Production assistant salary

CAPS Payroll's Average Production Assistant Salary

+$26K (60%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

+$2K (3%) more than average CAPS Payroll salary ($54K)

NBCUniversal's Average Production Assistant Salary

+$1K (3%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

-$29K (63%) less than average NBCUniversal salary ($60K)

NBC's Average Production Assistant Salary

+$1K (3%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

-$29K (63%) less than average NBC salary ($60K)

Fox Sports' Average Production Assistant Salary

+$2K (6%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

-$13K (33%) less than average Fox Sports salary ($45K)

Nestlé's Average Production Assistant Salary

+$1K (3%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

-$28K (62%) less than average Nestlé salary ($59K)

Fox News' Average Production Assistant Salary

-$3K (10%) less than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

-$28K (68%) less than average Fox News salary ($55K)

Arvest Bank's Average Production Assistant Salary

+$30K (66%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

+$30K (66%) more than average Arvest Bank salary ($30K)

2K's Average Production Assistant Salary

+$20K (50%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

+$10K (22%) more than average 2K salary ($40K)

JSP Visuals' Average Production Assistant Salary

+$10K (28%) more than national average Production Assistant salary ($30K)

Equal to average JSP Visuals salary ($40K)

How much money does a Production Assistant make in United States?

Average Yearly Salary

54,200USD

( 4,510 USD monthly)

LOW
25,500
USDAVERAGE
54,200
USDHIGH
85,600
USD

Production Assistant Salary Distribution in United States

The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range

• Salary Range

  Production Assistant salaries in United States range from 25,500 USD per year (minimum salary) to 85,600 USD per year (maximum salary).

• Median Salary

  The median salary is 57,400 USD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Production Assistant(s) are earning less than 57,400 USD while the other half are earning more than 57,400 USD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

• Percentiles

  Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Production Assistant(s) are earning less than 37,300 USD while 75% of them are earning more than 37,300 USD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Production Assistant(s) are earning less than 75,800 USD while 25% are earning more than 75,800 USD.

Production Assistant Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does experience and age affect your pay?

The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Production Assistant salaries by experience level and this is what we found.

A Production Assistant with less than two years of experience makes approximately 29,400 USD per year.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 40,500 USD per year, 38% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 57,600 USD per year, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, Production Assistant(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 70,300 USD per year, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 74,200 USD per year, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 80,800 USD per year, 9% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

Production Assistant average salary change by experience in United States

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Production Assistant Salary Comparison By Education

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Production Assistant(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.

We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Production Assistant salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.

When the education level is High School, the average salary of a Production Assistant is 35,100 USD per year.

While someone with a Certificate or Diploma gets a salary of 53,100 USD per year, 51% more than someone having a High School degree.

A Bachelor's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 79,600 USD per year, 50% more than someone with a Certificate or Diploma.

Production Assistant average salary difference by education level in United States

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Production Assistant Salary Comparison By Gender

Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Production Assistant employees in United States earn 6% more than their female counterparts on average.

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers

Production Assistant Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in United States

How much are annual salary increments in United States for Production Assistant(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?

Production Assistant

Production Assistant(s) in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 15 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.

The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

United States / All Professions

The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency

“The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in United States is 6%.”

Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2020

Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in United States for the year 2020. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

Production Assistant Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?

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A Production Assistant is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.

42% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 58% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus	58%
No Bonus	42%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.

What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

“Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.”

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Production Assistant Average Hourly Wage in United States

26USD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in United States is 26 USD. This means that the average Production Assistant in United States earns approximately 26 USD for every worked hour.

Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

Production Assistant VS Other Jobs

The average salary for Production Assistant is 38% less than that of Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment. Also, Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment salaries are 8% less than those of All Jobs.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

