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ACD/M/14 y exp/$150k/SF
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Recruiters have balked at me lately for Senior Copywriter roles. Mentioned a ballpark of $110–120K and they cooled off real fast. Hopefully people aren’t out there devaluing themselves.
Last year, Grey and FCB both tried talking to me about ACD roles at $120k-ish. That salary is what I was making like 4 years ago. Maybe by the time we take on the title/responsibilities of a CD, we’ll get paid what a senior was making in 2014.
According to several posts... we have CCOs making 175K and we have CDs making anywhere from 170k-300k. It’s total chaos out there. I have no clue what’s right anymore. Good luck.
Thanks. Yeah I’m currently happy with my pay - which is the appropriate salary for a grownup with my experience. I could be talked into taking slightly less. But the idea of someone gasping at my salary...I’m like, hey, you saw my resume and book.
This is across the board, I’ve gotten tapped for AD roles at sub-$100k. It’s a joke.
150K sounds reasonable. My ACD’s are on that level.
I’m at 150
I spoke to someone about an ACD job not at an agency. They said they could only pay $80k. 😮
Was this in LA, by chance?
It’s happening in SF too
Depends on your work and the agency.
Experience counts , but what you have in your book counts more.
I know acd’s making from 120k to 200k.
The band is wide. Smaller agencies $91,824 - $164,493 (specific, I know). Larger ones: $100k - $190k. Consider whether your able to be utility player and involvement in new biz success to boost yourself to the higher end of the range. Typical time in role is 3-4 years so assume growth in pay within those ranges over time. CD roles start to overlap starting around $160k for smaller agencies.
Typically ACD is a huge range. It runs from $120k for more junior ACDs to $165k for more senior ones.
Yes, there are exceptions (usually for heavily awarded ACDs who don’t want the management responsibility of the CD title), but once you hit $170k and up, you’re in CD-land
In my experience in LA and SF, the pay band for ACD is about $155-$185. But a lot of places have done away with the role and just call everyone Senior.
I just looked at the spreadsheet of salaries posted in this bowl and am amazed at the low salaries.