Media Programming Directors
Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in preparation of radio or television station program schedules and programs, such as sports or news.
Media Programming Directors direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in preparation of radio or television station program schedules and programs, such as sports or news. The role reports a median annual salary of $83,480 in the US with the middle 80% earning between $38,400 and $188,870 and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.45 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Time Management.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £45,534 a year for Arts officers, producers and directors (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3416). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Media Programming Directors, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
No single fixed route is listed for this career. These Indian degrees lead to it, according to the US CIP–SOC education-to-occupation crosswalk; open a degree for its entrance exams and colleges.[1]
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Film and Television Production — BA / B.Sc in Film Making or Film and Television Production (three or four years)
Entrance exams: FTII/SRFTI JET, NID DAT
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- CIP 2020 – SOC 2018 crosswalk (NCES / BLS) (read on 2026-09-27)
2 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Fine Arts
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Telecommunications
What you'd actually do
- Operate and maintain on-air and production audio equipment.
- Check completed program logs for accuracy and conformance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations and resolve program log inaccuracies.
- Read news, read or record public service and promotional announcements, or perform other on-air duties.
- Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in broadcast news, sports, or programming.
- Monitor and review programming to ensure that schedules are met, guidelines are adhered to, and performances are of adequate quality.
- Prepare copy and edit tape so that material is ready for broadcasting.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Media Programming Directors do?
Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in preparation of radio or television station program schedules and programs, such as sports or news.
How much does Media Programming Directors earn?
The median annual salary for Media Programming Directors in the US is $83,480. The middle 80% of workers earn between $38,400 and $188,870 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $53,470 and $131,280.
What is the job outlook for Media Programming Directors?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 167,000 workers.
How do I become media programming directors?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Media Programming Directors need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Media Programming Directors?
Our AI-durability model gives Media Programming Directors a score of 0.45 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Media Programming Directors has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.