3D Artist	86,000 USD	+59%
3D Designer	84,700 USD	+56%
3D Generalist	70,000 USD	+29%
3D Visualization Specialist	89,000 USD	+64%
Acrobatic Rigger	57,000 USD	+5%
Actor	115,000 USD	+110%
Associate Media Director	102,000 USD	+88%
Associate Producer	121,000 USD	+120%
Broadcast Associate	63,400 USD	+17%
Broadcast News Analyst	91,900 USD	+70%
Broadcast Technician	50,900 USD	-6%
Broadcasting Journalist	107,000 USD	+98%
Broadcasting Presenter	107,000 USD	+98%
Camera Equipment Repairer	61,100 USD	+13%
Cartoonist / Animator	81,500 USD	+50%
CAS Engineer	92,800 USD	+71%
Censorship Executive	100,000 USD	+85%
Choreographer	74,800 USD	+38%
Colorist	45,100 USD	-17%
Communications Manager	132,000 USD	+140%
Correspondent	100,000 USD	+85%
Dance Director	90,600 USD	+67%
Dancer	74,900 USD	+38%
Director of Photography	95,000 USD	+75%
Disc Jockey	58,300 USD	+8%
Editorial Assistant	46,900 USD	-13%
Events Manager	92,500 USD	+71%
Graphic Designer	63,000 USD	+16%
Illustrator	69,200 USD	+28%
Instructional Designer	55,900 USD	+3%
Journalist	110,000 USD	+100%
Makeup Artist	56,800 USD	+5%
Media Design Manager	150,000 USD	+180%
Media Equipment Operator	50,400 USD	-7%
Media Operations Manager	123,000 USD	+130%
Media Producer	110,000 USD	+100%
Media Product Development Manager	154,000 USD	+180%
Media Program Director	161,000 USD	+200%
Media Relations Manager	157,000 USD	+190%
Media Sales Manager	169,000 USD	+210%
Movement and Dance Coordinator	90,400 USD	+67%
Multimedia Coordinator	62,400 USD	+15%
Multimedia Designer	58,100 USD	+7%
Music Consultant	76,600 USD	+41%
Musician	65,600 USD	+21%
News Associate	78,100 USD	+44%
News Reporter	106,000 USD	+96%
Producer	141,000 USD	+160%
Product Designer	61,300 USD	+13%
Production Artist	76,600 USD	+41%
Production Assistant	54,200 USD	+0%
Production Director	128,000 USD	+140%
Production Technician	54,300 USD	+0%
Program Researcher	93,700 USD	+73%
Promotion Coordinator	71,800 USD	+33%
Sound Engineer	74,300 USD	+37%
Stage Technician	44,400 USD	-18%
Sub Editor	53,200 USD	-2%
Television Executive Producer	172,000 USD	+220%
Transmission Engineer	87,100 USD	+61%
Video Editor	65,800 USD	+21%
Video Producer	82,300 USD	+52%
Videographer	79,700 USD	+47%
Visual Designer	80,100 USD	+48%

Salary Comparison By City

Salary Comparison By State

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in United States earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

How much does a Production Assistant make in the United States? The average Production Assistant salary in the United States is $32,797 as of September 27, 2021, but the range typically falls between $31,432 and $34,220. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target. 

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Skills associated with Production Assistant: Media Production, Audio Mixing, Video Production, Audio Production...More

Recently searched related titles: Media Assistant, Multimedia Specialist, Assistant Production Manager

Salary estimation for Production Assistant at companies like : ARAMARK, HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS, POTBELLY CORP

Jobs with a similar salary range to Production Assistant : Part-Time Assembly, Production Associate, Photography Assistant, Assistant Deli Manager

A Production Assistant is responsible for supporting and coordinating the activities of a film or television production. They’re responsible for assisting with anything the crew needs, such as getting coffee, shuttling crew or equipment to and from locations, and making copies of scripts.

What Do Production Assistants Do?

Locking up a door doesn’t deserve a neurosurgeon’s salary

Posing with the first paycheck I earned as a production assistant

Production Assistant Resume

Create your film crew resume

You need to find PA jobs, like now. And you don't have a big contact book full of production coordinators champing at the bit to hire you, right?

So, how do you become a production assistant?

The first thing you need to do is build a film production assistant resume and quite possibly a very brief and straightforward cover letter. Film resumes, in general, are a little weird. Most people work a couple jobs for years and stretch every duty into a line item on their resume. In film production, your jobs and job titles are the bulk of the resume.

Anyone hiring a PA knows what the job is, so writing, "tactful disposal of refuse in appropriately labeled receptacles" is not going to get you employed.

Here's a simple example of a production assistant resume below. I've used pink to make it stand out, but you should probably avoid using ostentatious font colors.

Production Assistant Resume Example:

What this shows is the title of the production, the production company, and the year you worked on the production. If Ridley Scott directed something you've worked on, go ahead and include that. The director can also be added to help people find the production on IMDB. If you've worked as a 2nd AD on student projects, add that as well.

I would suggest placing the most professional work at the top, and I would omit anything that is too personal and skews creative. You may have directed a short film, but that won't help you get hired as a PA unless you've sent the actual short film to a producer. Your PA resume will be stronger if you show you're able to be a team player, so a 'PA' credit is far more valuable than a 'Director' credit.

