March 22, 2021 | Source: Indeed
The entertainment industry employs people from a wide variety of professional backgrounds. Most forms of entertainment require supporting teams to prepare, facilitate and market the production for consumers to enjoy. If you’re interested in working in the entertainment industry, there are many roles crucial for bringing artists’ and performers’ talents to the public. In this article, we review 20 entertainment industry jobs with salaries and responsibilities.
Related: Writing an Entertainment Resume With Tips, Template and Example
20 entertainment industry jobs
Here is a list of 20 jobs in the entertainment industry that might be a good fit for you:
1. Actor
National average salary: $10.67 per hour
Primary duties: Actors portray characters in film and television, theater and commercials. They audition for parts after reading a script and rehearsing its contents. Often, actors alter their appearance and study others’ behaviors to better understand and perform parts.
2. Film crew
National average salary: $11.12 per hour
Primary duties: Film crew handle tasks that ensure the production of a film or show is successful. They prepare sets for filming, operate various equipment and maintain safe working conditions. Some film crew have more creative roles, such as staging scenes, and others perform more technical functions, such as doing repair work or lighting.
National average salary: $13.03 per hour
Primary duties: Animal trainers prepare animals for their appearances in movies, films or other entertainment productions. They might oversee the care for animals on a set and provide comfortable conditions for both the animals and the talent who interacts with them.
4. Caterer
National average salary: $13.10 per hour
Primary duties: Caterers who specialize in entertainment provide talent and production staff with meals throughout a project. Their duties may overlap with what the entertainment industry calls “craft service,” which refers to supplying snacks and refreshments between meals.
Related: Learn About Being a Caterer
National average salary: $13.37 per hour
Primary duties: Personal assistants manage their employer’s schedules, business-related expenses and travel needs. They may work for talent or for industry executives who require support to remain efficient.
Related: Learn About Being a Personal Assistant
National average salary: $14.36 per hour
Primary duties: Theatre managers are responsible for the operation of live performance venues and presentation of quality staged productions. They work to maximize sales and limit costs while also overseeing theatre staff. Often, theatre managers contribute in choosing productions and marketing them.
National average salary: $14.92 per hour
Primary duties: Entertainment marketers specialize in organizing campaigns around artistic productions, individual talent and products. They conduct market research to identify consumers who are most likely to enjoy an upcoming release and develop marketing materials to reach them. Entertainment marketers look for opportunities to develop partnerships between productions or talent and brands to expand potential audiences.
National average salary: $15.11 per hour
Primary duties: Booking agents arrange performances and appearances for their clients, such as actors, musicians or public speakers, and negotiate the details of engagements. They either find talent on their own or work for talent agencies that assign them clients. Artists rely on booking agents to find well-paying gigs that earn them exposure and develop their skills.
9. Photographer
National average salary: $17.28 per hour
Primary duties: Photographers are experts at lighting, composing and editing images taken on film or digitally. In entertainment, photographers capture live events, produce images for promotional materials and document production. They are proficient with various types of cameras and stay current with industry-standard programs used to enhance photos.
10. Animator
National average salary: $18.03 per hour
Primary duties: Animators are professional artists who specialize in manual and digital illustrations used in film, television and advertising. Mostly, animators work with specialized software to develop sketches and ideas into final products. They may contribute in developing a project’s artistic style or might receive direction from lead animators to execute.
Related: Learn About Being an Animator
11. Video editor
National average salary: $18.31 per hour
Primary duties: Video editors are experts in the programs used to take raw footage and adjust picture quality and sequence clips. They collaborate with directors to execute their visions by producing multiple edits before the final cut. Video editors incorporate sounds, special effects and textual components in projects large and small, from feature films to online content.
12. Producer
National average salary: $41,982 per year
Primary duties: Producers manage film or television productions from start to finish. They begin by choosing a script, securing funding and hiring key staff. Producers oversee the shooting process and eventually work with editors and publicists to create a successful debut.
Related: 15 Filmmaking Jobs in the Entertainment Industry
13. Publicist
National average salary: $42,578 per year
Primary duties: Publicists generate positive press and media coverage for individual talent and larger projects, such as film debuts. They draft press releases and coordinate with media outlets to publish write-ups, articles and reviews of clients’ latest work.
Related: Learn About Being a Publicist
National average salary: $21.42 per hour
Primary duties: Choreographers work to develop dance routines or other coordinated movements that a production’s talent performs. They apply an in-depth knowledge of dance styles and traditions to meet the creative goals of directors and artists. Choreography is often important for making music videos, performance art and athletic routines.
15. Audio engineer
National average salary: $21.76 per hour
Primary duties: Audio engineers are professionals with expertise in recording and mixing sound. They might work with musicians to create songs or filmmakers to combine soundtracks, sound effects and recorded dialogue. Their job requires expertise with both audio hardware and computer programs.
Related: Jobs for Music Lovers: 15 Jobs Where You Can Make, Work With and Listen To Music
16. Cinematographer
National average salary: $24.93 per hour
Primary duties: Cinematographers are professional camera operators who also collaborate on a show or film’s visual styling. They take guidance from directors and find the corresponding shots, angles and camera movements. Cinematographers have thorough understandings of lighting and the equipment required in different settings and conditions.
National average salary: $26.22 per hour
Primary duties: Writers in entertainment create scripts and promotional text. They might create screenplays or work for a television production to write regular monologues for hosts. These writers can also create content about the industry in news articles, reviews or magazine pieces.
Related: Careers in the Creative Arts Industry: The Best Jobs for Creatives
18. Makeup artist
National average salary: $31.63 per hour
Primary duties: Makeup artists prepare people to appear in front of cameras or live audiences with cosmetics that enhance natural features. For some productions, makeup artists may use their skills creatively to give characters distinctive features.
Related: Learn About Being a Makeup Artist
National average salary: $33.90 per hour
Primary duties: Voice-over artists use their entertaining or adaptable voices in radio, television or film without physically appearing in the work. They perform character roles, provide narration or read commercial scripts.
20. Casting manager
National average salary: $76,602 per year
Primary duties: Casting managers find talent well-suited to perform a role. Typically, they organize auditions to find candidates, but they also may pursue specific individuals. Casting managers clearly understand their client’s vision and are skilled at predicting how an actor or actress might achieve it.
