Film director earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level film director earnings begin at:

$75.71 per hour

$157,480 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level film director earnings begin at:

$49.50 per hour

$102,950 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level film director earnings begin at:

$37.80 per hour

$78,630 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level film director earnings begin at:

$29.24 per hour

$60,820 per year

10th percentile

Starting level film director earnings begin at:

$23.06 per hour

$47,950 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Film director salary by state

State Name Average Salary
New York $99,240
Connecticut $82,470
District of Columbia $80,790
Massachusetts $78,630
Maryland $78,510
New Jersey $77,860
Rhode Island $77,450
Oregon $73,250
Washington $72,600
Nevada $64,430
Virginia $63,700
New Hampshire $63,320
Colorado $63,300
Florida $62,990
Minnesota $62,340
Pennsylvania $62,340
Tennessee $62,080
Georgia $62,070
North Carolina $61,920
Illinois $60,820
Utah $60,820
Ohio $59,920
Texas $59,550
South Carolina $58,890
Arkansas $58,350
Wisconsin $55,120
Missouri $53,980
Arizona $50,500
Nebraska $50,460
Delaware $50,250
Kansas $50,050
Montana $49,790
Alaska $49,600
Wyoming $49,600
Indiana $49,390
South Dakota $49,320
Vermont $49,260
Michigan $49,240
Hawaii $49,070
Alabama $48,890
North Dakota $48,790
Kentucky $48,600
Mississippi $48,130
Iowa $47,630
Idaho $47,480
Maine $46,290
West Virginia $44,970
Louisiana $43,540
Oklahoma $42,680
Puerto Rico $36,590
California $107,280
New Mexico $100,640

How do film director salaries compare to similar careers?

Film directors earn about the same as related careers in Massachusetts. On average, they make less than naval architects but more than television writers.

Career Median Salary
Naval architect salary $97K
Architect salary $100K
Film producer salary $79K
Casting director salary $79K
Film director salary $79K
Filmmaker salary $79K
Television writer salary $78K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)