Arts, Design, Media, and Sports · Career brief

Producers and Directors

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Producers and Directors at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$90,360

High national median pay

2025 national median. Top quarter for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

Steady projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

12,100

Above the middle on opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

Creative

Original ideas and creative judgment matter

Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The standout national signal is pay; it ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if creative work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:Editors Music Directors and Composers Film and Video Editors

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Producers and Directors with another field Explore rankings in Arts, Design, Media, and Sports Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$90,360

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

4%employment growth12,100openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

181,000

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Producers and directors (27-2012).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.
Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Getting Information4.7
Thinking Creatively4.6
Working with Computers4.4
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.3
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Artistic6.1
Enterprising5.8
Conventional3.6
Social3.1
Investigative2.2
Realistic2.1

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Communications and Media Telecommunications Computers and Electronics Fine Arts

Software and tools named in job postings

Adobe After Effects Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Photoshop Adobe Premiere Pro

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Complete a creative brief for someone else, meet the deadline, invite blunt criticism, and revise the work once.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Producers and directors nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Photoshop; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

Prior related experience: less than 5 years. Look for the preceding roles and promotion route before treating this as a first job.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options