We’re beginning with perhaps the most notable role in filmmaking when it comes to the public’s knowledge of salary. Especially back in the heyday of the 1990s when Actors and Actresses were making $20 million or more per film, what a performer got was headline news.

Those multi-million-dollar paychecks still happen, which is why Actors and Actresses made our list. That being said, the majority of working performers will not see that type of salary over the course of their careers.¹

Exactly how are Actors and Actresses paid? This video explains.

In large part, what boosts a known Actor or Actress’s paycheck is their involvement with a film in other ways. Namely, as a Screenwriter, Producer, or maybe even Director. Many Actors and Actresses with clout can also negotiate for backend deals where they receive a percentage of a movie’s grosses, which overall can significantly raise their salaries.

Case in point: Tom Cruise reportedly made more than $100 million for his role in Top Gun: Maverick.

• Average Annual Salary: $57,543 (Salary.com)
• Average Salary Range: $47,419-$70,258

The Art Director plays a vital role on a film set.² They see to it that the vision of the Production Designer is realized as intended while also managing communication between the art department and others, such as the Costume Designer and Key Hair Stylist to ensure a cohesive visual.

If you’re wondering why Art Directors can command a high salary, this video demonstrates their importance in film.

In some cases, the Art Director may also be the Production Designer if the film is a lower-budget project. All to say, this person plays a vital role on a production and are often paid well for it.

• Average Annual Salary: $100,890 (CareerExplorer.com)
• Average Salary Range: $57,220-$194,130

It’s no coincidence that nearly all the individual roles on our list of the highest paying film careers just happen to also be the most prominent Academy Awards categories. That doesn’t mean that every other position on a film isn’t important. Just that these particular individuals often lead the way on a project. And the Cinematographer is no exception to that rule.³

Check out this video to find out more about how Cinematographers make a living.

The Cinematographer assists the Director in creating a visually appealing and cohesive look for a film. For this reason, many of them create lifelong professional relationships with them. Some of these collaborations include Roger Deakins and the Coen brothers, Janusz Kamiński and Steven Spielberg, and Robert Yeoman and Wes Anderson.

Once a Cinematographer develops a respected reputation for themselves, it often translates into a commanding salary for their work.

• Average Annual Salary: $64,662 (Payscale.com)
• Average Salary Range: $45,000-$98,000

Much the same can be said for a film’s Composer.

Consider some of cinema’s most beloved and recognizable scores. Jaws. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Raiders of the Lost Ark. For these iconic scores and more, nearly everyone around the world knows who John Williams is. And again, that can mean the ability to ask for a sizable salary per project.

What’s the professional landscape like for Film Composers right now? This video breaks it down.

But you don’t have to be John Williams to be a Composer in the category of the highest paying film careers. It often comes down to both talent and the ability to work well with others. Not to mention, being able to translate into music the tone and emotion a Director wants for their movie and delivering what is asked on time and on budget.⁴

By accomplishing these objectives, you too can quickly rise in the ranks of the most financially successful Composers.

• Average Annual Salary: $58,869 (ZipRecruiter.com)
• Average Salary Range: $20,000-$119,000

When it comes to the Oscars, the Costume Designers often up for an award are the ones who are able to evoke a bygone era or other world through their magnificent and memorable costumes.⁵ And for good reason.

Oscar-winning Costumer Designer Sandy Powell explains her passion for the craft.

It takes an incredible amount of research, skill, and organization to create a film’s worth of different looks and costumes. Given the considerable work that goes into this facet of filmmaking, Costume Designers too are typically among the highest paying film careers.

• Average Annual Salary: $59,433 (Salary.com)
• Average Salary Range: $53,593-$67,076

On to another of the most well-known and lucrative roles in filmmaking: the Director.⁶

To be sure, there are many of what is called a director for hire. They onboard a project and carry out what the Studio Executives or Producers ask for, and that’s it. But then you have Steven Spielberg. Martin Scorsese. Christopher Nolan. The Directors who often are as big a name as any Actor or Actress in their movies.

