Directors jobs and a median of $103,550 per year, or $34,230 below California.
7. New Jersey has a location quotient of 1.26, a gap of 0.74 from California. BLS lists 1,840 Art Directors jobs and a median of $129,200 per year, or $8,580 below California.
8. Minnesota has a location quotient of 0.92, a gap of 1.08 from California. BLS lists 920 Art Directors jobs and a median of $109,700 per year, or $28,080 below California.
4. Software Developers, SOC 15-1252, has a California median of $174,410 per year. BLS lists 284,390 jobs and a location quotient of 1.44.
5. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2021, has a California median of $99,650 per year. BLS lists 155,160 jobs and a location quotient of 0.95.
6. Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011, has a California median of $97,050 per year. BLS lists 175,360 jobs and a location quotient of 1.03.
7. Business Operations Specialists, All Other, SOC 13-1199, has a California median of $87,570 per year. BLS lists 155,000 jobs and a location quotient of 1.22.
8. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel, SOC 41-3091, has a California median of $80,850 per year. BLS lists 156,110 jobs and a location quotient of 1.06.
3. Retail Salespersons has 376,460 jobs in California, a gap of 364,030 from Art Directors. Its median is $38,440 per year, or $99,340 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.82.
4. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has 355,500 jobs in California, a gap of 343,070 from Art Directors. Its median is $44,710 per year, or $93,070 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.03.
5. Registered Nurses has 338,940 jobs in California, a gap of 326,510 from Art Directors. Its median is $140,270 per year, or $2,490 above Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.86.
6. Cashiers has 336,110 jobs in California, a gap of 323,680 from Art Directors. Its median is $37,100 per year, or $100,680 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.93.
7. Office Clerks, General has 311,490 jobs in California, a gap of 299,060 from Art Directors. Its median is $48,460 per year, or $89,320 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.08.
8. Stockers and Order Fillers has 310,870 jobs in California, a gap of 298,440 from Art Directors. Its median is $42,870 per year, or $94,910 below Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.94.
4. Management Analysts has a median of $101,460 per year in California, or $36,320 below Art Directors. BLS lists 137,280 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.3.
5. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $99,650 per year in California, or $38,130 below Art Directors. BLS lists 155,160 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 0.95.
6. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $97,050 per year in California, or $40,730 below Art Directors. BLS lists 175,360 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.03.
7. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a median of $87,570 per year in California, or $50,210 below Art Directors. BLS lists 155,000 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.22.
8. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel has a median of $80,850 per year in California, or $56,930 below Art Directors. BLS lists 156,110 jobs, compared with 12,430 for Art Directors. Its location quotient is 1.06.
4. Software Developers has a location quotient of 1.44 in California, a gap of 0.56 from Art Directors. BLS lists 284,390 jobs and a median of $174,410 per year, or $36,630 above Art Directors.
5. Security Guards has a location quotient of 1.33 in California, a gap of 0.67 from Art Directors. BLS lists 199,480 jobs and a median of $43,240 per year, or $94,540 below Art Directors.
6. Management Analysts has a location quotient of 1.3 in California, a gap of 0.70 from Art Directors. BLS lists 137,280 jobs and a median of $101,460 per year, or $36,320 below Art Directors.
7. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a location quotient of 1.22 in California, a gap of 0.78 from Art Directors. BLS lists 155,000 jobs and a median of $87,570 per year, or $50,210 below Art Directors.
8. Office Clerks, General has a location quotient of 1.08 in California, a gap of 0.92 from Art Directors. BLS lists 311,490 jobs and a median of $48,460 per year, or $89,320 below Art Directors.
Precise employer-title matches for Art Directors in California
Filtered through MeritLog's approved California place record and a strict employer-title rule. Listings are not classified by BLS and remain separate from BLS and BEA estimates.
