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Producer

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AVG. SALARY

$52,330

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EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Arts, Audio-Video Technology and Communications cluster Performing Arts pathway.

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

Bachelor's degree

Most producers and directors have a bachelor’s degree and several years of work experience in an occupation related to motion picture, TV, or theater production, such as an actor, film and video editor, or cinematographer.

Insider Info

Additional Information

Most of those who go into TV producing have a degree or diploma in broadcasting or journalism.

There are lots of educational pathways to television production, says producer Scott Evers. "There are so many different ways of coming to this. You can go the route of [a] journalism or communications major. You can also go into filmmaking. We have several people on our staff that come from writing backgrounds and they're doing very well."

Evers says it's not easy to find people with strong writing and creative skills.

There are a variety of programs available across North America, from a two-year technical course to a graduate degree in journalism.

Be sure you want to work in this field before you take the training. Producer Sujata Berry says half the students in her master's program aren't working as journalists. Some had difficulty finding work, but others found jobs and decided the work wasn't for them.

Vernon Stone works with the journalism school of the University of Missouri. He advises learning as much as you can. You may want to volunteer at a local cable TV station. Volunteer work will also help distinguish your application to broadcast and journalism schools.

"Start getting any call letters you can on your resume," advises Kurt Christopher, a newscast producer. "If you don't have a radio [or] TV station at your school, volunteer at PBS or your local public access station. A degree will get you in the door, but experience gets you a job."

There are a lot of people who want to get into television programs and not a lot of positions available. You should also be aware that a lot of people who go to school hoping to work in television end up in radio.