Producers and directors salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,780 | $22.01 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $90,360 | $43.44 |
| Mean (average) | $113,300 | $54.47 |
| 90th percentile | $198,540 | $95.45 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Producers and directors pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,340 | $39,340 | $107,890 | 1,040 | 0.53 |
| Alaska | $54,060 | $41,600 | $82,890 | 160 | 0.54 |
| Arizona | $67,320 | $36,260 | $208,990 | 1,720 | 0.58 |
| Arkansas | $38,820 | $24,090 | $76,110 | 700 | 0.58 |
| California | $129,790 | $63,570 | $306,850 | 34,110 | 2.03 |
| Colorado | $78,060 | $45,730 | $134,670 | 1,960 | 0.74 |
| Connecticut | $88,260 | $49,960 | $177,870 | 2,200 | 1.41 |
| Delaware | $72,650 | $50,420 | $238,670 | 150 | 0.33 |
| District of Columbia | $104,270 | $69,260 | $170,490 | 2,640 | 4.09 |
| Florida | $79,920 | $46,460 | $164,090 | 7,160 | 0.78 |
| Georgia | $79,950 | $50,540 | $168,740 | 5,010 | 1.11 |
| Hawaii | $66,190 | $44,230 | $131,490 | 510 | 0.88 |
| Idaho | $61,150 | $38,400 | $128,260 | 380 | 0.48 |
| Illinois | $81,080 | $41,250 | $169,040 | 3,170 | 0.56 |
| Indiana | $59,870 | $37,040 | $96,100 | 1,480 | 0.5 |
| Iowa | $58,550 | $36,900 | $101,230 | 720 | 0.5 |
| Kansas | $60,600 | $36,260 | $113,050 | 420 | 0.31 |
| Kentucky | $54,550 | $35,860 | $95,970 | 950 | 0.52 |
| Louisiana | $62,920 | $35,750 | $150,220 | 880 | 0.49 |
| Maine | $71,320 | $44,000 | $138,230 | 400 | 0.67 |
| Maryland | $79,350 | $43,740 | $148,700 | 1,610 | 0.63 |
| Massachusetts | $80,970 | $45,820 | $150,140 | 3,440 | 1.03 |
| Michigan | $65,720 | $38,500 | $122,220 | 2,310 | 0.57 |
| Minnesota | $76,360 | $39,800 | $130,750 | 1,390 | 0.51 |
| Mississippi | $48,100 | $27,230 | $84,010 | 390 | 0.36 |
| Missouri | $66,460 | $37,610 | $124,130 | 1,630 | 0.6 |
| Montana | $52,580 | $32,570 | $98,820 | 390 | 0.83 |
| Nebraska | $52,580 | $33,750 | $101,070 | 470 | 0.49 |
| Nevada | $78,480 | $38,420 | $164,900 | 1,630 | 1.14 |
| New Hampshire | $61,560 | $26,560 | $96,560 | 300 | 0.48 |
| New Jersey | $119,840 | $62,310 | $206,770 | 2,970 | 0.75 |
| New Mexico | Data unavailable | 520 | 0.65 | ||
| New York | $107,550 | $61,960 | $222,580 | 27,990 | 3.14 |
| North Carolina | $63,700 | $34,120 | $133,170 | 3,500 | 0.77 |
| North Dakota | $57,870 | $37,970 | $97,300 | 170 | 0.43 |
| Ohio | $69,350 | $44,950 | $122,450 | 1,610 | 0.31 |
| Oklahoma | $61,600 | $38,220 | $102,800 | 770 | 0.49 |
| Oregon | $87,460 | $49,350 | $143,490 | 1,640 | 0.91 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,460 | $40,700 | $130,560 | 4,200 | 0.75 |
| Puerto Rico | $48,820 | $29,660 | $81,230 | 260 | 0.3 |
| Rhode Island | $84,250 | $43,090 | $136,360 | 560 | 1.2 |
| South Carolina | $56,030 | $38,760 | $136,360 | 1,190 | 0.56 |
| South Dakota | $60,260 | $38,140 | $109,180 | 170 | 0.39 |
| Tennessee | $73,020 | $36,120 | $132,610 | 2,920 | 0.97 |
| Texas | $71,710 | $40,610 | $146,340 | 6,610 | 0.51 |
| Utah | $76,350 | $36,500 | $168,140 | 1,670 | 1.04 |
| Vermont | $55,660 | $45,180 | $106,760 | 290 | 1.04 |
| Virginia | $65,900 | $40,780 | $119,090 | 2,820 | 0.75 |
| Washington | $81,550 | $47,810 | $167,760 | 2,270 | 0.69 |
| West Virginia | $46,660 | $35,700 | $124,880 | 230 | 0.35 |
| Wisconsin | $66,390 | $38,680 | $130,050 | 1,600 | 0.59 |
| Wyoming | $60,420 | $36,850 | $85,090 | 130 | 0.49 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for producers and directors
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 12,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 20.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for producers and directors
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Radio and Television CIP 09.0701
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General CIP 50.0501
- Directing and Theatrical Production CIP 50.0507
- Musical Theatre CIP 50.0509
- Theatre and Dance CIP 50.0512
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other CIP 50.0599
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies CIP 50.0601
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production CIP 50.0602
- Documentary Production CIP 50.0607
- Theatre/Theatre Arts Management CIP 50.1004
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
- Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
- Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
- Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.
- Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.
- Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of camera, lighting, design, and sound crew members.
- Confer with technical directors, managers, crew members, and writers to discuss details of production, such as photography, script, music, sets, and costumes.
Technology skills
- Adobe After Effects (in demand)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Asana (hot technology)
- Atlassian Confluence (hot technology)
- Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Canva (hot technology)
- Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Time Management, Management of Personnel Resources, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis.
Common job titles: Artistic Director, Director, Executive Producer, Multimedia Producer, News Producer, Producer, Production Director, Radio Producer, Television News Producer (TV News Producer), Television Producer (TV Producer).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do producers and directors make?
The national median annual wage for producers and directors was $90,360 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $45,780 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $198,540. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do producers and directors need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is producers and directors a growing career?
BLS projects employment of producers and directors to change +4.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 12,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay producers and directors the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($129,790), New Jersey ($119,840), New York ($107,550). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.