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Assistant producer vs freelance producer

The differences between assistant producers and freelance producers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assistant producer and a freelance producer. Additionally, a freelance producer has an average salary of $62,218, which is higher than the $45,231 average annual salary of an assistant producer.

The top three skills for an assistant producer include video production, web content and audio clips. The most important skills for a freelance producer are music videos, news stories, and video content.

Assistant producer vs freelance producer overview

Assistant ProducerFreelance Producer
Yearly salary$45,231$62,218
Hourly rate$21.75$29.91
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs10,2569,703
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age4040
Years of experience1212

What does an assistant producer do?

In the entertainment industry, an assistant producer is in charge of overseeing production operations and coordinating staff, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They typically manage the schedules and hiring procedures, write and edit production materials, arrange meetings with internal and external parties, procure supplies, and develop strategies to optimize production operations. They may also perform clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documentation, obtaining permits, and even disseminating information. Furthermore, an assistant producer may also participate in establishing policies and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.

What does a freelance producer do?

The responsibilities of a freelance producer are so broad that they can be tricky to define. Broadly, a freelance producer is responsible for finding, launching, and completing a project. They primarily handle logistics pertaining to the creation of various pieces of content. This content may include television shows, advertisements, or audio/video presentations. They also manage finances, keep the production within the allocated budget, and hire all key staff, crew members, and post-production teams. They may also have to scout for shoot locations.

Assistant producer vs freelance producer salary

Assistant producers and freelance producers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant ProducerFreelance Producer
Average salary$45,231$62,218
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $62,000Between $33,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityMiddletown, CT-
Highest paying stateConnecticut-
Best paying companyPlayStation-
Best paying industry--

Differences between assistant producer and freelance producer education

There are a few differences between an assistant producer and a freelance producer in terms of educational background:

Assistant ProducerFreelance Producer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Most common majorCommunicationPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Assistant producer vs freelance producer demographics

Here are the differences between assistant producers' and freelance producers' demographics:

Assistant ProducerFreelance Producer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 51.5% Female, 48.5%Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage14%14%

Differences between assistant producer and freelance producer duties and responsibilities

Assistant producer example 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.
  • Negotiate copyediting, proofreading, typesetting/layout, and art rendering services at substantial cost savings to the company.
  • Develop story ideas and create highlights and feature packages for specialty shows including SportsCenter, NFL PrimeTime and NBA2Night.
  • Show more

Freelance producer example responsibilities.

  • Drive engagement by managing the brand's YouTube channel, as well as all other social media outlets.
  • Manage production shoots for image campaigns and monthly communications meetings for CNN newsroom and internal in-house creative services department.
  • Manage creative release process working closely with site merchandising, content engineering, release engineering, QA, buyers and marketing.
  • Manage the QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
  • Produce for Chubb s website, YouTube, Facebook and on DVD.
  • Help maintain social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Show more

Assistant producer vs freelance producer skills

Common assistant producer skills
  • Video Production, 17%
  • Web Content, 10%
  • Audio Clips, 7%
  • Production Schedules, 7%
  • QA, 5%
  • Facebook, 5%
Common freelance producer skills
  • Music Videos, 20%
  • News Stories, 6%
  • Video Content, 5%
  • Video Production, 4%
  • Live Events, 4%
  • Photography, 4%

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