Creative & Media
Producers and Directors
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.
Median salary
$83,480
Typical range
$43k – $199k
Job outlook
+5% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Producers and Directors
Education
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Producers and Directors Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Producers and Directors
Entry / Junior
$43,060
~2 yrs to advance
Producers and Directors
Established
$83,480
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Producers and Directors
Senior
$141,005
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Creative & Media
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.