Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-2012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 73% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $106,730 | 28,760 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $127,590 | 24,110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $122,210 | 4,850 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $96,530 | 4,610 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $79,910 | 2,820 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $77,700 | 2,580 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $78,330 | 2,560 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $78,490 | 2,410 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $101,840 | 2,410 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $72,770 | 2,360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81,030 | 2,090 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $78,430 | 2,010 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- 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.
- Write and submit proposals to bid on contracts for projects.
- Perform management activities, such as budgeting, scheduling, planning, and marketing.
- Consult with writers, producers, or actors about script changes or "workshop" scripts, through rehearsal with writers and actors to create final drafts.
- Compose and edit scripts or provide screenwriters with story outlines from which scripts can be written.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 3 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 52
No longer listed 19
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| assistant stage director | 3435.1 | close |
| video and motion picture director | 2166.4.8 | broader |
| producer | 2654.2 | broader |
| radio producer | 2654.3 | broader |
| video and motion picture producer | 2654.2.2 | broader |
| assistant video and motion picture director | 3435.2 | broader |
| broadcasting programme director | 3435.5 | broader |
| stage director | 2166.4.6 | broader |
| fight director | 3435.8 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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