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Best And Worst States & Cities In The U.S. For Producers And Directors

By June 16, 2021May 12th, 2023Film & TV
directors film clip

It’s no secret that films and TV shows are some of the most often consumed media forms in the country, and even the world. Because of this, producers and directors are in high demand for new projects everywhere.

In fact, the demand for producers and directors in film and theater has increased in recent years and looks to keep on growing in the next decade. Along with this comes good wages, fair job stability, and the ability to work on passion projects.

Producers and directors in the United States can look forward to over 159,000 jobs available across the country, and many more are opening virtually every day as more shows are created and approved. Plus, studies have revealed that this job provides a median salary of $76,400, making it one of the most lucrative positions to hold within the world of the arts.

$76,400

Median Pay,
2020

159,500

Number of Jobs,
2019

10%

Job Outlook,
2019-29

16,000

Employment Change,
2019-29

This study was conducted by the TheaterSeatStore team.

National estimates for this occupation

38,420

82%

31,840

65%

8,010

25%

5,080

8%

4,070

2%
video industries
Motion Picture and Video Industries

38,420

82%
Radio and Television Broadcasting

31,840

65%
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services

8,010

25%
Performing Arts Companies

5,080

8%
Other Information Services

4,070

2%

$66.29

95%

$63.95

72%

$58.93

40%

$55.38

12%

$54.74

2%
specialized design services
Software Publishers

$66.29

95%
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing

$63.95

72%
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing

$58.93

40%
Legal Services

$55.38

12%
Motion Picture and Video Industries

$54.74

2%

Top 25
Best States For
Producers
and Directors

While people in every state tend to view movies, TV shows, and other productions, some areas consume this media more and thus create more demand within the field for producers and directors, including Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Best states to get a job U.S. Map
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
California
30790
02
New York
24330
03
Florida
5820
04
Georgia
5310
05
Texas
4930
06
Illinois
3290
07
District of Columbia
2720
08
North Carolina
2610
09
Massachusetts
2600
10
Pennsylvania
2600
11
Washington
2400
12
Connecticut
2190
13
Ohio
1870
14
Virginia
1850
15
Michigan
1840
16
New Jersey
1840
17
Maryland
1700
18
Colorado
1530
19
Tennessee
1510
20
Missouri
1450
21
Arizona
1330
22
Oregon
1330
23
Minnesota
1160
24
Wisconsin
1120
25
Indiana
1050
best states that pay 25 per hour
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
New York
49.91
02
California
49.05
03
District of Columbia
42.89
04
Connecticut
41.64
05
Georgia
37.49
06
Maryland
36.93
07
Massachusetts
34.65
08
New Jersey
34.34
09
Nevada
34.04
10
Washington
32.41
11
Minnesota
31.62
12
Virginia
30.83
13
Florida
30.48
14
Colorado
30.47
15
Illinois
29.97
16
Michigan
29.92
17
Oregon
29.66
18
Hawaii
29.63
19
Texas
29.62
20
Delaware
29.26
21
New Hampshire
28.93
22
North Carolina
28.61
23
Rhode Island
28.08
24
New Mexico
27.94
25
Alabama
27.17
Best concentration of jobs U.S. Map
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
District of Columbia
3.964
02
New York
2.799
03
California
1.874
04
Connecticut
1.423
05
Georgia
1.232
06
New Mexico
0.906
07
Massachusetts
0.775
08
Montana
0.763
09
Hawaii
0.760
10
Washington
0.752
11
Oregon
0.734
12
Vermont
0.699
13
Florida
0.689
14
Maryland
0.675
15
North Carolina
0.609
16
Colorado
0.595
17
Illinois
0.584
18
Utah
0.563
19
Missouri
0.538
20
Tennessee
0.519
21
Nevada
0.515
22
West Virginia
0.506
23
Virginia
0.501
24
New Jersey
0.486
25
Puerto Rico
0.486

Top 25
WORST states for
Producers
and Directors

Watching content of all forms is certainly on the rise, but there are some states where producing and directing are not as prevalent. From the number of available jobs to the wages a producer or director can expect, these are the worst states for people in the industry.