What if you've got nothing to put on a production assistant resume other than the summer you worked at the GAP?

Well… put that on there for sure, because there is probably more crossover than you might think, but this is where you can write a very brief and straightforward cover letter that expresses your desire to PA.

Production Assistant Cover Letter/Email Example:

“Hello, my name is BILL, and I’m very interested in becoming a production assistant. My experience is limited, but I’m actively building a film and entertainment career. I would even be willing to shadow for a few days to bring myself up to speed. My availability is open, I own a personal vehicle with a clean driving record, and I’m eager to learn.
Thank you for your consideration. I’m excited to find an opportunity to work on a professional set and hope you have a lovely day.”

If they bring you on to shadow or work a free day, you can put that on your production assistant resume later. You will learn enough from just those few days on set to be able to reach out confidently.

If you show up, help out the crew, and are a pleasure to work with, they will likely invite you back for a paid PA job. But, if you’re super annoying, talk about your favorite movies and how you want to become a director and get in the way… no PA job for you.

How To Become A Production Assistant

Find production assistant jobs on entertainment career websites

Entertainment-based job listing sites have PA jobs. They have student PA jobs, professional PA jobs, all kinds of work — both paid and unpaid.  

Here are some of the best websites for finding film crew:

Where to Find PA Jobs

ProductionBeast

ProductionBeast is a one-stop shop to post jobs and discover vetted video professionals on a user-friendly and polished interface.

Employers can post jobs for free, message and hire the best industry pros, shortlist people and manage their database of contacts.

Sites like ProductionBeast make it simple for producer’s to find and hire production assistants (as well as other positions).

Sites like ProductionBeast provide production assistant resumes, so you can upload and build your resume right on their platform.

FIND PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOBS ONLINE

EntertainmentCareers

EntertainmentCareers is less for set work, and more for office PAs and post-production PAs looking for long term gigs. You normally need experience and a nice PA resume to snag one of these jobs, so if this is your first production job, this may not be the right platform. 

They have entry level positions, so it’s not like you can’t find something on there, but ProductionBeast will have more jobs available from day to day rather than from month to month.

HOW TO FIND PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOBS

The Anonymous Production Assistant

The Anonymous Production Assistant is a nice website with tons of tips, production job postings of all kinds, and some fun articles.

You can find a lot of helpful material on this website, so give it a look when you get a chance, and maybe you’ll find a nice PA job as well. 

HOW TO WORK ON A FILM SET

Mandy Job Networks

Mandy is a production job board similar to ProductionBeast. They have a lot of paid and unpaid jobs so you can break into the film industry or get yourself a nice long term production assistant job to keep the lights on.

There are also production alert boards and some Facebook groups (depending on where you live) that can be really helpful for finding PA work, especially for jobs that need them fast.

You can cold-email and cold-call production offices, but you have to be brief, succinct, professional, and okay with hearing various reasons why someone might not hire you as a PA, so take it in stride.

Film Production Assistant Jobs

Film production jobs on college boards

Students film programs are always looking for PAs for their productions, and while the vast majority of these will be unpaid, you’ll actually find a few nice little paid jobs from students doing their thesis films. 

For example, USC’s Cinematic job board has listings where you can find production assistant jobs fast, but USC is just one of many film schools in the country, so don’t stop with a single school.

FIND PA FILM JOBS

PA Jobs by word-of-mouth

A lot of work comes from word of mouth, because PA jobs come up, need to be filled quickly, and you need to be able to trust the crew. The quickest way is to hit up a production assistant who you trust, and ask if they have anyone they trust, and they will suggest… who?

Hopefully, you! You want to be that trustworthy PA they can call upon, and once you’ve shown you’re a good PA, they’ll call on you again, and again, until suddenly you’re calling your trustworthy PA buddies.

PAs often hire other PAs, or the producer asks ‘if they know anyone trustworthy’ to come on and PA for the week. Word of mouth is the best way to get work in production, and you don’t even need a PA resume.

How do you find people who can suggest you for PA jobs? Find PA jobs on student films, PA jobs on low budget projects, and do some free jobs here and there, just meet some crew people in your area.

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT SALARY

How much does a PA make?

So, you’ve gotten your first PA gig, or you’re ready to go out and get some paid production assistant jobs, but you’re not sure about the money part. 

How much does a PA make?

