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.
Talent Director Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Talent Directors is $90,360 a year ($43.44/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4.9% through 2034, with about 12,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 27-2012Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and MediaLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $90,360
- Projected growth
- +4.9%
- Openings a year
- 12,800
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Artistic Director, Casting Agent, Casting Coordinator, Casting Director, Extras Casting Director, Model Booker.
How much do Talent Directors make?
10th percentile$45,780
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$62,670
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$90,360
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$134,800
Upper quartile
90th percentile$198,540
Top-paid tenth
| 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, Talent 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 $72,775, this is 24% 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 72% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Talent Directors the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $129,790 | $117,224 | 34,110 |
| New Jersey | $119,840 | $110,142 | 2,970 |
| New York | $107,550 | $99,656 | 27,990 |
| District of Columbia | $104,270 | $94,876 | 2,640 |
| Connecticut | $88,260 | $85,185 | 2,200 |
| Oregon | $87,460 | $84,616 | 1,640 |
| Rhode Island | $84,250 | $82,372 | 560 |
| Washington | $81,550 | $76,206 | 2,270 |
| Illinois | $81,080 | $81,114 | 3,170 |
| Massachusetts | $80,970 | $76,562 | 3,440 |
Is Talent Director a growing career?
Talent Directors4.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+4.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Talent Directors to change 4.9% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 8,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,800 openings are projected each year, 7.7% of the 167,000 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Strong demand for video advertising across platforms is projected to increase demand for these workers. Additionally, new TV shows and movies, especially on online and streaming platforms, are expected to continue to create some opportunities for producers and directors.
Demand for theater producers and directors will depend on funding availability. If there is a steady revenue stream, these workers may be in demand. However, opportunities for producers and directors may be limited in theaters with funding challenges.
How to become a Talent Director
Producers and directors typically have a bachelor’s degree. They also typically need several years of experience working on set in film, TV, stage, or other productions in positions such as actors, cinematographers, or film and video editors or in related occupations, such as theater managers.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as talent directors.
- Bachelor's Degree42.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)18.8%
- Master's Degree10.9%
- Some College Courses10.2%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate8.6%
What does a Talent Director do?
Audition and interview performers to select most appropriate talent for parts in stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions.
Producers and directors make business and creative decisions about, film, television, stage, and other productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain, inform, or instruct an audience.
Day-to-day tasks
- Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.
- Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.
- Maintain talent files that include information such as performers' specialties, past performances, and availability.
- Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
- Prepare actors for auditions by providing scripts and information about roles and casting requirements.
- Review performer information, such as photos, resumes, voice tapes, videos, and union membership, to decide whom to audition for parts.
- Read scripts and confer with producers to determine the types and numbers of performers required for a given production.
- Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where talent directors work
| Motion picture and video industries | 26% |
|---|---|
| Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers | 13% |
| Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries | 11% |
| Television broadcasting stations | 9% |
| Self-employed workers | 8% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Monitoring3.4/5
- Writing3.3/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9/5
- Negotiation3.4/5
- Coordination3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
- Time Management3.3/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Instructing3.0/5
Tools and software
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP 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
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Talent Director?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.2
Investigative1.4
Artisticprimary5.7
Socialprimary4.3
Enterprisingprimary5.9
Conventional3.6
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.
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.
Talent Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Talent Directors make?
Talent Directors earn a median of $90,360 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 77% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $43.44/hr. The middle half earn between $62,670 and $134,800. The top 10% earn $198,540 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Talent Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Talent 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, 42.3% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Talent Director a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.9% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 12,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Talent Director do?
Producers and directors make business and creative decisions about, film, television, stage, and other productions. A core O*NET task: audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent. Employers most often ask for Customer relationship management CRM software, Data base user interface and query software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Talent Directors the most?
The highest state medians for Talent Directors are California ($129,790), New Jersey ($119,840), New York ($107,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Talent Director?
O*NET scores Talent Directors highest on the Enterprising, Artistic and Social 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 923 occupations in the bank.