Career profile · SOC 27-2012

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, casting, and scenery design.

Median salary
$83,480
per year
Growth outlook
Average
BLS 10-yr
Education
Bachelor's degree
AI exposure
5.3/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$38,400
25th %ile
$53,470
Median
$83,480
75th %ile
$131,280
Top 10%
$188,870

Top skills

Active Listening Speaking Coordination Critical Thinking Time Management Judgment and Decision Making Management of Personnel Resources Negotiation Complex Problem Solving Social Perceptiveness

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

A day in the life

You arrive on set before sunrise to review the shot list with your cinematographer and make sure props, costumes, and lighting are locked in. Throughout the day you direct actors through emotional scenes, approve camera angles, and solve a hundred small crises—a location permit falls through, an actor forgets a line, rain threatens an outdoor shoot. Between takes you huddle with writers and editors, shaping the story arc and pacing. It is equal parts creative vision and logistics management, and the rush of watching raw footage come together into a compelling story never gets old.

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