Design Director Salary in California, United States

Los Angeles offers a median mid-level Design Director salary of $123,000 a year. Tech studios and advertising agencies drive demand. Creative leaders are present.

Salary by experience level

Entry-level (0-2 years)

Salary range (per year)

$91,000 to $110,000

Average (per year)

$101,000

Entry-level positions support design teams across various organizations.

Mid-level (3-5 years)

Salary range (per year)

$112,000 to $135,000

Average (per year)

$123,000

At the mid level, directors guide project work for a range of companies.

Senior (6-9 years)

Salary range (per year)

$135,000 to $155,000

Average (per year)

$145,000

Senior professionals supervise teams within larger organizations or regional offices.

Principal/Lead (10+ years)

Salary range (per year)

$156,000+

Principal-level leaders direct whole creative departments and spearhead major initiatives.

Hourly Rates

For freelance or contract work, hourly rates are typically higher than equivalent salaried positions.

Junior

$47 - $60

per hour

Mid-level

$61 - $80

per hour

Senior

$81 - $105

per hour

Nationally, Design Directors earn around $110,000, so Los Angeles sits above the average. The premium reflects higher living expenses.

Cities in California

Design Director salary in Los Angeles County → Design Director salary in San Diego County → Design Director salary in Orange County → Design Director salary in Riverside County → Design Director salary in San Bernardino County → Design Director salary in Santa Clara County → Design Director salary in Alameda County → Design Director salary in Sacramento County → Design Director salary in San Diego → Design Director salary in Contra Costa County → Design Director salary in San Jose → Design Director salary in Fresno County → Design Director salary in Kern County → Design Director salary in Ventura County → Design Director salary in San Francisco → Design Director salary in San Joaquin County → Design Director salary in San Mateo County → Design Director salary in Stanislaus County → Design Director salary in Fresno → Design Director salary in Sacramento → Design Director salary in Sonoma County → Design Director salary in Tulare County → Design Director salary in Solano County → Design Director salary in Santa Barbara County → Design Director salary in Monterey County → Design Director salary in Placer County → Design Director salary in Bakersfield → Design Director salary in Anaheim → Design Director salary in Stockton → Design Director salary in Riverside → Design Director salary in Santa Ana → Design Director salary in Irvine → Design Director salary in San Luis Obispo County → Design Director salary in Merced County → Design Director salary in Chula Vista → Design Director salary in Santa Cruz County → Design Director salary in Marin County → Design Director salary in Santa Clarita → Design Director salary in San Bernardino → Design Director salary in Modesto → Design Director salary in Yolo County → Design Director salary in Hollywood → Design Director salary in Moreno Valley → Design Director salary in Fontana → Design Director salary in Oxnard → Design Director salary in Huntington Beach → Design Director salary in El Dorado County → Design Director salary in Shasta County → Design Director salary in Imperial County → Design Director salary in Rancho Cucamonga → Design Director salary in Oceanside → Design Director salary in Garden Grove → Design Director salary in Palmdale → Design Director salary in Salinas → Design Director salary in Hayward → Design Director salary in Corona → Design Director salary in Madera County → Design Director salary in Sunnyvale → Design Director salary in Kings County → Design Director salary in Pomona → Design Director salary in Escondido → Design Director salary in Valencia → Design Director salary in Roseville → Design Director salary in Torrance → Design Director salary in Fullerton → Design Director salary in Orange → Design Director salary in Pasadena → Design Director salary in Napa County → Design Director salary in Victorville → Design Director salary in Thousand Oaks → Design Director salary in Simi Valley → Design Director salary in Vallejo → Design Director salary in Berkeley → Design Director salary in Koreatown → Design Director salary in Antioch → Design Director salary in Costa Mesa → Design Director salary in Murrieta → Design Director salary in Ventura → Design Director salary in Van Nuys → Design Director salary in Temecula → Design Director salary in Santa Maria → Design Director salary in West Covina → Design Director salary in El Monte → Design Director salary in