Film and Television Producer
Film and television producers steer a screen project from the first idea to release, keeping the creative choices, the budget and the schedule working together.
- Median salary*
- $96,200
4.3%vs last year, before tax
- People employed*
- 9,000
2.3%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +18.9%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 45/wk
+5h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Producers work across feature films, television series, documentaries and online video, usually project by project rather than in a permanent job, and often as freelancers attached to a production company. The director shapes what ends up on screen; the producer finds the money, holds the budget and keeps the schedule, which is why the two roles are often confused. A single project can run from a few months of development to several years between the first option and the release.
How much do film and television producers earn?
The median full-time salary for a film and television producer is $96,200 per annum, before tax, up $20,300 since 2018.
Producer pay is usually a project fee rather than a salary, so it moves with the size of the production and who is backing it. Producers on staff at a broadcaster or an established production company tend to have steadier income than those assembling independent features, where a share of profits sometimes replaces part of the upfront fee. Credits and a track record shift the figure more than years of experience alone.
What does a film and television producer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Developing scripts and project ideas with writers and directors, then deciding which ones to take forward
- Raising finance from investors, broadcasters, screen agencies and pre-sales, and negotiating the terms
- Building the production budget and schedule, and tracking costs against them as the shoot proceeds
- Hiring heads of department, cast and crew, and managing them through the production
- Overseeing post-production, marketing and delivery so the finished work reaches distributors and audiences
What skills do film and television producers need?
Employers look for project management, budgeting and forecasting, selling and negotiation, backed by Movie Magic Budgeting fluency and strong people leadership.
Specialist skills
- Project management
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Selling and negotiation
- Content creation and writing
Software and tools
- Movie Magic Budgeting
- Movie Magic Scheduling
- Final Draft
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Microsoft Excel
General skills
- People leadership
- Stakeholder management
- Time and deadline management
- Written communication
Is the job growing?
About 9,000 people work as film and television producers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 18.9% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a film and television producer?
Here's the path most film and television producers take, step by step.
- 1Start in a production support role
Runner and production assistant jobs are where most people learn how a shoot actually runs, and they are paid, casual and short term. The work is unglamorous, but it puts you in front of the coordinators, line producers and producers who hire for the next job.
- 2Complete a screen production qualification
About 52% of producers hold a bachelor degree, usually in film, television, screen production or media, which builds the production vocabulary and the first round of contacts. AFTRS and university screen programs are the common providers, and a diploma is a workable alternative if you already have set experience.
- 3Learn the money side of production
Producing starts with the budget, so time as a production coordinator or line producer teaches scheduling, cost reporting and how a shoot's finances work day to day. Short courses in screen budgeting and scheduling software such as Movie Magic Budgeting are worth the time.
- 4Produce your own projects with a mentor
Funding bodies such as Screen Australia and the state screen agencies generally want to see prior credits, so partner with a more experienced producer on your first slate. Optioning scripts, pitching to broadcasters and applying for development funding is the work that builds those credits.
- 5Use industry bodies and attachments
Screen Producers Australia runs events and professional development, and screen agency attachments place producers on funded productions. These are the main routes to the credits that unlock the next round of financing.
Ready to apply as a film and television producer?
Whether you're working toward becoming a film and television producer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a film and television producer move to?
Moving into Video Editor typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $6,500 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Editor Editing uses a producer's storytelling and post-production judgement, though it needs hands-on craft and editing software skills.Known move | +$6,500 | 38% | reskill |
| Art Director Art direction uses a producer's visual storytelling and budget sense, though it needs design craft and a strong portfolio.Known move | +$6,500 | 33% | reskill |
| Casting Director Casting uses a producer's script knowledge and talent relationships, though it needs specialist audition and negotiation skills. | +$0 | 71% | minimal |
| Video Producer Video producing uses the same project, budget and client skills, with a narrower focus on short-form content.Known move | −$2,600 | 41% | reskill |
| Film and Television Director Directing uses a producer's story judgement, budget oversight and crew leadership, though it needs proven directorial work and creative vision.Known move | −$15,600 | 39% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a film and television producer?
The typical film and television producer is 42 years old; 57% are men, 68% work full-time, and full-timers average 45 hours a week.
- 42
- Median age
- 43%
- Female share
- 68%
- Full-time
- +5h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a film and television producer?
