Best degree programs for Producers and Directors, ranked by enrollment
10 college programs and 1,080 schools train Producers and Directors. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $90,360 median wage, 143,120 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
10 college programs at 1,080 schools train producers and directors, graduating 33,224 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General. The job pays a median of $90,360 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
10 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0501 | 9,838 | 29.6% | 813 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0602 | 9,799 | 29.5% | 287 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 3 | CIP 09.0701 | 6,089 | 18.3% | 173 | $29,112 | $23,836 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0601 | 5,237 | 15.8% | 219 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 5 | Musical Theatremain feeder CIP 50.0509 | 1,212 | 3.6% | 123 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 6 | Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0599 | 404 | 1.2% | 45 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 7 | CIP 50.1004 | 216 | 0.7% | 23 | $28,050 | $25,468 |
| 8 | Directing and Theatrical Productionmain feeder CIP 50.0507 | 197 | 0.6% | 35 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 9 | CIP 50.0607 | 135 | 0.4% | 13 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 10 | Theatre and Dancemain feeder CIP 50.0512 | 97 | 0.3% | 11 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 918 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 2 | Emerson College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 573 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 77% | $40,982 | 51% |
| 3 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 569 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 44% | $32,163 | — |
| 4 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 520 | Radio and Television | 57% | — | 93% |
| 5 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 455 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 78% | — | 40% |
| 6 | Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 440 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 69% | $44,902 | 83% |
| 7 | American Musical and Dramatic Academy New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 428 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | 72% | $40,932 | 24% |
| 8 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 407 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 9 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 383 | Radio and Television | 89% | — | 27% |
| 10 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 348 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 11 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 5 feeder programs | 348 | Radio and Television | 75% | — | 80% |
| 12 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 332 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 52% | $28,087 | 89% |
| 13 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 317 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 50% | — | 96% |
| 14 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 311 | Radio and Television | 69% | — | 46% |
| 15 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 280 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | 55% | — | 89% |
| 16 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 275 | Radio and Television | 70% | — | 91% |
| 17 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 274 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 87% | — | 29% |
| 18 | University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 273 | Radio and Television | 61% | — | 72% |
| 19 | New York Film Academy Burbank, CA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 266 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 68% | $46,505 | — |
| 20 | Chapman University Orange, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 262 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 82% | $42,965 | 65% |
| 21 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA Public · 2 feeder programs | 259 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 53% | — | 55% |
| 22 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 255 | Radio and Television | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 23 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 254 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 79% | $36,488 | 45% |
| 24 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · 2 feeder programs | 251 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 45% | — | — |
| 25 | Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 244 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 32% | — | — |
| 26 | Pace University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 236 | Theatre/Theatre Arts Management | 60% | $29,994 | 76% |
| 27 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 224 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 28 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 223 | Radio and Television | 84% | $28,851 | 46% |
| 29 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ Public · 3 feeder programs | 221 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 65% | — | 88% |
| 30 | CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY Public · 4 feeder programs | 206 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 54% | — | 58% |
| 31 | Ithaca College Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 191 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 76% | $28,970 | 69% |
| 32 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 191 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 93% | — | 9% |
| 33 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 190 | Radio and Television | 53% | — | 91% |
| 34 | University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 190 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 76% | — | 76% |
| 35 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 189 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 83% | — | 33% |
| 36 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 178 | Radio and Television | 91% | — | 24% |
| 37 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 176 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 46% | — | — |
| 38 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 2 feeder programs | 175 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 65% | — | 86% |
| 39 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 174 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 93% | — | 11% |
| 40 | Moorpark College Moorpark, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 172 | Radio and Television | 44% | — | — |
