How To Become An Assistant Director: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How long does it take to become an Assistant Director?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become an assistant director. That is the time it takes to learn specific assistant director skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become an assistant director.

Q: Do assistant directors get paid?

Yes, assistant directors get paid. Since most movie sets are too large for one director to manage, most have one or more assistant directors. Assistant movie directors are primarily responsible for scheduling the times for filming, supervising the cast and crew, editing film, and assisting directors with scripts and casting.

Q: Is it hard to become an assistant director?

Yes, it is hard to become an assistant director. As with any role in the film industry, many people want to get into the same few positions, meaning it can be hard to become an assistant director without working and networking efficiently.

Q: What are the top three skills for an assistant director?

The top three skills for an assistant director include knowledge of film sets, communication skills, and the ability to multitask. Developing the right skill set is essential to find consistent work as an assistant director.

Q: What degree do you need to be an assistant director?

There are no formal degree requirements to be an assistant director. Like most jobs in the film industry, there is no formal education or degree required to become an assistant director; however, most assistant directors have both film school training and a significant amount of hands-on production experience in various other film capacities.

Q: Associate Director vs. Assistant Director

An associate director reports to the director and is in charge of creative decisions and creating business plans and policies, while an assistant director reports to the associate director and is responsible for daily operations.

What is an assistant director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An assistant director works in the film, television, or theater industry. They support the director by coordinating with various departments, creating schedules, and overseeing rehearsals. Assistant directors also ensure the availability of equipment and props on set. They maycas actors and extras, manage budgets, and ensure that filming runs smoothly. In post-production, they assist with editing and finalizing. An assistant director helps bring a creative vision to life on stage or screen.

ScoreAssistant DirectorUS Average

Salary

4.9

Avg. Salary $63,063

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.0

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 6.37%

Black or African American 7.90%

Hispanic or Latino 14.51%

Unknown 5.58%

White 65.48%

Gender

female 61.65%

male 38.35%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Assistant Director?

Pros

Potential for career advancement
Chance to learn from experienced directors
Potential for networking and building industry connections
Opportunities for travel to film sets and locations
Potential for recognition and awards

Cons

Can be stressful and mentally draining
Difficulties with managing a large, diverse team
Limited creative control compared to the director
Can be difficult to maintain work-life balance
Can be difficult to find consistent work in the industry

Key steps to become an assistant director

Explore assistant director education requirements

Most common assistant director degrees

Bachelor's

62.6 %

Master's

14.5 %

Associate

13.2 %

Start to develop specific assistant director skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	15.31%
CPR	7.18%
Child Care	6.58%
Oversight	6.56%
Payroll	6.30%

Complete relevant assistant director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant director resumes.

Gain additional assistant director certifications

Assistant director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific assistant director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for assistant directors include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Dental Assistant (CDA).

More About Certifications

Research assistant director duties and responsibilities

Manage purchasing, A/P, A/R and budget management.
Manage care for k-5 kids before and after school.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Manage delivery of quality early childhood education programs by establishing an environment of learning and maintaining the integrity of the programs.

Get assistant director experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become an assistant director. The most common roles before becoming an assistant director include teacher, internship team lead and administrative assistant.

Prepare your assistant director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant director resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Director Resume templates

Build a professional Assistant Director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Assistant Director resume.