This video offers a concise breakdown of what you might earn as a Film Director.

Yes, a famous Director can command a high salary for their work, but like Actors and Actresses, they too can further boost their pay by adding another title or two to a film. For instance, many Directors are also the Screenwriters on their films. They may produce on them as well.

Negotiations are likewise key in affording Directors backend deals that provide additional income on top of their directing salary.

• Average Annual Salary: $96,477 (Glassdoor.com)
• Average Salary Range: $85,000-$155,000

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. A film is made three times. Once when it’s written. Once when it’s shot. And once again when it’s edited.

A great Editor can take an otherwise mediocre film and make it a masterpiece. (Or close to it!) These talented creatives and technicians can find a story when there isn’t one or take a muddied narrative and make it a compelling and captivating film.⁷

Find out what Film Editors made by checking out this video.

That’s why Editors make our list of the highest paying film careers. To see for yourself exactly why Editors can earn a high wage for their work, check out the films of Thelma Schoonmaker and Michael Kahn for a masterclass on sublime editing.

• Average Annual Salary: $61,500 (Salary.com)
• Average Salary Range: $54,800-$69,100

Now we’ve arrived at the role that most people think of when considering the highest paying film careers: the Producer. And they wouldn’t be wrong.

Depending on the type of Producer you may want to be in the industry – Executive Producer, Co-producer, Associate Producer – you may in fact earn the most of anyone on a given project.

This video provides a great explanation of how Producers typically out-earn everyone else on a film production.

Why?

Because it’s the Producers who tend to do the heaviest lifting on a production and may even invest in it themselves should they be an Executive Producer.⁸ This means both taking a chance on a film making money and benefitting from it if it does.

• Average Annual Salary: $70,000 (ZipRecruiter.com)
• Average Salary Range: $54,500-$84,000

We mentioned this role earlier when discussing the Art Director, but now it’s time to focus on the position of the Production Designer and why it’s included as one of the highest paying film careers.

Oscar-winning Production Designer Adam Stockhausen demonstrates how he creates the unique worlds of Wes Anderson’s films.

Production Designers are largely responsible for the iconic backdrops we have come to know and love in movies. Alien. Blade Runner. Mad Max: Fury Road. They don’t always have to be sci-fi flicks, but the point stands that when you can create a memorable cinematic world, people will pay you for it.⁹

• Average Annual Salary: $54,760 (Zippia.com)
• Average Salary Range: $36,000-$82,000

And we’re already at the end of our list of the highest paying film careers. Last but not least is the Screenwriter.

In the 1980s and 1990s, screenwriting was big business. Often bidding wars between the studios would result in multi-million-dollar payouts for a single script. Things are a little different now.

Though many of the most successful Screenwriters are part of the Writers Guild of America, which necessitates minimum pay rates for members’ work, that’s not why Screenwriters do or don’t earn a lucrative wage for their work.

Wondering what you may earn as a Screenwriter? This video breaks it down.

Largely gone are those bidding wars, but like other specialties, a Screenwriter who gains a name for themselves as a proven talent can earn a commanding paycheck for it.¹⁰ Eric Roth. Aaron Sorkin. Quentin Tarantino. The Director? Yes, the Director!

As we’ve mentioned a few times, many industry professionals wear more than one hat. So a Director can be a Screenwriter, and a Screenwriter can be a Director. This symbiotic relationship often translates into a higher salary on both ends.

But even when a Screenwriter is singularly dedicated to their craft, they can still earn a respectable amount for their work.

• Average Annual Salary: $61,384 (ZipRecruiter.com)
• Average Salary Range: $14,000-$118,500

The highest paying film careers can give you an idea of who makes what, but it cannot tell you the path you should take in this industry. Following the money isn’t necessarily the answer because that money isn’t always guaranteed.

It’s only when the passion is there that the financial benefits may follow. If you find yourself in the first category, your chances of earning the latter exponentially increase. Good luck!