Builds the shooting schedule and runs the set on film and TV productions so the director can focus on performances. BLS does not publish separate figures for producers and directors; it counts them within producer and director (SOC 27-2012), whose median pay is $90,360 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-2012
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
First Assistant Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $90,360a year, or $43.44/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $46KTop 10% $199K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.0%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 12,100181,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025181K
- Projected 2035188.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 181K Projected 2035 188.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school15.2%
- Certificate10.6%
- Some college4.6%
- Associate's12.9%
- Bachelor's56.7%
Highest education held by producers and directors Segment Value High school 15.2% Certificate 10.6% Some college 4.6% Associate's 12.9% Bachelor's 56.7%
Also advertised as: 1st AD, First AD, Assistant Director, Key Second Assistant Director, Second Assistant Director.
Pay
How much do Producers and Directors make?
Every first assistant director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$90,360
Middle half earn $62,670 to $134,800
- 10th
- $45,780
- 25th
- $62,670
- 75th
- $134,800
- 90th
- $198,540
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $45,780 |
| 25th | $62,670 |
| Median | $90,360 |
| 75th | $134,800 |
| 90th | $198,540 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $90,360
- Median hourly wage
- $43.44/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $113,300
- People employed
- 143,120
Versus all US occupations
At $90,360, Producers and Directors earn 77% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $39,380 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 33% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $198,540 or more while the bottom 10% earn $45,780, a gap of 4.3×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 66% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $129,790, and still leads at $117,224 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Producers and Directors the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $129,790 | $117,224 | 34,110 |
| 2New Jersey | $119,840 | $110,142 | 2,970 |
| 3New York | $107,550 | $99,656 | 27,990 |
| 4District of Columbia | $104,270 | $94,876 | 2,640 |
| 5Connecticut | $88,260 | $85,185 | 2,200 |
| 6Oregon | $87,460 | $84,616 | 1,640 |
| 7Rhode Island | $84,250 | $82,372 | 560 |
| 8Washington | $81,550 | $76,206 | 2,270 |
| 9Illinois | $81,080 | $81,114 | 3,170 |
| 10Massachusetts | $80,970 | $76,562 | 3,440 |
Job outlook
Is First Assistant Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Producers and Directors | +4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Producers and Directors to change 4.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 7,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,100 openings are projected each year, 6.7% of the 181,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a First Assistant Director
Most first ADs start as production assistants, then work up through second second assistant director and second AD roles. Film school is common but not required.
The Directors Guild of America represents assistant directors and unit production managers. The DGA Assistant Directors Training Program, run by the Directors Guild Producer Training Plan in Los Angeles and New York, is a paid, selective program that places trainees on productions and leads to union membership. Others qualify for the DGA by accumulating enough days as production assistants or ADs on union shows.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as producers and directors.
- Bachelor's Degree56.7%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)15.2%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree12.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate10.6%
- Some College Courses4.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 56.7% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 15.2% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 12.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 10.6% |
| Some College Courses | 4.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a First Assistant Director do?
The first assistant director is the operational leader of the set. In pre-production, they break down the script into every element needed and build the shooting schedule, balancing actor availability, locations, daylight, budget and union rules.
During the shoot, the first AD keeps the day on schedule, coordinates departments, calls the cues for rehearsals and takes, directs background actors and makes sure the set is safe, including running safety meetings for stunts and effects. They work with the second AD, who prepares call sheets and manages cast logistics, and with production assistants who control the set. A good first AD lets the director focus entirely on the creative work.
Day-to-day tasks
- Break down scripts into scheduling elements
- Build and update the shooting schedule
- Run the set and keep the day on schedule
- Coordinate departments between setups
- Direct background actors and crowd scenes
- Lead safety meetings for stunts and effects
- Approve call sheets and production reports
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
First ADs work the longest days on set, arriving before crew call and leaving after wrap. The job is on the feet, outdoors and indoors, managing hundreds of people by radio. Work is project-based with frequent travel to locations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.4
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Coordination3.9
- Time Management3.6
- Management of Personnel Resources3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Systems Analysis3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Negotiation3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a First Assistant Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECS) built on O*NET's Producer and Director profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | First Assistant Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 6 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Enterprising5.9
- Artistic5.6
- Conventional4.2
- Social3.7
- Investigative2.2
- Realistic2.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to First Assistant Director
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with producers and directors highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- First Assistant Director$90,360
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| First Assistant Director | $90,360 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists First Assistant Director appears on
Questions
First Assistant Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Producers and Directors make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for producers and directors. It counts them within producer and director, whose median pay is $90,360 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $62,670 and $134,800, and the top 10% earn $198,540 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a First Assistant Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Producers and Directors, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 56.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is First Assistant Director a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.0% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 12,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a First Assistant Director do?
The first assistant director is the operational leader of the set. A typical task: break down scripts into scheduling elements. Employers most often ask for Cloud-based data access and sharing software, Content workflow software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Producers and Directors the most?
The highest state medians for Producers and Directors are California ($129,790), New Jersey ($119,840), New York ($107,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a First Assistant Director?
O*NET scores Producers and Directors highest on the Enterprising, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ENFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.