Producers and Directors Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 27-2012 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$83,470
$40.13/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Producers and Directors is $83,470 per year ($40.13/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $59,800 and $131,165 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $198,536 per year. There are approximately 145,270 producers and directors employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
13K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
167K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
40K
$103,440
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers
NAICS 516200
22K
$82,330
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations
NAICS 516100
20K
$60,790
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
NAICS 541800
9K
$108,690
Performing Arts Companies
NAICS 711100
8K
$61,560
Wage range across top 5 industries: $60,790 to $108,690 (79% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$20.70
$43,056
P25
$28.75
$59,800
P50MEDIAN
$40.13
$83,470
P75
$63.06
$131,165
P90
$95.45
$198,536
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average producers and directors salary?
The national median salary for Producers and Directors is $83,470 per year ($40.13/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $59,800 and $131,165 annually.
How much do top-earning producers and directors make?
The 90th percentile salary for Producers and Directors is $198,536 per year ($95.45/hr). The 75th percentile is $131,165 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for producers and directors?
Entry-level Producers and Directors (10th percentile) earn approximately $43,056 per year ($20.70/hr). The 25th percentile is $59,800 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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