The average wage for a filmmaker in the United States is around $34.13 per hour.
Avg Wage
Filmmakers earn an average hourly wage of $34.13.
Salaries typically start from $16.27 per hour and go up to $71.58 per hour.
27% above national average Updated in 2019
Filmmaker earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level filmmaker earnings begin at:
$71.58 per hour
$148,884 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level filmmaker earnings begin at:
$50.40 per hour
$104,824 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level filmmaker earnings begin at:
$34.13 per hour
$70,981 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level filmmaker earnings begin at:
$23.11 per hour
$48,065 per year
10th percentile
Starting level filmmaker earnings begin at:
$16.27 per hour
$33,840 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Filmmaker salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $97,550 |
| New York | $96,590 |
| Connecticut | $83,506 |
| District of Columbia | $82,150 |
| New Jersey | $75,830 |
| Maryland | $75,620 |
| Georgia | $73,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,093 |
| Illinois | $72,771 |
| Hawaii | $70,120 |
| Minnesota | $65,770 |
| Virginia | $65,140 |
| Tennessee | $65,040 |
| Washington | $64,400 |
| Massachusetts | $61,810 |
| Texas | $61,790 |
| Nevada | $60,510 |
| Florida | $60,320 |
| Rhode Island | $60,020 |
| North Carolina | $59,660 |
| Alaska | $58,940 |
| Colorado | $58,830 |
| Oregon | $58,040 |
| Kansas | $56,680 |
| Utah | $55,940 |
| Michigan | $55,830 |
| Louisiana | $55,690 |
| Missouri | $55,380 |
| New Mexico | $54,030 |
| New Hampshire | $53,570 |
| Delaware | $53,300 |
| South Dakota | $53,200 |
| Ohio | $53,190 |
| Alabama | $52,279 |
| Vermont | $52,220 |
| Wisconsin | $51,740 |
| Arkansas | $51,650 |
| Kentucky | $50,710 |
| Oklahoma | $49,080 |
| South Carolina | $47,510 |
| Idaho | $47,070 |
| Arizona | $46,969 |
| Nebraska | $46,940 |
| Indiana | $46,827 |
| Maine | $46,690 |
| Montana | $45,720 |
| Wyoming | $43,570 |
| Puerto Rico | $43,260 |
| Iowa | $43,190 |
| North Dakota | $42,480 |
| Mississippi | $41,050 |
How do filmmaker salaries compare to similar careers?
Filmmakers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than talent agents but more than architects.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Talent agent salary | $74K |
| Film director salary | $75K |
| Producer salary | $75K |
| Talent director salary | $74K |
| Multimedia animator salary | $75K |
| Filmmaker salary | $71K |
| Calligrapher salary | $64K |
| Urban planner salary | $74K |
| Fashion designer salary | $69K |
| Architect salary | $68K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)