### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Producers and Directors Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			producers and directors imageProducers and directors create motion pictures, television shows, live theater, and other performing arts productions.							
						Quick Facts:     Producers and Directors2023     Median Pay
            						$82,510     per year
										$39.67     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Bachelor's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    Less than 5 yearsOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    175,300Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    7% (Faster than average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    11,700What Producers and Directors Do
                                                
                        
                        
Producers and directors make business and creative decisions about film, television, stage, and other productions.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Producers and directors are often under pressure to finish their work on time. Most producers and directors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Their schedules may vary.
            
                                                How to Become a Producer or Director
                                                
                        
Producers and directors typically need a bachelor’s degree. They also typically need several years of experience working on set in film, TV, stage, or other productions in positions such as actors, film and video editors, or cinematographers or in related occupations, such as theater managers.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for producers and directors was $82,510 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Employment							of producers and directors is projected to grow							 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
						About 16,000 openings for producers and directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for producers and directors.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of producers and directors with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about producers and directors by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Producers and Directors Do 
            

			Producers and directorsStage directors make sure the cast and crew give a consistently strong live performance.			
Producers and directors make business and creative decisions about, film, television, stage, and other productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain, inform, or instruct an audience.
Duties
Producers and directors typically do the following:
Select scripts or topics for a film, television, video, stage, or radio production
Audition and select cast members and the film or stage crew
Approve the design and financial aspects of a production
Oversee the production process, including sound, lighting, and performances
Oversee the postproduction process, including editing, music selection, special effects, and a performance’s overall tone
Ensure that a project stays on schedule and within budget
Promote finished productions or works through advertisements, film festivals, and interviewsAlthough producers and directors have distinct roles in a production, their work may overlap. For example, directors ultimately answer to producers, but some directors share producing duties for their own films.
***Producers*** make the business and financial decisions for a film, stage production, or TV show. They raise money for the project and hire the director and crew, which may include designers, editors, and other workers. Some producers also assist in the selection of cast members. Producers set the budget and approve any major changes to the project. They make sure that the production is completed on time, and they are ultimately responsible for the final product.
Various producers often share responsibilities on large productions. For example, on a large movie set, an *executive producer* is in charge of the entire production and a *line producer* runs the day-to-day operations. A TV show may employ several *assistant producers* to whom the head or executive producer gives certain duties, such as supervising the costume and makeup teams.
***Directors*** are responsible for the creative decisions of a production. They select cast members, conduct rehearsals, and direct the work of the cast and crew. During rehearsals, they work with the actors to help them portray their characters accurately. For nonfiction video, such as documentaries or live broadcasts, directors choose topics or subjects to film. They research the topic and may interview experts or relevant participants on camera. Directors also work with cinematographers and other crew members to ensure that the final product matches the overall vision.
Directors work with set designers, location scouts, and art directors to build a project’s set. They also work with costume designers to ensure that clothing suits the overall look of the production. During a film’s postproduction phase, they work closely with film editors and music supervisors to make sure that the final product meets the producer’s and director’s vision. *Stage directors*, unlike *television or film directors*, who document their product with cameras, make sure that the cast and crew give consistently strong live performances.
As with assistant producers, several *assistant directors* may work on large productions. Assistant directors help the director with small production tasks, such as making set changes or notifying the performers when it is their time to go onstage. Their specific responsibilities vary with the size and type of production they work on.
For more information about occupations related to producers and directors, see the profiles on actors, writers and authors, film and video editors and camera operators, dancers and choreographers, and multimedia artists and animators.
 Work Environment
			Producers and directorsProducers and directors audition and select cast members.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Producers and directors held about 175,300 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of producers and directors were as follows:
        Motion picture and video industries
                35%Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers
                13Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries
                9Self-employed workers
                8Television broadcasting stations
                7Producers and directors are often under pressure to finish their work on time. Work assignments may be short, ranging from 1 day to a few months. They sometimes must work in unpleasant conditions, such as bad weather.
Theater directors and producers may travel with a touring show across the country, while those in film and television may work on location (a site away from the studio and where all or part of the filming occurs).
Work Schedules
Workdays for producers and directors may be long and irregular. Many do not have a standard workweek, because their schedules may change with each assignment or project. Evening, weekend, and holiday work is common. Most producers and directors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
 How to Become a Producer or Director

