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Boston Career Explorer

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

Producers and Directors

Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Responsible for creative decisions, such as interpretation of script, choice of actors or guests, set design, sound, special effects, and choreography.

Also called: Artistic Director, Director, Executive Producer, Multimedia Producer, News Producer, Producer

Compare with my current job (News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$83,850
$40.31/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
2,640
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.1%
280 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree
Less than 5 years of related work experience

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$46,790$62,460$83,850$108,540$152,900

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
  • Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
  • Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
  • Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.
  • Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.
  • Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure70 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 70
  • Language-model AIOE 70
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 70

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

Producers and directors have higher AI exposure, and observed AI use is some. AI tools can help with research, planning shots, and reviewing footage. Creative decisions, leading actors, and directing live productions still depend on human judgment and teamwork. The job may change more than it disappears.

Likely to change

  • Background research for productions
  • Shot planning and footage review

Still relies on people

  • Creative decisions and artistic vision
  • Directing and guiding actors and crews

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

37 programs near Boston (plus 5 graduate)

Related occupations

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