Employment of art directors is expected to increase 9 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Art directors will continue to be needed to oversee the work of graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, and others engaged in artwork or layout design.
Employment of art directors is expected to experience little to no change in the publishing industry from 2010 to 2020. Although job opportunities may decline as traditional print publications lose ground to other media forms, new opportunities are expected to arise as the number of electronic magazines and Internet-based publications grows. Rather than focusing on the print layout of photographs and text, art directors for newspapers and magazines will design Web pages that incorporate a variety of photographs, illustrations, graphic designs, and text images.
The most new jobs are expected in the advertising, public relations, and related services and specialized design services industries. Advertising, public relations, and related services is expected to add 2,600 art director jobs from 2010 to 2020. Specialized design services is projected to add 700 art director jobs over the same period.
From 2010 to 2020, of the numeric change of art directors in the industries employing the most art directors is projected to be as follows:
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 2,600 |
| Specialized design services | 700 |
| Motion picture and video industries | 300 |
| Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers | -100 |
Strong competition for jobs is expected as many talented designers and artists seek to move into these positions.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition