Producers and Directors Salary

The median producers and directors salary in the United States is $90,360 per year ($43.44/hour). Salaries range from $45,780 at the entry level to $198,540+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 143,120 producers and directors jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 4.9% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$90,360
per year
Hourly Rate
$43.44
per hour
Employment
143,120
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$45,780
25th percentile
$62,670
Median
$90,360
75th percentile
$134,800
90th percentile
$198,540

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+4.9%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

12,800
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree
+ Less than 5 years experience

Producers and Directors Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for producers and directorss.

Producers and directors run the creative and operational engine of film, television, streaming, commercials, live events, and corporate video. Producers own the money, schedule, and logistics; directors own the creative vision and performance. It's a $90,360 median role with an extraordinarily wide spread β€” p10 $45,780 Β· p90 $198,540 Β· ~143,120 employed β€” because the profession contains a single-episode TV director ($8-25k/episode) and a Netflix showrunner ($4-8M/season), plus every level in between. Entry (staff producer / associate producer / commercial director) $45-75k; established (line producer / TV director / streaming producer) $95-215k; senior (showrunner / feature director / EP) $215-585k+; top of the profession (A-list feature director, DGA-repped multi-project deal, streaming top-tier showrunner) $1-15M+ per project. Union representation via Directors Guild of America (DGA), Producers Guild of America (PGA β€” non-collective bargaining), IATSE (crew-adjacent). Metro concentration in LA, NYC, and Atlanta. Streaming is the dominant employer of scale β€” Netflix, Disney (ABC + Disney+ + ESPN productions), Warner Bros Discovery (HBO/Max, CNN, TNT), Paramount (CBS + Paramount+ + Nickelodeon), Amazon Studios, Apple TV+, and NBCUniversal collectively fund the majority of scripted development.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Story development & script analysis
Coverage, notes, structure (three-act, five-act, Save-the-Cat, sequences). Read 200-400 scripts a year and be able to give notes that make a script better without imposing your voice. Producers who can't develop don't sell; directors who can't read for subtext don't stage.
Budgeting & scheduling (Movie Magic, StudioBinder, Showbiz Budgeting)
Below-the-line vs above-the-line, contingency, DGA/SAG/IATSE minimums, tax incentives (Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York, California, UK, Canada, Iceland). A $20M feature line producer moves 60-120 line items daily without breaking the schedule.
Directing performance & camera language
Blocking, coverage, lens choice, camera movement. Direct actors from choice to result without giving line readings. Know when a scene needs coverage vs a one-take, when to sit still vs move. Feature and long-form TV directors spend 60-70% of their creative capital on performance.
Streaming-era greenlight and deal fluency
Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Amazon, Apple, NBCUniversal each have distinct development processes, budget parameters, and creative expectations. Producers who know the room at each buyer sell more. A24, Blumhouse, and independents each have a distinct model.
Post-production oversight (editorial, VFX, sound, color)
Avid, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve for color, Pro Tools for mix. Know the vendor landscape (Company 3, Deluxe, Technicolor Postworks, Sony Post, Formosa Group). Directors are on the console for their director's cut; producers own the studio cut process.
Talent relationships & CAA/UTA/WME/Gersh room
Agents represent talent; managers develop careers; lawyers close deals. Producers and directors work through this stack daily. Access to A-list talent is often about relationships built over 10-15 years, not a single meeting.
Line-item cost control on live production
Weather day contingency, overtime tracking (SAG-AFTRA meal penalties are $50-75/actor/incident), IATSE turnaround violations, DGA minimums. A line producer who can't call a costly stunt into a re-schedule loses margin fast.
Post-launch metrics fluency (streaming, box office, ratings)
Netflix Top 10, IMDb TV, Deadline / Variety opening-weekend, Nielsen, Parrot Analytics demand. Producers who can defend their next project with data get renewed; those who can't get shelved.

