Producers and Directors Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for producers and directors in the U.S. is $90,360 ($43.44 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $90,360
- Mean annual wage
- $113,300
- Median hourly wage
- $43.44
- Employment
- 143,120
143,120 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,780 | $22.01 |
| 25th percentile | $62,670 | $30.13 |
| Median (50th) | $90,360 | $43.44 |
| 75th percentile | $134,800 | $64.81 |
| 90th percentile | $198,540 | $95.45 |
Highest-paying states for producers and directors
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $129,790 | 34,110 |
| New Jersey | $119,840 | 2,970 |
| New York | $107,550 | 27,990 |
| District of Columbia | $104,270 | 2,640 |
| Connecticut | $88,260 | 2,200 |
| Oregon | $87,460 | 1,640 |
| Rhode Island | $84,250 | 560 |
| Washington | $81,550 | 2,270 |
| Illinois | $81,080 | 3,170 |
| Massachusetts | $80,970 | 3,440 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $38,820 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $46,660 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $48,100 median annual wage
- Nebraska: $52,580 median annual wage
- Montana: $52,580 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Choose settings and locations for films and determine how scenes will be shot in these settings.
- Write and edit news stories from information collected by reporters and other sources.
- Arrange financing for productions.
- Conduct meetings with staff to discuss production progress and to ensure production objectives are attained.
- Compose and edit scripts or provide screenwriters with story outlines from which scripts can be written.
- Compile scripts, program notes, and other material related to productions.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 5.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 12.4% |
| Associate's degree | 5.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 57.5% |
| Master's degree | 15.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 3.4% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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- Actors—
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.