Hollywood is a place where people go to earn their fortune, but what are the best paid jobs in the film industry? While actors and actresses may struggle to pay their rent at first, they can earn some of the most astronomical salaries once they get their big break. However, the movie business requires loads of different professionals to take care of the backstage and ensure a film gets made on time and budget. So, who are the real workers behind the scenes and how much money do they earn?
For the film buffs amongst you, I also recommend you take a look at our article on the 10 most overrated movies of all time, so you know which flick to avoid on your Netflix session. But for now, let’s focus on the creators, workers and masterminds behind a movie: these are the best paid jobs in the film industry.
6. Multimedia Artists and Animators
Average annual salary: $72,380
Special effects designers and computer animators are a sheer necessity for almost any great Hollywood blockbuster, but the level of skill and talent that these professionals bring to the table means they must be well rewarded. This job is very time consuming, as sketching out characters and enhancing visual effects can be a tedious process, but the results of these highly-qualified animator teams can be seen in high-grossing movies like Avatar, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, or Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
5. Screenwriters
Average annual salary: $78,860
This may possibly be one of the most difficult jobs to get in the business, but once you’re in, you’re in and your salary will be way above average by working lesser hours. While the hustle begins with writing a full script and trying to sell it to agents or producers, the more acclaimed screenwriters can either just focus on sharing their ideas with directors, or vice versa, be hired to give form to the producer’s film idea. Either way, the job is generally well paid and the most famous writers can earn up to millions for each of their scripts.
4. Producer
Average annual salary: $109, 860
Most people don’t really know what the job of a producer entails and the reason for that is simple: a producer takes care of almost everything. From coming up with movie ideas, to hiring and managing the staff, overseeing the on-set scenario, and finding investors, these worker bees are the true locomotives behind a movie. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics established an estimate annual salary for producers, they oftentimes earn more or less money according to the success of the film they work on, since they get a cut of the total earnings.
3. Director
Average annual salary: $109, 860
Creating an artistic vision for a screenplay can be a tough job, but the director is usually the one with the strongest ties to the movie and therefore, will put in the extra hours to make sure his idea comes to life. They usually have a say in who gets hired as cameramen, art directors, and cinematographers, but his role doesn’t stop there. Apart from directing the actors and most of the set, directors also help compose the movie soundtrack and supervise the film’s editing team. While catching a big break can be tough, the job on average is well-paid.
2. Art Director
Average annual salary: $125,010
Any job that includes supervising a team of professionals will be well paid, and in the case of an art director, it’s no different. His main task is to create a detailed vision of the film sets and locations, before turning his ideas over to a team of draftsmen, prop masters, set designers, and construction managers. Furthermore, the art director has to make sure the entire fictional world can be created within budget, and as there are very few people qualified people for the job, it pays extremely well.
1. Talent Agents
Average annual salary: $178,340
When you hear the word talent agent, you might think of Entourage’s iconic character Ari Gold and his frantic, even borderline psychotic behaviour. And although temper tantrums and anger management issues aren’t the norm amongst talent agents, the job is certainly demanding. Finding scripts for actors or directors, negotiating salaries with film studios and distribution firms, taking care of accommodations for their clients, and anything else you can imagine, the talent agent handles. From all the best paid jobs in the film industry, this is the most ferocious and therefore, boasts the best average salary of them all.
