🎬 How much does a film director make?
In the U.S., low-paid directors may earn $0–under $45,780; the typical producer/director earns $90,360; the top 10% earn over $198,540. BLS groups film directors with producers.
Directors are often hired project by project, so the number of jobs, contract terms, and a hit can make yearly earnings vary widely.
US Most people, typical, the top
| Who | Yearly earnings | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Low-paid or between-project directors | $0–$45,780 | BLS lower-decile cutoff; reported no-pay film work |
| Typical producer/director | $90,360 | BLS 2025 median |
| Top 10% of producers/directors | $198,540 | BLS 2025 top-decile threshold |
Per month and per day
| Who | Per month | Per day (÷365) |
|---|---|---|
| Low-paid or between-project directors | $0–$3,815 | $0–$125 |
| Typical producer/director | $7,530 | $248 |
| Top 10% of producers/directors | $16,545 | $544 |
Where does the money come from?
- Project directing pay: Directors are paid under project-specific deals; DGA schedules set minimum pay for covered productions. Source
- Ticket-sales share: Some producers and directors receive a percentage of ticket sales, depending on their deal. Source
- Residual payments: DGA members may receive residuals when covered work is reused, such as in reruns or streaming. Source
How do you become a film director?
In the United States, directors typically earn a bachelor's degree in film or a related field. They build experience on film or TV sets, often starting in assistant jobs or internships, before moving into directing.
- Study film or film production in college.
- Get experience with a production team through an internship.
- Build experience on set as an assistant, editor, or similar worker.
- Build experience and work toward directing projects.
Qualifications and exams
The BLS profile does not list a required license or exam. It says a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience are typical.
A day as a film director
A director checks the script and planned scenes, then guides actors and works with camera and lighting crews during filming. Later, the director reviews footage and talks with editors about the cut. Hours can be long and irregular.
Common questions
Can a director earn more when a movie is a hit?
Some producers and directors receive a percentage of ticket sales, but this depends on the deal and is not true for everyone. Source
Can directors get paid again when a film is reused?
DGA members may receive residuals when covered work is reused, including in television reruns, home video, pay television, and streaming. Source
Do directors get the same paycheck every month?
Their schedules can change with each project, so work and pay are not necessarily the same every month. Source
Does pay differ between film and television work?
The 2025 industry typical pay figures were $105,300 per year in motion picture and video industries and $65,230 in television broadcasting. These figures combine producers and directors. Source
Is the directing fee the same for every project?
DGA minimum rates vary by production type and category, including theatrical films and television programs. The rates apply to covered productions. Source
This section summarizes public sources. We only show numbers that have a source.
Close jobs in official statistics
In Japan
Japan Most people, typical, the top
| Who | Yearly earnings | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-earning directors and producers (45.1% under ¥3M; performing-arts survey) | $0–$20,000 | GEIDANKYO 2025 survey, direction/production/other field: 2024 income 8.6% under ¥1M, 16.1% ¥1-2M, 20.4% ¥2-3M |
| Full-time director (broadcast-director proxy) | $36,267 | 2025 MHLW wage statistic for a related occupation |
| Top earners in the performers' survey (media field, 8.3%) | $100,000 | GEIDANKYO 2025 survey: 8.3% of the media field earned ¥15M or more (no official figure exists for film directors alone) |
Famous people
| Who | Amount |
|---|---|
| 🎥 Hayao Miyazaki Film director/animator (Studio Ghibli) | $35.85M (2010 · net worth) Miyazaki's company Nibariki had about ¥5.378 billion in assets, per the latest public data (2010). |
Related questions
Jobs in the same group
Data table and sources
- www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/producers-and-directors.htm
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/PrintAll?occupationId=217
- www.vulture.com/article/indie-filmmakers-money.html
- www.creativevillage.ne.jp/category/topcreators/visual-creators/film-director/459
- geidankyo.or.jp/img/research/11th-jittaichousa_prereport_performer
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-2012.00?redir=27-2012.01
- www.dga.org/the-guild/departments/residuals
- edge.sitecorecloud.io/directorsguf4d4-dga2c79-dgaprod1615-f6e3/media/Files/Contr
- dgatrainingprogram.org/
- www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/print/producers-and-directors.htm