How much does a producers and director make?

The median pay is $43.44 per hour — roughly $90,500 a year, with the real range running from about $22.01/hr (10th percentile) to $95.45/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a producers and director?

The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

What does a producers and director actually do all day?

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.

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Producers and Directors

Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Responsible for creative decisions, such as interpretation of script, choice of actors or guests, set design, sound, special effects, and choreography.

What it pays
Producers and Directors earn a median of $43.44/hr — about $90,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $22.01/hr; the top 10% earn $95.45/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

The feel of the work

You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 8.2% of producers and directors are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, creative and organized and detail-focused.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a producers and director make?: The median pay is $43.44 per hour — roughly $90,500 a year, with the real range running from about $22.01/hr (10th percentile) to $95.45/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a producers and director?: The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
What does a producers and director actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.