Post job

Executive producer vs freelance producer

The differences between executive 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 executive producer and a freelance producer. Additionally, an executive producer has an average salary of $117,841, which is higher than the $62,218 average annual salary of a freelance producer.

The top three skills for an executive producer include video production, digital content and digital platforms. The most important skills for a freelance producer are music videos, news stories, and video content.

Executive producer vs freelance producer overview

Executive ProducerFreelance Producer
Yearly salary$117,841$62,218
Hourly rate$56.65$29.91
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs74,0079,703
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 80%Bachelor's Degree, 80%
Average age4040
Years of experience1212

What does an executive producer do?

An executive producer is responsible for supervising the creation and development of digital entertainment content. Executive producers secure and maintain the production budget, negotiate with a production company, and manage marketing campaigns for promotion. They also work with multiple producers to finalize the production team, review the creative content, and ensure the completeness of production plans within the agreed timeframe. An executive producer must have excellent communication and organization skills, especially on coordinating with production personnel to ensure the smooth flow of the production operations.

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.

Executive producer vs freelance producer salary

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

Executive ProducerFreelance Producer
Average salary$117,841$62,218
Salary rangeBetween $72,000 And $190,000Between $33,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityNovato, CA-
Highest paying stateNevada-
Best paying companyNetflix-
Best paying industryTechnology-

Differences between executive producer and freelance producer education

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

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

Executive producer vs freelance producer demographics

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

Executive ProducerFreelance Producer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 62.3% Female, 37.7%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, 65.8% 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 executive producer and freelance producer duties and responsibilities

Executive producer example responsibilities.

  • Manage local ABC affiliate news department.
  • Manage on air giveaways and daily advertising metrics
  • Manage day-to-day completion activities including project planning and QA testing.
  • Operate ENG vehicles and equipment.
  • Coordinate out of house productions for live events such as ABC live and Facebook live.
  • Develop an expert understanding for building a channel and programming video on YouTube and the competitive platforms.
  • 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

Executive producer vs freelance producer skills

Common executive producer skills
  • Video Production, 9%
  • Digital Content, 9%
  • Digital Platforms, 6%
  • Web Content, 6%
  • News Stories, 5%
  • News Content, 5%
Common freelance producer skills
  • Music Videos, 20%
  • News Stories, 6%
  • Video Content, 5%
  • Video Production, 4%
  • Live Events, 4%
  • Photography, 4%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs