Talent Directors
Audition and interview performers to select most appropriate talent for parts in stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions.
Also called: Artist Manager, Artistic Director, Casting Agent, Casting Coordinator, Casting Director, Contestant Coordinator
Median pay
$90,360
Pay for the broader BLS group “Producers and Directors”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$45,780 – $198,540
People employed
143,120
Whole BLS group
Holland code
EAS
Enterprising · Artistic · Social
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 a job with little physical risk?
- 2.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 3.Are you OK with hours that change?
- 4.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Talent Directors pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (49 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Producers and Directors”.
What talent directors do
- 01Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.
- 02Prepare actors for auditions by providing scripts and information about roles and casting requirements.
- 03Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
- 04Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
- 05Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.
- 06Negotiate contract agreements with performers, with agents, or between performers and agents or production companies.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Writing
Knowledge
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Communications and Media
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Adaptability
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 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
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 talent directors
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes94% · —
- Public Relations Specialists89% · —
- Advertising and Promotions Managers86% · —
- Writers and Authors84% · —
- Public Relations Managers80% · —
Change into talent directors
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes94% · $82,890
- Public Relations Specialists82% · $74,750
- Writers and Authors81% · $76,910
- Fundraisers80% · $72,550
- Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers77% · $76,910
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.