The vast majority of production assistant work is based on individual jobs that can run anywhere from a few days to a few months, so while there very rarely is an annual salary, there are still standard rates.

More often than not, the hiring producer will let you know the salary rate over the phone, in person, or in an email. They will say: 

“So for this job the rate is ____ for the day. Sound good?”

Here is the average production assistant salary:

AVErage PRODUCTION ASSISTANT SALARY

HOW MUCH DOES A PA MAKE?

• Feature Films | $200 - $250/day (12 hours)
• Television Show | $200 - $250/day (12 hours)
• Commercials | $200 - $250/day (12 hours)
• Indie Films | $150 - $200/day (12 hours)
• Music Videos | $150 - $200/day (12 hours)

You’ll notice how the rates are for 12 hour days, and that’s the standard length of a professional film shoo. Your rate is based around 8 hours at ‘standard time’, with 4 hours at ‘time and a half’. 

This means you make 100% of your rate for 8 hours, 150% for 4 hours, and then 200% of the rate for any time after that — called ‘double time’.

The standard production assistant salary breaks down like this: 

Your rate per hour will come in slightly above $14, but for this example we're going to use round numbers to illustrate the point. 

• $14 per hour
• $14 x 8 hours = $112
• $21 x 4 hours = $84

So when you add them together:

• 12 hours = $196 (Rate $200)

If the production goes into actual overtime (after 12 hours), your rate will bump to double time, meaning it will be $28 per hour ($14 x 2). 

Each hour after that will add $28 until you’ve reached 16 hours on set.

• 12 Hours = $200
• 13 hours = $228
• 14 hours = $256
• 15 hours = $284
• 16 hours = $312

These are standard federal employment rules. Now, if you’ve accepted a deal where you’re paid a flat rate, the amount of time on set can go as long as needed, and you will be paid $200 regardless if you wrap 7 hours into the shoot, or stayed for 16 hours. 

There are still rules for: 

• How long you can be kept on set 
• When you need to break for meals
• The amount of time between the end of Day 1 and the beginning of Day 2

Read over you agreement papers, always get your deal in writing, always have a copy or photograph, and try to get something in an email. 

Did You Know?

Kathleen Kennedy began her career as a production assistant and worked for filmmakers John Milius and Steven Spielberg. She went on to become one of the most successful Producers in Hollywood and now is the President of Lucasfilm!

Now, let’s say it’s your first PA job, maybe on an indie film with an 'okay' budget and it might go straight to DVD or end up in some festivals. The producer asks you if $150 for 12 hours is an acceptable salary.

What do you do here?

It’s your first movie PA job, and it’s not like this is a Pepsi commercial or Marvel movie where money is no object, so you shouldn’t feel offended. You should feel okay to accept the rate.

Production is tricky, but a movie PA job should be 'one-of-many' rather than a single job that pays for everything, so take the money, get the experience, and then make connections and get a better paying production assistant job the next time and continue to build on that momentum.

Once you’ve done ten or so film production assistant jobs, you’ll have learned the ropes mostly from personal experience, and you will be confident to ask for better rates, or be able to find high-budget jobs.

HOW MUCH DO PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS MAKE

What to do if you’re working for free?

If you’ve signed on to be a PA for a student film or some ultra-low budget production you’ve probably done this for one of two reasons:

• You personally know the filmmakers
• You’re trying to get some experience

If you know the filmmakers, that probably means you’ll have a pretty reasonable relationship with everyone and the shoot will be relatively relaxed and you will be treated with respect by your friends.

When you’re trying to get some experience, then you’ll probably have to use your better judgement from time to time. In our other post on Production Assistant Job Descriptions and Duties, we said you shouldn’t pay for supply runs (or anything) out of your own pocket? 

This goes double for unpaid work.

When you’re an unpaid PA, you’re still at work, and you should still treat it as such, but you shouldn’t jeopardize yourself in any way when doing someone a favor… because ultimately that’s what you’re doing. 

Now, if you accept the position, don’t come in with unreasonable expectations or delusions of grandeur, but you should guard yourself from low budget productions and filmmakers who may try to take advantage of your kindness and eagerness to learn. You still have the same responsibilities like safety, and that includes your safety as well.  

Up next: 

Production assistant handbook

If you're looking to book your first movie PA job, or you’ve had a few production assistant jobs but left wondering why you haven’t been able to get steady production work. This post takes you through everything a production assistant needs to know during their time on set, in the office, and in the editing suite, including a downloadable handbook with everything the job requires. 

Up Next: Production assistant handbook →