The median annual wage of producers and directors was $68,440 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,140, and the top 10 percent earned more than $166,400 in May 2010.
Some producer’s and director’s income is earned as a percentage of ticket sales. A few of the most successful producers and directors have extraordinarily high earnings, but most do not.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of producers and directors in May 2010 were as follows:
| Motion picture and video industries | $ 92,820 |
| Cable and other subscription programming | 81,290 |
| Radio and television broadcasting | 54,120 |
| Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries | 51,960 |
Work hours for producers and directors are long and irregular. Evening, weekend, and holiday work is common. Very few producers and directors work a standard 40-hour workweek, and many have variable schedules. Those who work in theater may travel with a touring show across the country, while those in film may work on location (a site away from the studio where all or part of the filming occurs).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition