Creative director salary: Where does it sit against the national line?
If you are a creative director in Australia, your salary is likely well above the national full-time adult ordinary-time average of $2,083.70 a week ($108,352 a year) – but the exact figure depends on where you work, how your pay is set, and the industry. The ABS does not publish a separate figure for creative directors, so we need to look at related occupation groups and the factors that push pay off the national line.
The national benchmark
The site’s line is drawn from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026: $2,083.70 a week for full-time adults in ordinary time, or about $108,352 a year. This is the average across all full-time employees, not a median or a minimum. The full-time median is lower at about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100 (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week, or $52,255 a year on a 38-hour week.
Creative directors are typically senior roles in advertising, media, design, or marketing. The ABS classifies them either as Managers or Professionals. In the May 2025 Employee Earnings and Hours survey, Managers had average weekly total cash earnings of $2,800.90 (about $145,647 a year) and Professionals $2,049.60 (about $106,579 a year). The hourly rate for Managers was $69.20, and for Professionals $64.50. These are averages, not medians, and they include all employees (full-time and part-time) in those occupations.
How state moves the figure
State full-time averages vary by more than $23,000 a year. The on-site notes give these figures from ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026:
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
- Western Australia: $115,825
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- South Australia: $102,450
- Tasmania: $96,008
A creative director in the ACT or WA may earn significantly more than one in Tasmania or SA, even in the same industry. The national average of $108,352 sits between NSW and Victoria. If your role is in a high-paying state, your salary is likely above the line; in a lower-paying state, it may be below. The States and territories page lets you compare each state’s full-time average.
Award coverage and individual arrangements
How your pay is set also matters. According to the ABS Employee Earnings survey (May 2025), 38.5% of all employees have their pay set by individual arrangement, 34.6% by collective agreement, and 22.7% by award only. Creative directors are more likely to be on individual arrangements or collective agreements, which tend to pay higher than award minimums.
For those covered by a modern award – such as the Professional Employees Award – the minimum rates are set by Fair Work. From 1 July 2026, award minimums rose by 4.75%, following the Annual Wage Review. The Fair Work Modern Awards Pay Database (updated June 2026) contains the exact rates. However, many creative directors are not award-covered; they negotiate their own salary. The average weekly total cash earnings for employees on individual arrangements was $1,876.50 in May 2025, compared to $922.20 for award-only employees. For Managers, the average was $2,800.90, well above the award-only average.
Industry matters too
Creative directors work across industries like advertising, media, and professional services. The ABS industry data shows that the highest-paying industries (e.g., mining, financial services) have higher averages. The national all-employees average weekly total cash earnings was $1,611.10 in May 2025, but industry averages vary. For example, the average in the Northern Territory was $1,817.80, and in the ACT $1,820.50, reflecting the public sector and high-skill services.
Putting it on the line
To see where your creative director salary sits against the national full-time average, you can Place a salary on the line. The tool shows the weekly and hourly equivalent on a 38-hour week, and the distance from the $108,352 line. Remember that the line is an average, not a target. Many creative directors earn above it, especially in senior roles in Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth.
If you want to understand how your pay is set – whether by award, agreement, or individual negotiation – the Guides explain the different methods and how they affect your take-home pay. The How the figures are set page details the sources and methodology behind the site’s numbers.
Key takeaways
- The ABS does not publish a specific creative director salary. Use the Manager or Professional averages as a guide.
- State averages differ by up to $23,000 a year. Check your state against the national line.
- Award coverage is rare for creative directors; most are on individual arrangements that pay above award minimums.
- The national full-time average of $108,352 is a useful benchmark, but your actual salary depends on many factors.
For more detail on occupation medians and industry averages, see the Job medians and Industry medians pages.