Inglewood → Design Director salary in Boyle Heights → Design Director salary in El Cajon → Design Director salary in San Mateo → Design Director salary in Jurupa Valley → Design Director salary in Universal City → Design Director salary in Daly City → Design Director salary in Rialto → Design Director salary in Norwalk → Design Director salary in Menifee → Design Director salary in Vacaville → Design Director salary in Nevada County → Design Director salary in Chico → Design Director salary in Hesperia → Design Director salary in Sutter County → Design Director salary in Vista → Design Director salary in Compton → Design Director salary in San Marcos → Design Director salary in Mission Viejo → Design Director salary in Redding → Design Director salary in Santa Monica → Design Director salary in South Gate → Design Director salary in Mendocino County → Design Director salary in Chino → Design Director salary in San Leandro → Design Director salary in Chinatown → Design Director salary in Bloomington → Design Director salary in Hemet → Design Director salary in Indio → Design Director salary in Santa Barbara → Design Director salary in Hawthorne → Design Director salary in Citrus Heights → Design Director salary in Auburn → Design Director salary in Merced → Design Director salary in Lake Forest → Design Director salary in Newport Beach → Design Director salary in San Ramon → Design Director salary in Redwood City → Design Director salary in Buena Park → Design Director salary in San Pedro → Design Director salary in Manteca → Design Director salary in Alhambra → Design Director salary in Yuba County → Design Director salary in Tustin → Design Director salary in Milpitas → Design Director salary in Rancho Cordova → Design Director salary in Napa → Design Director salary in Upland → Design Director salary in Perris → Design Director salary in Chino Hills → Design Director salary in Alameda → Design Director salary in Pittsburg → Design Director salary in Redlands → Design Director salary in Mira Mesa → Design Director salary in Turlock → Design Director salary in Dublin → Design Director salary in Baldwin Park → Design Director salary in Rocklin → Design Director salary in Redondo Beach → Design Director salary in Camarillo → Design Director salary in Marysville → Design Director salary in Northridge → Design Director salary in Lake Elsinore → Design Director salary in Union City → Design Director salary in Walnut Creek → Design Director salary in Yuba City → Design Director salary in Eastvale → Design Director salary in Tulare → Design Director salary in Palo Alto → Design Director salary in Yorba Linda → Design Director salary in Lynwood → Design Director salary in Madera → Design Director salary in South San Francisco → Design Director salary in Tehama County → Design Director salary in Janesville → Design Director salary in North Hollywood → Design Director salary in Laguna Niguel → Design Director salary in San Clemente → Design Director salary in Brentwood → Design Director salary in San Benito County → Design Director salary in Lakewood → Design Director salary in La Habra → Design Director salary in Santa Cruz → Design Director salary in Montebello → Design Director salary in Porterville → Design Director salary in Pico Rivera → Design Director salary in Encinitas → Design Director salary in San Rafael → Design Director salary in La Mesa → Design Director salary in Monterey Park → Design Director salary in Gardena → Design Director salary in Canoga Park → Design Director salary in Clay → Design Director salary in Cupertino → Design Director salary in Santee → Design Director salary in Rancho Penasquitos → Design Director salary in Petaluma → Design Director salary in Gilroy → Design Director salary in Hanford → Design Director salary in Fountain Valley → Design Director salary in National City → Design Director salary in Tuolumne County → Design Director salary in Diamond Bar → Design Director salary in Huntington Park → Design Director salary in Yucaipa → Design Director salary in West Sacramento → Design Director salary in Colton → Design Director salary in San Jacinto → Design Director salary in Paramount → Design Director salary in Novato → Design Director salary in Beaumont → Design Director salary in Sherman Oaks → Design Director salary in Watsonville → Design Director salary in Aliso Viejo → Design Director salary in Placentia → Design Director salary in Cathedral City → Design Director salary in Delano → Design Director salary in Collierville → Design Director salary in Covina → Design Director salary in Rosemead → Design Director salary in Palm Desert → Design Director salary in Azusa →