			Producers and directorsProducers and directors ensure that a project stays on schedule and within budget.			
Producers and directors typically have a bachelor’s degree. They also typically need several years of experience working on set in film, TV, stage, or other productions in positions such as actors, cinematographers, or film and video editors or in related occupations, such as theater managers.
Education
Producers and directors typically need a bachelor's degree in film or cinema studies or a related field, such as arts management, business, communications technology, or theater. In film or cinema studies programs, students learn about film history, editing, screenwriting, cinematography, and the filmmaking process.
Stage directors may complete a degree in theater, and some go on to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. Courses may include directing, playwriting, set design, and acting.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Producers and directors might start out working in theatrical management offices as business or company managers. In television or film, they may begin as assistants or in other low-profile studio jobs. They may also participate in internships that provide opportunities to work alongside producers and directors. For more information, see the profile on film and video editors and camera operators.
Advancement
As a producer’s or director’s reputation grows, he or she may work on increasingly large, challenging, and expensive projects that attract publicity.
Important Qualities
***Communication skills.*** Producers and directors must convey information and ideas clearly in order to coordinate many people to finish a production on time and within budget.
***Creativity.*** Because a script may be interpreted in different ways, directors must decide on their approach and on how to represent the script’s ideas for the production.
***Decision-making skills.*** Producers must find and hire, within budget, the best director and crew for the production. Directors must make choices that affect the look and feel of the production.
***Leadership skills.*** Directors instruct actors and help them portray their characters in a believable manner. They also supervise the crew, which is responsible for behind-the-scenes work.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                Producers and DirectorsMedian annual wages, May 2023Producers and directors$82,510  Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers$53,360  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for producers and directors was $82,510 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,040, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $174,540.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for producers and directors in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Motion picture and video industries
                $102,070Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers
                79,350Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries
                69,010Television broadcasting stations
                60,400Some producers and directors earn a percentage of ticket sales. A few of the most successful producers and directors have extraordinarily high earnings, but most do not.
Workdays for producers and directors may be long and irregular. Many do not have a standard workweek, because their schedules may change with each assignment or project. Evening, weekend, and holiday work is common. Most producers and directors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
                Producers and DirectorsPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Producers and directors7%  Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers6%  Total, all occupations3%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Employment				of producers and directors is projected to grow				 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
			
			About 16,000 openings for producers and directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
The volume of TV shows is expected to grow as the number of online-only platforms, such as streaming services, increases along with the number of shows produced for these platforms. This growth should lead to more opportunities for producers and directors.
Demand for theater producers and directors will depend on funding availability. If there is a steady revenue stream, these workers may be in high demand. However, opportunities for theater producers and directors may be limited in theaters with funding challenges.
			

                        Employment projections data for     producers and directors, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Producers and directors**
			27-2012
			175,300
			187,000
			7
			11,700
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Producers and directors **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of producers and directors. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Actors**
            Actors express ideas and portray characters in theater, film, television, and other performing arts media.
            Some college, no degree
            The annual wage is not available.**Art Directors**
            Art directors are responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and movie and television productions.
            Bachelor's degree
            $106,500**Dancers and Choreographers**
            Dancers and choreographers use dance performances to express ideas and stories.
            See How to Become One
            The annual wage is not available.**Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators**
            Film and video editors and camera operators manipulate moving images that entertain or inform an audience.
            Bachelor's degree
            $65,070**Special Effects Artists and Animators**
            Special effects artists and animators create images that appear to move and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment.
            Bachelor's degree
            $99,060**Top Executives**
            Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals.
            Bachelor's degree
            $103,840**Writers and Authors**
            Writers and authors develop written content for various types of media.
            Bachelor's degree
            $73,690
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about producers and directors, visit
Directors Guild of America
Producers Guild of America
National Association of Schools of Theatre
National Endowment for the Arts

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Media Programming DirectorsMedia Technical Directors/ManagersProducers and DirectorsTalent Directors
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Producers and Directors, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/producers-and-directors.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics**
Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections 
PSB Suite 2135 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE  
Washington, DC 20212-0001 Telephone:1-202-691-5700 

www.bls.gov/ooh
Contact OOH