| 41 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 166 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 39% | — | — |
| 42 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 157 | Radio and Television | 76% | — | 36% |
| 43 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 153 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 36% | — | — |
| 44 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 152 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 68% | — | 90% |
| 45 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 147 | Radio and Television | 65% | — | 74% |
| 46 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 146 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 47 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 143 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 93% | — | 16% |
| 48 | Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 140 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 41% | $32,792 | — |
| 49 | American Film Institute Conservatory Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 139 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | — | — | — |
| 50 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 135 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 71% | — | 64% |
What producers and directors earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $129,790 | 34,110 | 2.03× | 147 | 8,519 |
| New York | $107,550 | 27,990 | 3.14× | 78 | 4,138 |
| Florida | $79,920 | 7,160 | 0.78× | 43 | 2,313 |
| Texas | $71,710 | 6,610 | 0.51× | 69 | 2,194 |
| Illinois | $81,080 | 3,170 | 0.56× | 41 | 1,479 |
| Massachusetts | $80,970 | 3,440 | 1.03× | 38 | 1,317 |
| Georgia | $79,950 | 5,010 | 1.11× | 30 | 1,142 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,460 | 4,200 | 0.75× | 51 | 1,062 |
| Ohio | $69,350 | 1,610 | 0.31× | 41 | 860 |
| North Carolina | $63,700 | 3,500 | 0.77× | 29 | 714 |
| Utah | $76,350 | 1,670 | 1.04× | 10 | 662 |
| Arizona | $67,320 | 1,720 | 0.58× | 17 | 597 |
| Michigan | $65,720 | 2,310 | 0.57× | 30 | 591 |
| Virginia | $65,900 | 2,820 | 0.75× | 28 | 560 |
| Colorado | $78,060 | 1,960 | 0.74× | 17 | 494 |
| New Jersey | $119,840 | 2,970 | 0.75× | 14 | 479 |
| Wisconsin | $66,390 | 1,600 | 0.59× | 21 | 431 |
| Tennessee | $73,020 | 2,920 | 0.97× | 23 | 409 |
| Missouri | $66,460 | 1,630 | 0.60× | 23 | 362 |
| Washington | $81,550 | 2,270 | 0.69× | 14 | 303 |
| Connecticut | $88,260 | 2,200 | 1.41× | 13 | 302 |
| Indiana | $59,870 | 1,480 | 0.50× | 25 | 302 |
| New Mexico | — | 520 | 0.65× | 11 | 298 |
| Oklahoma | $61,600 | 770 | 0.49× | 17 | 285 |
| Oregon | $87,460 | 1,640 | 0.91× | 16 | 274 |
| Minnesota | $76,360 | 1,390 | 0.51× | 31 | 251 |
| Kentucky | $54,550 | 950 | 0.52× | 15 | 248 |
| Louisiana | $62,920 | 880 | 0.49× | 10 | 217 |
| Alabama | $63,340 | 1,040 | 0.53× | 13 | 196 |
| District of Columbia | $104,270 | 2,640 | 4.09× | 7 | 183 |
| South Carolina | $56,030 | 1,190 | 0.56× | 14 | 168 |
| Maryland | $79,350 | 1,610 | 0.63× | 16 | 165 |
| Iowa | $58,550 | 720 | 0.50× | 17 | 161 |
| Montanalimited | $52,580 | 390 | 0.83× | 2 | 157 |
| Nevadamoderate | $78,480 | 1,630 | 1.14× | 4 | 157 |
| Idaho | $61,150 | 380 | 0.48× | 7 | 156 |
| Rhode Island | $84,250 | 560 | 1.20× | 8 | 130 |
| Kansas | $60,600 | 420 | 0.31× | 14 | 122 |
| Arkansas | $38,820 | 700 | 0.58× | 13 | 119 |
| Vermont | $55,660 | 290 | 1.04× | 7 | 103 |
| New Hampshire | $61,560 | 300 | 0.48× | 5 | 83 |
| Nebraska | $52,580 | 470 | 0.49× | 11 | 76 |
| Mississippi | $48,100 | 390 | 0.36× | 6 | 68 |
| Maine | $71,320 | 400 | 0.67× | 6 | 47 |
| West Virginia | $46,660 | 230 | 0.35× | 5 | 42 |
| Wyoming | $60,420 | 130 | 0.49× | 5 | 23 |
| Hawaiilimited | $66,190 | 510 | 0.88× | 2 | 21 |
| South Dakota | $60,260 | 170 | 0.39× | 5 | 19 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $57,870 | 170 | 0.43× | 4 | 15 |
| Alaskalimited | $54,060 | 160 | 0.54× | 1 | 7 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to 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.
- Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of camera, lighting, design, and sound crew members.
- Confer with technical directors, managers, crew members, and writers to discuss details of production, such as photography, script, music, sets, and costumes.
Skills
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Monitoring3.8
- Writing3.5
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies3.0
Knowledge areas
- Communications and Media4.5
- English Language4.1
- Computers and Electronics3.8
- Customer and Personal Service3.5
- Administration and Management3.5
- Telecommunications3.4
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.2
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Written Comprehension3.9
- Problem Sensitivity3.9
- Deductive Reasoning3.9
- Speech Clarity3.9
Core activities
- Getting Information4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
- Thinking Creatively4.3
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
- Working with Computers4.1
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.1
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Producer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 10 majors mapped to Producers and Directors10 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 09.0701Radio and Television
- 50.0501Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- 50.0507Directing and Theatrical Production
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0512Theatre and Dance
- 50.0599Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
- 50.0601Film/Cinema/Media Studies
- 50.0602Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- 50.0607Documentary Production
- 50.1004Theatre/Theatre Arts Management
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Producer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General, which awarded 9,838 degrees in 2024-25, 29.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Producer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Radio, Arts. Together they graduate about 33,224 people a year.
How much do producers and directors earn?+
The median is $90,360 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $45,780 at the 10th percentile to $198,540 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for producers and directors growing?+
BLS projects a +4.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 12,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,080 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 10 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do producers and directors work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Director, Producer, Casting Agent, News Director, News Producer, Program Manager among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2012.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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