Prevailing Wage for Art Directors
Prevailing wage requirements for Art Directors under SOC 27-1011.00 apply to any H-1B visa, H-1B1 visa, E-3 visa, H-2B visa, or PERM sponsorship. Whether your title reads Creative Director (CD Director), Creative Services Manager, or Art Supervisor, DOL sets four experience-based wage levels for this occupation, and the floor shifts significantly depending on where the worksite is located.
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Entry-level Art Directors with limited professional experience and minimal independent decision-making authority. Typically recent graduates or those new to directing creative output, working under close supervision with assignments that follow established templates and direction from senior staff.
Qualified Art Directors with moderate experience who handle standard creative briefs independently. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Art Directors, reflecting mid-career professionals who oversee projects, manage contributors, and apply judgment within defined brand or production frameworks.
Experienced Art Directors who lead complex, multi-channel projects and exercise significant creative autonomy. They typically mentor junior staff, shape visual strategy across campaigns or productions, and bring specialized expertise in a medium such as broadcast, film, or interactive design.
Fully competent Art Directors at the top of the occupation, setting creative vision at the department or organization level. They direct teams, own brand standards, and make high-stakes decisions with minimal oversight, often carrying titles such as Creative Services Director or Design Director.
Prevailing wage for Art Directors by OES area
Each area on the map is a DOL OES wage zone. Click any location to see the prevailing wage floor for Art Directors at each level.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Art Directors and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Watch how agencies versus in-house employers file
Advertising agencies often file Art Directors at Level 2 even for senior roles because campaign scope varies by account. In-house creative teams at tech or media companies more frequently file at Level 3 or Level 4, reflecting ongoing brand ownership rather than project-based work.
Verify your worksite city before accepting
The L2 prevailing wage in San Jose or San Francisco is roughly double the L2 floor in Wichita or Lincoln. Because the LCA wage is pegged to the actual worksite on file, a remote or hybrid arrangement with an unspecified worksite can misclassify your wage obligation significantly.
Exclude signing bonuses from your wage floor calculation
DOL counts only recurring cash wages toward prevailing wage compliance for Art Directors. A signing bonus or one-time relocation payment does not offset a base salary below the floor, which is a common gap in creative-industry offer letters that blend salary and project bonuses.
Search Migrate Mate by employer sponsorship history
Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored Art Directors and Creative Directors in the past, so you can prioritize outreach toward studios, agencies, and tech companies with a documented track record of H-1B, H-1B1 visa, E-3, H-2B, or PERM filings for this specific occupation.
Prevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 27-1011.00 alongside Art Directors, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Art Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Art Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Art Supervisor positions fall under SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Creative Director (CD Director) Prevailing Wage
Creative Director (CD Director) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Creative Director (CD Director) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Creative Manager Prevailing Wage
Creative Manager Prevailing Wage
Creative Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Creative Services Director Prevailing Wage
Creative Services Director Prevailing Wage
Creative Services Director positions fall under SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Creative Services Manager Prevailing Wage
Creative Services Manager Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Creative Services Manager for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Design Director Prevailing Wage
Design Director Prevailing Wage
Design Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Graphic Design and Art Production Manager Prevailing Wage
Graphic Design and Art Production Manager Prevailing Wage
Graphic Design and Art Production Manager positions fall under SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Group Art Supervisor Prevailing Wage
Group Art Supervisor Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Group Art Supervisor for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Presentation Director Prevailing Wage
Presentation Director Prevailing Wage
Presentation Director is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 27-1011.00 (Art Directors). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Art Directors?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For Art Directors under SOC 27-1011.00, the agency sets four wage levels based on experience and job complexity within each surveyed area. Employers must pay at least the level that matches the actual duties and experience required for the sponsored position, certified through the LCA process administered by OFLC.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
Level 1 applies to entry-level roles with close supervision and routine tasks. Level 2 covers qualified professionals working independently on standard projects, and it is the most common filing level for Art Directors. Level 3 applies to experienced professionals leading complex work with significant autonomy. Level 4 covers those setting creative direction at a senior or organizational level. Your level should match the actual duties in the job description, not just the title on the offer letter.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Art Director role vary so much by city?
DOL conducts regional OES surveys that capture local labor market conditions. Dense employer markets like San Francisco or New York produce higher survey averages because competing demand from technology companies, media firms, and advertising agencies drives up wages in those areas. The wage on the LCA must correspond to the actual worksite where the employee will work, so a position nominally headquartered in one city but physically performed in another must use the worksite city's rate.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Art Director position?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B, H-1B1 visa, E-3, H-2B, or PERM petition if the offered wage does not meet or exceed the prevailing wage certified on the LCA. OFLC can also audit and decertify an LCA if the wage falls short. The employer bears the obligation to pay the prevailing wage for the duration of the sponsorship, and underpayment can result in back-wage liability, debarment from future sponsorships, and denial of the underlying visa petition.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Art Directors in a specific U.S. location?
You can look up the current DOL prevailing wage by SOC code and metropolitan area using the OFLC Wage Search tool. Enter SOC code 27-1011.00 and the metro area where the job is located to see all four wage levels. O*NET provides additional context on the occupation's typical requirements. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have sponsored Art Directors and Creative Directors, so you can research the companies behind specific offers before negotiating.
