Career
Producers and directors
Make films, shows and productions happen.
$90,360
Median pay
+4.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
12,100
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on creation & expression, then persuasion & leadership?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $90,360 a year and 12,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Film and PhotographySee the degree →
- TheatreSee the degree →
- Radio, TV and Digital MediaSee the degree →
- Radio and TelevisionCIP 09.0701
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, GeneralCIP 50.0501
- Directing and Theatrical ProductionCIP 50.0507
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Media Technical Directors/Managers
- Media Programming Directors
- Film and Video Editors$75,420 · +3.7%
- Art Directors$114,850 · +4.2%
- Talent Directors
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.