Average Creative Director Salary in Canada for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Creative Director salary for 2024 in Canada and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Canadian dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the CAD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Creative Director Make in Canada?

A Creative Director working in Canada will typically earn around 119,700 CAD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 57,100 CAD to the highest average salary of 191,500 CAD.

Average Annual Salary
119,700 CAD
Average Monthly Salary
9,975 CAD

Lowest Annual Salary
57,100 CAD
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,758 CAD

Highest Annual Salary
191,500 CAD
Highest Monthly Salary
15,958 CAD

These are average salaries for a Creative Director in Canada and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Creative Director to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Creative Director salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Creative Director Salaries in Canada

So we've looked at the average salaries a Creative Director will earn in Canada. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Creative Director can earn between 57,100 CAD and 191,500 CAD on average in Canada. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Creative Director in Canada is 128,200 CAD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 128,200 CAD, and 50% of the population earn more than 128,200 CAD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Creative Director salary in Canada, 25% of the population are earning less than 83,400 CAD while 75% of the population earn more than 83,400 CAD.

75% of the population earn less than 167,100 CAD, and 25% of the population earn more than 167,100 CAD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Creative Director Salary by Experience Level in Canada

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average creative director salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Creative Director in Canada that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 67,000 CAD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Creative Director salary would increase to 91,700 CAD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Creative Director, the average salary would be 127,600 CAD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 157,600 CAD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Creative Director with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 163,800 CAD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Creative Director with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 177,200 CAD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
67,000 CAD
2-5 Years +38%
91,700 CAD
5-10 Years +42%
127,600 CAD
10-15 Years +22%
157,600 CAD
15-20 Years +6%
163,800 CAD
20+ Years +9%
177,200 CAD

Creative Director Salary by Education Level in Canada

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Creative Director in Canada based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Creative Director in Canada with a high school education can earn an average salary of 79,600 CAD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Creative Director in Canada with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 95,000 CAD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Creative Director in Canada with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 138,700 CAD.

  • Master's Degree. A Creative Director in Canada with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 177,200 CAD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
79,600 CAD
Certificate or Diploma +17%
95,000 CAD
Bachelor's Degree +45%
138,700 CAD
Master's Degree +31%
177,200 CAD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Canada is around 49,800 to 149,000 CAD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Creative Director Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Canada, a male creative director will earn an average of 124,500 CAD, while a female creative director will earn around 115,600 CAD.

This means that a male creative director earns approximately 8% more than a female creative director for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Canada

Male
124,500 CAD
Female -8%
115,600 CAD

Creative Director Average Pay Raise in Canada

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Creative Director in Canada is around 12% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Canada is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Creative Director in Canada can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Canada for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Canada.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
2%
Energy
4%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
8%
Travel
1%
Construction
3%
Education
5%

Creative Director Bonus and Incentive Rates in Canada

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Creative Director is a moderate bonus based job, with 60% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

40% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7%.

Received Bonus
60%
No Bonus
40%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Canada earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
123,000 CAD
Private Sector -6%
115,600 CAD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Creative Director

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Creative Director in Canada.

Job Title Category Salary
Advertising Account Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 134,700 CAD
Advertising Account Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 146,900 CAD
Advertising Account Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 75,100 CAD
Advertising and Promotions Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 204,900 CAD
Advertising Coordinator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 93,600 CAD
Advertising Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 199,700 CAD
Advertising Operations Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 206,300 CAD
Advertising Sales Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 199,700 CAD
Advertising Strategic Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 128,400 CAD
Advertising Team Leader Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 114,900 CAD
Animator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 86,100 CAD
Art Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 125,400 CAD
Art Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 121,800 CAD
Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 95,500 CAD
Artworker Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 69,100 CAD
Assistant Art Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 93,200 CAD
Audio and Video Equipment Technician Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 67,800 CAD
Audio Engineer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 83,000 CAD
Audiosual Technician Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 71,100 CAD
Broadcast Administrator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 130,500 CAD
Catering Sales Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 79,600 CAD
Catering Trainer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 92,600 CAD
Commercial and Industrial Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 73,500 CAD
Conference Organiser Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 87,800 CAD
Content and Media Production Lead Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 140,700 CAD
CopyWriter Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 77,000 CAD
Creative Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 89,300 CAD
Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 64,200 CAD
Desktop Publisher Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 60,900 CAD
Digital Campaign Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 128,400 CAD
Digital Media Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 146,700 CAD
Digital Media Strategist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 142,100 CAD
Director of Events Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 200,600 CAD
Director of Graphic Design Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 109,000 CAD
Director of Social Media Marketing Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 153,800 CAD
Events and Promotions Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 192,600 CAD
Events Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 205,700 CAD
Exhibit Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 99,100 CAD
Exhibit Display Coordinator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 94,900 CAD
Exhibit Display Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 117,100 CAD
Finisher Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 63,200 CAD
Graphic Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 77,000 CAD
Graphic Design Specialist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 88,300 CAD
Graphic Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 74,200 CAD
Graphics Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 79,700 CAD
Graphics Design Supervisor Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 102,700 CAD
Group Creative Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 128,200 CAD
Imagery Analyst Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 70,000 CAD
Imaging Technologist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 71,800 CAD
Interaction Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 61,800 CAD
Media Analyst Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 95,100 CAD
Media Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 130,500 CAD
Media Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 102,700 CAD
Media Production Coordinator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 89,900 CAD
Media Production Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 166,600 CAD
Media Project Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 165,900 CAD
Media Relations Representative Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 139,100 CAD
Media Sales Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 156,200 CAD
Meeting and Event Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 93,100 CAD
Multimedia Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 75,900 CAD
Multimedia Specialist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 71,800 CAD
Photographer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 66,900 CAD
PPC Campaign Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 127,600 CAD
Print Production Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 134,100 CAD
Product and Brand Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 180,500 CAD
Sales Promotion Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 182,400 CAD
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO) Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 81,400 CAD
Sketch Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 80,500 CAD
Social Media Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 160,700 CAD
Social Media Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 151,800 CAD
Social Media Marketing Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 151,800 CAD
Social Media Strategist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 148,300 CAD
Special Events Supervisor Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 112,700 CAD
Technical Typist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 51,900 CAD
User Experience UX Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 79,500 CAD
UX Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 72,300 CAD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Canada, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Brampton 115,600 CAD
Calgary 128,400 CAD
Edmonton 124,500 CAD
Gatineau 114,600 CAD
Halifax 114,600 CAD
Hamilton 123,800 CAD
Kitchener 119,700 CAD
Markham 114,900 CAD
Mississauga 123,000 CAD
Montreal 128,200 CAD
Ottawa 128,400 CAD
Quebec 123,800 CAD
Regina 108,200 CAD
Richmond 102,700 CAD
Saskatoon 107,300 CAD
Surrey 114,600 CAD
Toronto 128,400 CAD
Vancouver 128,400 CAD
Vaughan 115,600 CAD
Windsor 108,200 CAD
Winnipeg 124,500 CAD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in Canada.

City Average Salary
Alberta 128,400 CAD
British Columbia 127,700 CAD
Manitoba 127,700 CAD
New Brunswick 116,400 CAD
Newfoundland-Labrador 107,700 CAD
Northwest Territories 123,800 CAD
Nova Scotia 112,700 CAD
Nunavut 130,500 CAD
Ontario 130,400 CAD
Prince Edward Island 107,700 CAD
Quebec 128,400 CAD
Saskatchewan 118,900 CAD
Yukon 105,200 CAD

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