U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProduce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture 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.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83,520 | 2.8 % | $42.60 | $88,610 | 2.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $15.45 | $21.86 | $32.90 | $53.71 | (5) |
| Annual Wage (2) | $32,140 | $45,470 | $68,440 | $111,720 | (5) |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 28,170 | 7.94 | $52.82 | $109,860 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting | 19,840 | 9.33 | $34.63 | $72,030 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | 4,620 | 0.20 | $33.05 | $68,750 |
| Performing Arts Companies | 4,510 | 3.98 | $28.76 | $59,820 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 4,400 | 1.08 | $50.77 | $105,600 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radio and Television Broadcasting | 19,840 | 9.33 | $34.63 | $72,030 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 28,170 | 7.94 | $52.82 | $109,860 |
| Cable and Other Subscription Programming | 4,230 | 5.33 | $45.86 | $95,380 |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | 2,400 | 5.29 | $48.67 | $101,240 |
| Performing Arts Companies | 4,510 | 3.98 | $28.76 | $59,820 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | 600 | 0.07 | $58.63 | $121,940 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 28,170 | 7.94 | $52.82 | $109,860 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 4,400 | 1.08 | $50.77 | $105,600 |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | 2,400 | 5.29 | $48.67 | $101,240 |
| Business Schools and Computer and Management Training | (8) | (8) | $46.80 | $97,350 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 20,190 | 1.44 | 2.19 | $60.75 | $126,360 |
| New York | 15,670 | 1.88 | 2.86 | $53.81 | $111,930 |
| Florida | 3,990 | 0.56 | 0.85 | $30.83 | $64,120 |
| Texas | 3,390 | 0.34 | 0.51 | $26.98 | $56,120 |
| Georgia | 1,960 | 0.52 | 0.80 | $34.48 | $71,710 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,350 | 2.11 | 3.21 | $43.67 | $90,820 |
| New York | 15,670 | 1.88 | 2.86 | $53.81 | $111,930 |
| California | 20,190 | 1.44 | 2.19 | $60.75 | $126,360 |
| Connecticut | 1,370 | 0.86 | 1.30 | (8) | (8) |
| Vermont | 220 | 0.77 | 1.17 | $25.17 | $52,340 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 20,190 | 1.44 | 2.19 | $60.75 | $126,360 |
| New York | 15,670 | 1.88 | 2.86 | $53.81 | $111,930 |
| District of Columbia | 1,350 | 2.11 | 3.21 | $43.67 | $90,820 |
| Tennessee | 1,090 | 0.43 | 0.65 | $38.21 | $79,470 |
| New Jersey | 1,260 | 0.34 | 0.51 | $35.79 | $74,450 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 15,430 | 4.04 | 6.15 | $66.66 | $138,640 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 13,710 | 2.75 | 4.19 | $55.14 | $114,680 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 2,130 | 0.93 | 1.42 | $42.12 | $87,610 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 1,490 | 0.68 | 1.03 | $38.09 | $79,230 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division | 1,360 | 0.38 | 0.58 | $34.25 | $71,240 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,260 | 1.33 | 2.02 | $44.81 | $93,200 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 980 | 1.80 | 2.74 | $56.04 | $116,570 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division | 980 | 1.02 | 1.55 | $29.62 | $61,600 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 920 | 0.69 | 1.04 | $33.62 | $69,920 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 900 | 0.54 | 0.82 | $34.40 | $71,560 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 15,430 | 4.04 | 6.15 | $66.66 | $138,640 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 13,710 | 2.75 | 4.19 | $55.14 | $114,680 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 980 | 1.80 | 2.74 | $56.04 | $116,570 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,260 | 1.33 | 2.02 | $44.81 | $93,200 |
| Medford, OR | 100 | 1.31 | 2.00 | $31.43 | $65,380 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 130 | 1.23 | 1.87 | $21.44 | $44,590 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | 320 | 1.15 | 1.74 | $30.11 | $62,630 |
| Great Falls, MT | 40 | 1.04 | 1.58 | $15.08 | $31,370 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division | 980 | 1.02 | 1.55 | $29.62 | $61,600 |
| Missoula, MT | 50 | 1.02 | 1.55 | $16.79 | $34,910 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 15,430 | 4.04 | 6.15 | $66.66 | $138,640 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 980 | 1.80 | 2.74 | $56.04 | $116,570 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 13,710 | 2.75 | 4.19 | $55.14 | $114,680 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 190 | 0.65 | 0.99 | $50.04 | $104,070 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 30 | 0.57 | 0.86 | $46.51 | $96,740 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,260 | 1.33 | 2.02 | $44.81 | $93,200 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 840 | 0.67 | 1.03 | $44.30 | $92,140 |
| Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA | 130 | 0.82 | 1.24 | $43.94 | $91,390 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 220 | 0.53 | 0.81 | $43.50 | $90,480 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division | 580 | 0.48 | 0.73 | $42.95 | $89,330 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.61 | 0.93 | $48.81 | $101,510 |
| Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.80 | 1.22 | $25.75 | $53,560 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 1.00 | 1.52 | $17.48 | $36,350 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.45 | 0.68 | $15.14 | $31,500 |
| Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.31 | 0.47 | $17.66 | $36,720 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.68 | 2.56 | $28.31 | $58,890 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 1.00 | 1.52 | $17.48 | $36,350 |
| Southeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.85 | 1.30 | $23.75 | $49,400 |
| Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.80 | 1.22 | $25.75 | $53,560 |
| Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.61 | 0.93 | $48.81 | $101,510 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.61 | 0.93 | $48.81 | $101,510 |
| Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $31.83 | $66,200 |
| East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.18 | 0.28 | $30.25 | $62,910 |
| North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.68 | 2.56 | $28.31 | $58,890 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.24 | 0.37 | $27.38 | $56,950 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $80.00 per hour or $166,400 per year.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2010 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order
List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order
Download May 2010 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files
Last Modified Date: May 17, 2011