Producing is as much negotiation and paperwork as creative judgement, and the rhythm follows the project: long, uncertain development, then a compressed shoot where decisions have to be made on the spot. The producer carries the risk, so a production that overruns or fails to sell lands on them. People who last in it tend to be organised, comfortable selling an idea to strangers, and able to hold a creative vision while watching the numbers.
What people like
- You see an idea become finished work. A script that existed as a document turns into something with a cast, a score and an audience, and you are the thread connecting all of it.
- Each project is a different business problem. One production might be financed by a streaming commission, another by a screen agency grant and private investors, so the work rarely settles into routine.
- You choose what gets made. Producers decide which scripts to pursue and which to let go, so the slate reflects your taste as well as the market's.
- The relationships outlast the job. Writers, crew and financiers you work well with tend to come back on the next project, and those relationships are what keep work coming.
What people find hard
- Development can stall for years. Months of work on a project that never gets financed is normal, and that time is rarely paid in the way a salaried job would be.
- The schedule sets the hours. Shooting days start early and run long, and the paperwork follows you home. A full-time week averages around 45 hours, with crunch periods well beyond that.
- You answer for other people's mistakes. If a department overspends or a shoot runs over, the producer is the one explaining it to the financiers.
- Saying no to people you like. Budgets force choices, so you turn down crew and performers you would rather hire, sometimes repeatedly across a career.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ film and television producers?
Motion Picture and Video Production employs the largest share of film and television producers, followed by Television Broadcasting.
Top employing industries
- 1Motion Picture and Video Production
- 2Television Broadcasting
- 3Motion Picture and Video Distribution
- 4Advertising and Marketing Services
- 5Performing Arts Operations
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 52% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 26% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 13% | |
| Other | 9% |
Will AI replace film and television producers?
Producing sits in the middle of the range: the paperwork around a production is where AI and existing software make the biggest difference, and the financing, negotiation and creative decisions are not. Budgeting and scheduling tools already do the arithmetic and the calendar work, and AI can draft script coverage and summaries, which changes how quickly a producer can assess a project. What it does not do is raise the money, hold a relationship with a broadcaster or decide which script is worth two years of your life.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Pitching, financing and negotiationRaising the money means reading a room, answering questions on the spot and building trust with investors, broadcasters and screen agencies, and that part has not been automated.35%low
- Budgeting and cost reportingMovie Magic Budgeting and Excel templates handle the arithmetic and weekly cost reports, and AI is starting to flag likely overruns, but the assumptions about shoot days and crew rates are yours.25%moderate
- Reading scripts and writing coverageAI can summarise a script and produce a first-pass coverage report, which speeds through a pile of submissions, though deciding what is worth pursuing stays with you.20%high
- Scheduling and production logisticsScheduling software builds the stripboard and call sheets, while the hard part is reworking the plan when weather, location access or an actor's availability changes overnight.20%moderate
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from film and television producer work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Film and Television Director
Some skill overlap (39%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
Common questions about becoming a film and television producer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do film and television producers earn?
Producers earn $96,200 per year before tax at the full-time median, though the work is often project based and not every producer works full time all year. What you earn depends more on the size and number of productions you can finance than on a pay scale, and development time is frequently unpaid.
How do you become a film and television producer?
The usual route is several years in production support roles such as runner, production assistant or production coordinator, alongside a screen production qualification. From there you take on budgeting and scheduling work, then produce your own projects with a more experienced producer as a mentor.
Are film and television producers in demand?
Film and television producers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 18.9% over the decade to 2035. Screen production runs project to project, so demand is felt as the number of funded productions rather than as steady hiring, and streaming and online video commissions now sit alongside broadcast work.
Will AI replace film and television producers?
AI reaches the paperwork around producing more than the producing itself. Budgeting and scheduling software already handles cost reporting, and AI tools can draft script coverage and pitch summaries, but raising finance, negotiating deals and making on-set calls remain the producer's work.
What can a producer move into next?
Production assistants and video editors move into producing, arriving with set or post-production experience and building the budget and client side on top of it. Experienced producers move into directing, art direction or video producing, where the same story, budget and project judgement applies with a different craft alongside it. Some set up their own production company, which is often where earnings grow once a slate is established.
Do you need a degree to be a producer?
Not strictly, but it is the common background, with about 52% of producers holding a bachelor degree and a further share holding a postgraduate qualification. A screen production course builds contacts and production knowledge quickly, while a strong run of credits can carry someone who started on set.
Related roles
- Film and Television Director
- Video Editor
- Art Director
- Video Producer
- Casting Director
- Production Assistant
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