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The differences between assistant directors and producers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an assistant director, becoming a producer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a producer has an average salary of $72,202, which is higher than the $63,063 average annual salary of an assistant director.
The top three skills for an assistant director include customer service, CPR and child care. The most important skills for a producer are work ethic, video production, and client relationships.
| Assistant Director | Producer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,063 | $72,202 |
| Hourly rate | $30.32 | $34.71 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,087 | 10,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
Assistant directors are employees in show business who directly support directors. They may be working on a film, television show, or theatre production. Assistant directors are the second-in-command on the set. They take over for the director when he/she or she is unable to work. Assistant directors should be familiar with the script and the scenes. They are usually heavily involved in the conception of the production. They ensure that the plans are executed well by assisting in the selection of the cast and crew, production sets, and other set providers. They also make sure that shoot days or performance days go without a hitch by ironing out all the details in advance and preparing alternatives.
A producer is an individual who is responsible for providing infrastructure, resources, and logistics in making a movie, television show, or stage production. Producers hire production staff such as director, crew, and sometimes actors to coordinate their activities throughout the production process. They support the creative team by conducting meetings to discuss the production's progress and ensure adherence to deadlines. Producers also travel often either to film on location for a movie or to tour with a theatre production.
Assistant directors and producers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Director | Producer | |
| Average salary | $63,063 | $72,202 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $105,000 | Between $43,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant director and a producer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Director | Producer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between assistant directors' and producers' demographics:
| Assistant Director | Producer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 14% |