Leads the art department and designs the overall visual world of a film or TV series, from sets and locations to color palette. BLS does not publish separate figures for art directors; it counts them within art director (SOC 27-1011), whose median pay is $114,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-1011
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Production Designer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $114,850a year, or $55.22/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $65KTop 10% $213K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.2%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 12,200140,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025140.2K
- Projected 2035146K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 140.2K Projected 2035 146K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school9.7%
- Some college5.7%
- Associate's5.4%
- Bachelor's68%
- Post-bacc certificate3.5%
- Master's7.7%
Highest education held by art directors Segment Value High school 9.7% Some college 5.7% Associate's 5.4% Bachelor's 68% Post-bacc certificate 3.5% Master's 7.7%
Also advertised as: Film Production Designer, Supervising Art Director, Television Production Designer, Head of Art Department.
Pay
How much do Art Directors make?
Every production designer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$114,850
Middle half earn $82,480 to $162,640
- 10th
- $64,900
- 25th
- $82,480
- 75th
- $162,640
- 90th
- $213,050
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,900 |
| 25th | $82,480 |
| Median | $114,850 |
| 75th | $162,640 |
| 90th | $213,050 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $114,850
- Median hourly wage
- $55.22/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $129,440
- People employed
- 53,070
Versus all US occupations
At $114,850, Art Directors earn 125% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $63,870 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 69% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $213,050 or more while the bottom 10% earn $64,900, a gap of 3.3×. 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 82% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $149,320, and still leads at $141,192 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Art 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Massachusetts | $149,320 | $141,192 | 1,850 |
| 2California | $137,780 | $124,440 | 12,430 |
| 3New York | $137,320 | $127,241 | 8,720 |
| 4Oregon | $133,840 | $129,488 | 1,040 |
| 5New Hampshire | $132,000 | $126,722 | 160 |
| 6Vermont | $129,260 | $131,955 | 80 |
| 7New Jersey | $129,200 | $118,745 | 1,840 |
| 8Washington | $121,170 | $113,229 | 650 |
| 9Georgia | $110,430 | $114,681 | 1,420 |
| 10Minnesota | $109,700 | $111,234 | 920 |
Job outlook
Is Production Designer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Directors | +4.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Art Directors to change 4.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 5,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,200 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 140,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Production Designer
Production designers usually come from architecture, theatre design, fine arts or film programs, and many hold a degree in scenic design or architecture. The path almost always runs through the art department: art department coordinator, set designer, assistant art director and art director, often on commercials, music videos and independent features first.
In the United States, production designers, art directors, set designers and illustrators are represented by the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800), which runs training programs and recognizes work through its Excellence in Production Design Awards. Strong drafting, SketchUp and Vectorworks skills and an eye for research are expected.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 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 art directors.
- Bachelor's Degree68%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)9.7%
- Master's Degree7.7%
- Some College Courses5.7%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 68% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 9.7% |
| Master's Degree | 7.7% |
| Some College Courses | 5.7% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 5.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Production Designer do?
Production designers are responsible for everything the camera sees that is not an actor. Starting from the script, they research period, place and character, then develop a visual concept with the director and cinematographer that covers architecture, color, texture and props.
They lead an art department that can include art directors, set designers, illustrators, set decorators, prop masters and construction crews. They approve set drawings and models, choose and dress locations, manage the art budget and schedule builds so stages are ready on time. On a series, they establish the look of the show and keep it consistent across episodes and directors.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze scripts to define the visual needs of each scene
- Develop a visual concept with the director and cinematographer
- Research architecture, period details and references
- Supervise drawings, models and illustrations of sets
- Scout and approve locations with the director
- Manage the art department budget and build schedule
- Lead art directors, decorators, prop and construction teams
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Production designers work from production offices, sound stages and locations, often traveling for shoots. Prep periods are intense, with long days scouting and approving builds, and shoots can run many months. Work is project-based, moving from show to show.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
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 seriousMistakes are not usually 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 Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Writing3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Time Management3.6
- Persuasion3.4
- Operations Analysis3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Instructing3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphical user interface development software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Network conferencing software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet 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 Production Designer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code AEI) built on O*NET's Art Director profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Production Designer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 7 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Artistic7.0
- Enterprising5.6
- Investigative3.6
- Conventional3.6
- Realistic3.0
- Social2.9
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 Production Designer
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
- Business and Financial Operations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with art directors highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Production Designer$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- 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 |
| Production Designer | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| 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 Production Designer appears on
Questions
Production Designer: frequently asked questions
How much do Art Directors make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for art directors. It counts them within art director, whose median pay is $114,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $82,480 and $162,640, and the top 10% earn $213,050 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Production Designer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Art Directors, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 68.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Production Designer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.2% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 12,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Production Designer do?
Production designers are responsible for everything the camera sees that is not an actor. A typical task: analyze scripts to define the visual needs of each scene. Employers most often ask for Desktop publishing software, Document management software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Art Directors the most?
The highest state medians for Art Directors are Massachusetts ($149,320), California ($137,780), New York ($137,320) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Production Designer?
O*NET scores Art Directors highest on the Artistic, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENTP, 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.