Filmmaker earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level filmmaker earnings begin at:

$70.36 per hour

$146,340 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level filmmaker earnings begin at:

$47.64 per hour

$99,100 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level filmmaker earnings begin at:

$34.48 per hour

$71,710 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level filmmaker earnings begin at:

$23.57 per hour

$49,020 per year

10th percentile

Starting level filmmaker earnings begin at:

$19.53 per hour

$40,610 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Filmmaker salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Connecticut $88,260
Oregon $87,460
Rhode Island $84,250
Washington $81,550
Illinois $81,080
Massachusetts $80,970
Georgia $79,950
Florida $79,920
Maryland $79,350
Nevada $78,480
Colorado $78,060
Minnesota $76,360
Utah $76,350
Pennsylvania $75,460
Tennessee $73,020
Delaware $72,650
Texas $71,710
Maine $71,320
Ohio $69,350
Arizona $67,320
Missouri $66,460
Wisconsin $66,390
Hawaii $66,190
Virginia $65,900
Michigan $65,720
North Carolina $63,700
Alabama $63,340
Louisiana $62,920
Oklahoma $61,600
New Hampshire $61,560
Idaho $61,150
Kansas $60,600
Wyoming $60,420
South Dakota $60,260
Indiana $59,870
Iowa $58,550
North Dakota $57,870
South Carolina $56,030
Vermont $55,660
Kentucky $54,550
Alaska $54,060
Montana $52,580
Nebraska $52,580
Mississippi $48,100
West Virginia $46,660
Arkansas $38,820
Puerto Rico $36,590
California $129,790
New Jersey $119,840
New York $107,550
District of Columbia $104,270
New Mexico $100,640

How do filmmaker salaries compare to similar careers?

Filmmakers earn about the same as related careers in Texas. On average, they make less than art directors but more than announcers.

Career Median Salary
Art director salary $88K
Multimedia animator salary $79K
Art therapist salary $62K
Talent agent salary $83K
Casting director salary $72K
Film director salary $72K
Film producer salary $72K
Filmmaker salary $72K
Announcer salary $49K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)