Producers and Directors Career, Salary and Skills
Producers and Directors have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $90,360 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 143,120. Wage data is published for 265 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
27-2012.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$90,360
Hourly median
$43.44
Employment
143,120
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.38 | 4.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Monitoring | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Coordination | 3.88 | 4.50 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 4.25 |
| Time Management | 3.62 | 4.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.62 | 4.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe ActionScript
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Airtable
- AP ENPS
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Asana
Producers and Directors salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Producers and Directors Salary in CAMedian $129,790 · Employment 34,110
- Producers and Directors Salary in NYMedian $107,550 · Employment 27,990
- Producers and Directors Salary in New York, NYMedian $108,460 · Employment 27,020
- Producers and Directors Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $131,600 · Employment 21,910
- Producers and Directors Salary in FLMedian $79,920 · Employment 7,160
- Producers and Directors Salary in TXMedian $71,710 · Employment 6,610
- Producers and Directors Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $130,640 · Employment 5,030
- Producers and Directors Salary in GAMedian $79,950 · Employment 5,010
- Producers and Directors Salary in Washington, DCMedian $100,270 · Employment 4,230
- Producers and Directors Salary in PAMedian $75,460 · Employment 4,200
- Producers and Directors Salary in Atlanta, GAMedian $79,950 · Employment 3,840
- Producers and Directors Salary in NCMedian $63,700 · Employment 3,500
Related careers
- Sound Engineering TechniciansNational median $73,130
- Project Management SpecialistsNational median $102,320
- Video Game DesignersNational median $104,000
- Graphic DesignersNational median $62,960
- ActorsNational median not published
- Public Relations SpecialistsNational median $74,750
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and FilmNational median $74,990
- Audio and Video TechniciansNational median $58,100
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.