25 of the worst states to get a job U.S. map
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
Delaware
40
02
Wyoming
90
03
North Dakota
120
04
Alaska
130
05
South Dakota
140
06
Vermont
200
07
New Hampshire
210
08
Rhode Island
210
09
Maine
240
10
Mississippi
260
11
Idaho
290
12
Kansas
320
13
West Virginia
330
14
Nebraska
340
15
Montana
350
16
Arkansas
370
17
Puerto Rico
400
18
Hawaii
440
19
Iowa
580
20
Oklahoma
630
21
Nevada
640
22
Louisiana
650
23
Kentucky
680
24
New Mexico
710
25
Alabama
750
worst states that pay 25 per hour
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
Louisiana
16.31
02
West Virginia
17.32
03
Iowa
19.07
04
Mississippi
20.13
05
Arkansas
21.74
06
North Dakota
22.11
07
Kentucky
23.00
08
Kansas
23.17
09
Maine
23.40
10
Alaska
23.74
11
Puerto Rico
23.81
12
South Carolina
23.81
13
Montana
24.12
14
Missouri
24.23
15
Oklahoma
24.64
16
Indiana
24.76
17
Tennessee
25.18
18
South Dakota
25.31
19
Ohio
25.36
20
Utah
25.36
21
Idaho
25.42
22
Nebraska
25.46
23
Wisconsin
25.66
24
Wyoming
26.11
25
Arizona
26.23
Top states with the worst job concentration U.S. Map
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
Delaware
0.102
02
Kansas
0.237
03
Mississippi
0.238
04
North Dakota
0.289
05
Arkansas
0.314
06
South Dakota
0.329
07
New Hampshire
0.338
08
Wyoming
0.340
09
Indiana
0.358
10
Nebraska
0.359
11
Louisiana
0.362
12
Ohio
0.364
13
Kentucky
0.380
14
South Carolina
0.392
15
Alabama
0.396
16
Iowa
0.398
17
Oklahoma
0.401
18
Texas
0.408
19
Idaho
0.409
20
Maine
0.409
21
Wisconsin
0.414
22
Minnesota
0.428
23
Alaska
0.434
24
Michigan
0.468
25
Arizona
0.469

Top 25
BEST Metro Areas for
Producers
and Directors

Between the concentration of viewers in a metropolis and the prevalence of the arts that tends to exist in those areas, producers and directors can generally expect a bigger audience in some cities, including the following.

Top Jobs by State and Metro area U.S. Map
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
23970
02
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
23680
03
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
4520
04
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
4190
05
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
3040
06
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
2920
07
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
2830
08
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
2100
09
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
1880
10
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
1730
11
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
1420
12
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
1350
13
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
1340
14
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
1140
15
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
1080
16
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
1070
17
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
1030
18
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
980
19
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
960
20
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
950
21
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
920
22
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
910
23
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
850
24
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
850
25
Columbus, OH
670
Top Metro wages by State U.S. Map
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
64.98
02
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
61.66
03
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
58.72
04
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
54.03
05
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
51.41
06
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
47.28
07
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
45.57
08
Charlottesville, VA
45.47
09
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
44.91
10
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
41.60
11
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
40.53
12
Boulder, CO
40.42
13
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
40.31
14
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
40.00
15
Fresno, CA
39.73
16
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
39.38
17
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
39.28
18
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
39.19
19
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
39.15
20
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
38.79
21
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
38.58
22
Trenton, NJ
38.28
23
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
37.60
24
Corpus Christi, TX
37.38
25
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
37.28
top metro areas with the most concentration of jobs
No.
state
Number of Employment
01
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
4.067
02
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
2.713
03
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
2.449
04
Santa Fe, NM
2.019
05
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
1.880
06
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
1.718
07
Medford, OR
1.639
08
Missoula, MT
1.541
09
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
1.388
10
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
1.306
11
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
1.285
12
Columbia, MO
1.225
13
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
1.174
14
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
1.165
15
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area
1.152
16
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
1.144
17
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area
1.116
18
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
1.114
19
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
1.109
20
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
1.105
21
Tucson, AZ
1.051
22
Albuquerque, NM
0.972
23
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
0.961
24
Burlington-South Burlington, VT
0.928
25
Urban Honolulu, HI
0.924

With a populace that loves to view shows, movies, and TV, producers and directors certainly have their work cut out for them when it comes to creating new content. But luckily, these talented individuals are up to the task and ready to work!

And with job prospects for producers and directors looking better than ever, and projected to increase by 24% in the next ten years, the growth rate of this industry is much faster than others.

While the work can be hard, as producers and directors deal with a lot of pressure and many deadlines in their jobs, with hours that often extend past a normal working day, the end product is enjoyed by thousands of excited viewers. So hopefully, that makes the entire process worthwhile!