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.
Also called: Animation Director, Animation Producer, Art Framing Manager, Artistic Director, Broadcast News Producer, Broadcast Producer
Median pay
$90,360
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$45,780 – $198,540
People employed
143,120
Holland code
AEC
Artistic · Enterprising · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 2.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 3.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 4.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 5.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 6.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 7.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Producers and Directors pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (49 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What producers and directors do
- 01Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
- 02Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
- 03Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
- 04Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.
- 05Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.
- 06Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Writing
Knowledge
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Telecommunications
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from producers and directors
- Art Directors88% · +27%
- Film and Video Editors83% · −17%
- Editors81% · −14%
- Writers and Authors79% · −15%
- Special Effects Artists and Animators77% · +13%
Change into producers and directors
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys87% · $47,340
- Film and Video Editors87% · $75,420
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists85% · $62,200
- Editors83% · $77,920
- Special Effects Artists and Animators82% · $102,030
Majors that lead here
- Radio and Television
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- Directing and Theatrical Production
- Musical Theatre
- Theatre and Dance
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- Documentary Production
- Theatre/Theatre Arts Management
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.