How to Become a Producers and Directors

  1. 1
    Get a film/TV/related bachelor's OR build a portfolio
    NYU Tisch, USC School of Cinematic Arts, UCLA School of Theater Film and Television, AFI Conservatory, Chapman Dodge, Columbia MFA, LMU are the concentrated feeder schools. Alternative: build a short-film portfolio, direct a proof-of-concept, or produce a festival short. Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Toronto acceptances open doors.
  2. 2
    Start as PA, assistant, or coordinator
    $650-1,100/week on major productions. Learn the department (production, script coordinator, camera dept, post) and the workflow. This rung is 1-3 years for most people.
  3. 3
    Move to Associate Producer / Coordinator / 2nd 2nd AD (director track)
    $800-1,600/week. Own real deliverables β€” call sheets, one-liners, script revisions, coverage. Producer track: coordinator β†’ line producer trajectory. Director track: DGA training program β†’ 2nd 2nd AD β†’ 2nd AD β†’ 1st AD or director.
  4. 4
    Join the DGA (director track) or start credited producing on independent features and TV
    DGA new-member training pipeline (assistant director track) or independent feature/short producing that gets to distribution. First credit is the hardest β€” after that credit velocity compounds.
  5. 5
    Sell your first show or direct your first feature/episode
    $185-450k for a first-time TV writer-producer showrunner deal; $50-350k directing a first-time indie feature; $8-25k for a first TV episode at a streamer. Once you have a credit that shipped, agents call you, not the reverse.
  6. 6
    Build to overall deal / repeat-showrunner / feature director territory
    $1.5-15M+ overall deals at Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros Discovery for repeat A-list creators. Feature directors of $50M+ films earn $2-15M+ per project plus back-end participation. This is the top 1-2% of the profession β€” most producers/directors cap earlier.

