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

What is an assistant producer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Allison Harl Ph.D.

If you want to work in the film and TV industry but are not sure where to start, then perhaps you should look into positions as an assistant producer. As an assistant producer, you will aid the producer on set throughout the production process. Along with helping in basic tasks, as basic as coffee runs, you will also help prep the set with lights, props, and various other production essentials.

You will work with many others on set as an assistant producer, including the costume designer, directors, and other personnel. You will print and distribute daily paperwork such as scripts and other material. You will escort actors around the filming area and manage crowd control if necessary. You will also perform administrative tasks such as answering phone calls and organizing paperwork. Essential skills required to successfully work as an assistant producer are multitasking, technical, resourcefulness, problem solving, physical stamina, and computer savvy.

To qualify for this position, you need a high school diploma or a GED, along with relevant training in production courses. Moreover, proven work experience in a similar position would be advantageous. The average hourly pay for this position is $23.37, which amounts to more than $48,000 annually. Film careers are expected to grow in the near future and create new opportunities for assistant producers across the United States.

What general advice would you give to an assistant producer?

Allison Harl Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English English Program Coordinator, Ferrum College

Develop as many multimedia skills as possible. Writing in the 21st century is about visual rhetoric as well as just words on a page.

ScoreAssistant ProducerUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,231

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.2

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 6.30%

Black or African American 7.76%

Hispanic or Latino 14.27%

Unknown 5.56%

White 65.94%

Gender

female 48.48%

male 51.52%

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

9.2

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant producer

Explore assistant producer education requirements

Most common assistant producer degrees

Bachelor's

79.3 %

Associate

8.3 %

Master's

7.2 %

Start to develop specific assistant producer skills

Skills	Percentages
Video Production	17.32%
Web Content	10.47%
Audio Clips	6.92%
Production Schedules	6.60%
QA	5.43%

Complete relevant assistant producer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant producers 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 producer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant producer resumes.

Research assistant producer duties and responsibilities

Facilitate and manage CNN weekend editorial team of freelance editorial producers.
Research relevant theme source b-roll video and book relevant interviews and shoots.
Used information to compile competitive quarterly reviews using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Collaborate with production to streamline and track internal booking calendars.

Prepare your assistant producer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant producer 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 producer 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 producer resume templates

Build a professional assistant producer 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 producer resume.