Career Progression

PA / Assistant / Coordinator (Producer track: Production Coordinator / Associate Producer)
0-3 yrs$34-68k/yr equivalent ($650-1,300/week seasonal)
  • β€’Support production office, script coordination, script revisions, call sheets
  • β€’Learn budgeting software (Movie Magic Budgeting, Showbiz), scheduling (Movie Magic Scheduling, StudioBinder)
  • β€’Coverage on assigned scripts; assist creative execs with development notes
  • β€’Build relationships with department heads; understand DGA / SAG / IATSE minimums
Next: Associate Producer / Coordinator at 2-4 years, then Line Producer / Producer at 5-8.
Line Producer / TV Producer / Commercial Producer
5-10 yrs$95-175k base + per-project fees
  • β€’Own budget and schedule end-to-end on episode, feature, or campaign
  • β€’Manage 40-200 crew; interface with unions (DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE)
  • β€’Track tax incentive compliance in the shooting state
  • β€’Report to Executive Producer / Studio Production Executive
Next: Executive Producer / Showrunner at 8-15 years.
TV Director / Episodic Director / Feature Director (early)
3-10 yrs$8-45k/episode (TV) Β· $150k-1.5M/feature (indie) Β· DGA minimums as floor
  • β€’Direct 1-8 episodes of a scripted series per year
  • β€’Own creative vision β€” blocking, coverage, performance, post editorial
  • β€’Collaborate with showrunner / EP on tone and creative continuity
  • β€’For features: full creative ownership from prep through delivery
Next: Executive Producer / Showrunner or A-list feature director at 8-15 years.
Executive Producer / Showrunner / Established Feature Director
8-15 yrs$215-585k+ base + per-project fees + back-end participation
  • β€’Own creative and financial vision of an entire show or feature slate
  • β€’Manage a writers' room (8-14 writers) or a production slate
  • β€’Deliver to studio / streamer within budget and creative parameters
  • β€’Own talent and agency relationships across CAA, UTA, WME, Gersh
Next: Overall deal at a streamer or studio Β· A-list feature career Β· President of Production.
Overall Deal Talent / President of Production / VP Creative
15+ yrs$1.5M-15M+ per deal + back-end + equity
  • β€’Multi-year overall deal at Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon MGM, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, NBCUniversal
  • β€’Develop and produce multiple projects under the deal; first-look rights
  • β€’Executive-level creative authority; talent management scope
  • β€’Represent the studio at festivals, upfronts, and press
Next: Studio executive (President / Chairman) or independent production company founder.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 16 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Tell me about a project you developed or produced from pitch to greenlight β€” what did you own?behavioral
The right answer names the deliverables, the buyers, and the money. 'I developed a limited series with a writer signed at CAA over 14 months of pitch iterations β€” 8 versions of the deck, 4 script drafts, 3 pitch meetings across Netflix, HBO/Max, and Apple TV+. Netflix bought the pilot script + step deal at a $650k WGA rate for the writer, plus my producer fee. Once green-lit, I owned the budget ($42M total), the schedule (48 shoot days across LA and Vancouver), the tax incentive claim in BC, and the DGA/SAG/IATSE compliance. Delivered on schedule and 2% under budget.' Producers who talk in specifics β€” buyers, dollars, days β€” get taken seriously. Producers who talk in adjectives don't.
Q2. How do you approach a director's first day on a new set?situational
For a director: walk the set with the DP, production designer, and 1st AD before crew call. Confirm the shot list against the schedule. Meet the actors on the floor, not in a trailer β€” set a warm tone. If it's an episodic gig, watch the last 2 episodes end-to-end so the tone is continuous. Never impose a new style on a running show; respect the showrunner's vision unless invited to expand it. For a producer supporting a first-day director: shield them from studio calls, over-prepare the department heads to answer creative questions, and have the shot list, sides, and daily production report queued and ready. First days go sideways when the director is left alone and hits an unexpected department bottleneck.
Q3. Walk me through how you handle a scene running long that will push the day into overtime.situational
Producers and directors both need an answer here. The 1st AD, DP, and director huddle 30-45 minutes before the wrap window. Options in priority order: (1) drop coverage β€” trim the shot list by removing a close-up or over-the-shoulder, keep the master and one insert. (2) Combine setups by adjusting lens and stand-and-move. (3) Truncate the scene in editing (director's decision to cut on set, editor confirms). (4) Push the tail of the scene to a pickup day later in the schedule. (5) Only if none of the above works and the scene is critical, go into meal penalty and OT β€” but know the SAG-AFTRA meal penalty ($50-75 per actor per period) and IATSE turnaround cost before you commit. Producers who default to OT without exhausting the first four options get flagged in dailies review.
Q4. Tell me about a creative disagreement you had with a network or studio β€” how did it resolve?behavioral
STAR with restraint. Situation: streamer wanted a rewrite on episode 6 that would have weakened the season arc I'd been building with the writers' room. Task: hold creative ground without breaking the relationship or the pilot pickup. Action: took the note in the meeting without arguing, went back to the room, ran two rewrite passes β€” one that fully accepted the streamer's note and one that answered the underlying concern (pacing) while preserving the arc. Presented both, walked through the reasoning. Streamer picked option two. Result: episode aired, review scores held, season 2 pickup came 6 weeks after finale. Producers and directors screen for whether you fight in the meeting or fight through the work. The right answer is the second.
Q5. Why streaming/studio production instead of independent filmmaking (or vice versa)?culture
The honest answer that resonates: budget and reach vs creative control. Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Amazon Studios, Apple TV+, NBCUniversal offer $30-250M budgets, global distribution, and creative teams of 200-800 people β€” but every creative decision runs through executive layers and data-driven notes. A24, Blumhouse, Vice, and CAA/UTA-repped independents offer $2-25M budgets, tighter teams, and more creative latitude β€” but smaller reach and higher personal financial risk. Say plainly which you're on and why. Recruiters and creative executives respect candidates who understand the trade-off. 'I want to do both β€” build a streamer track record for financial stability while producing one indie every 3-4 years to protect the creative bench' is a real answer.

Resume Template β€” Line Producer / TV Producer (5-8 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Line Producer / TV Producer (5-8 yrs)
  • β–ΈLine-produced 24 episodes of a scripted drama for Netflix across 2 seasons; $42M total budget delivered 2% under target.
  • β–ΈManaged 178-person crew across LA and Vancouver; DGA + SAG-AFTRA + IATSE compliance zero grievances filed FY24.
  • β–ΈOwned BC tax-incentive claim of $6.8M; certified compliant by Creative BC.
  • β–ΈPGA + WGA West member. Movie Magic Budgeting + Scheduling + StudioBinder proficient. Fluent in DGA/SAG-AFTRA/IATSE minimums.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—No credited work β€” even a produced short, a co-produced music video, or a credited coordinator role beats an unassigned assistant history. Credit velocity is the metric.
  • βœ—Weak on numbers β€” a producer who can't quote a budget or a schedule loses credibility in 90 seconds with a studio production exec.
  • βœ—Overselling β€” claiming you 'ran a $40M feature' when you were the associate producer on a $40M feature gets caught in reference calls at CAA, UTA, WME, Gersh.
  • βœ—No relationships β€” the profession runs on repeat business. A producer or director without a working list of 20-40 department heads, writers, and executives they've built with can't staff quickly.
  • βœ—Weather day / union rule / tax incentive ignorance β€” a line producer who doesn't know BC tax rules or Georgia's 30% incentive vs Louisiana's 40% loses margin every day of a shoot.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Credit velocity β€” track record of shipped credits (features released, episodes aired, awards) is the single strongest lever. Bring the list.
  • βœ“Overall deal at a streamer β€” Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount overall deals range $1.5-15M+ with first-look, multi-project scope, and back-end participation.
  • βœ“Back-end / participation β€” for producers on a hit show, back-end participation (a percentage of net or modified adjusted gross) can multiply base compensation 2-10x over the life of the project.
  • βœ“Guild minimums β€” DGA (episode fees, feature minimums, residuals), SAG-AFTRA (talent day rates + meal penalties + residuals), WGA (script fees + royalties + residuals) all set floors. Never accept below-scale in a union project.
  • βœ“Package fees β€” CAA, UTA, WME, Gersh package fees on TV series shifted after the WGA/CAA agreement; understand where the fee flows and negotiate what you receive.
  • βœ“Tax-incentive-driven location β€” Georgia (30% + 10% uplift), New Mexico (25-40%), Louisiana (25-40%), New York (25-45%), UK (25.5%), Canada (25-40% federal + provincial). Producers who understand incentives push line-item budgets higher without net cost to the studio.
  • βœ“Non-guild + specialty work (commercial, corporate, YouTube-native) β€” commercial directors at CAA/UTA-repped shops earn $18-95k per day plus creative director fees; corporate video directors $2,500-8,500 per day; branded YouTube creative producers $185-450k salary at Amazon Studios, Vice, or major MCNs.

Producers and Directors Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired producers and directorss. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

  • βœ“ Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
  • βœ“ Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
  • βœ“ Missing skills / keywords flagged
  • βœ“ Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

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  • βœ“ All 16 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 9 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
  • βœ“ Downloadable PDF for offline access
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Producers and Directors Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$39K
$130Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

California
$130K
+44%
New Jersey
$120K
+33%
New York
$108K
+19%
District of Columbia
$104K
+15%
Connecticut
$88K
-2%
Oregon
$87K
-3%
Rhode Island
$84K
-7%
Washington
$82K
-10%
Illinois
$81K
-10%
Massachusetts
$81K
-10%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
California$129,790+43.6%
New Jersey$119,840+32.6%
New York$107,550+19.0%
District of Columbia$104,270+15.4%
Connecticut$88,260-2.3%
Oregon$87,460-3.2%
Rhode Island$84,250-6.8%
Washington$81,550-9.7%
Illinois$81,080-10.3%
Massachusetts$80,970-10.4%
1–10 of 50

Producers and Directors Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$131,600+45.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$130,640+44.6%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$110,190+21.9%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$108,460+20.0%
Waterbury-Shelton, CT$102,340+13.3%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$100,270+11.0%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$100,060+10.7%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$99,520+10.1%
Salem, OR$98,900+9.5%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$97,360+7.7%
1–10 of 215
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A producers and directors earning $90,360/year would need 660 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 708 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how producers and directors salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Producers and Directors salary trend (2011–2024) β†’