How To Become A Manager, Design And Production: What It Is and Career Path

What is a manager, design and production and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Edward Sobel

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a manager, design and production. For example, did you know that they make an average of $38.19 an hour? That's $79,444 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 6,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a manager, design and production?

Edward Sobel

Associate Professor, Resident Director, Villanova University

It's important to know that theater is a relationship-based career. Look to build relationships with those with whom you share a common aesthetic and a sense of purpose. Building relationships takes time and care, and only sometimes pays immediate dividends. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. Be persistent. You may not ever be able to make a living in the theater. But if you quit, you definitely won't.

I'll add, many but not all who obtain a degree in theater wish to work in the profession. A theater degree, particularly within a liberal arts context, offers highly marketable and desirable skills. The theater is a collaborative art form, making those with a theater degree experience working as part of a team. The theater is storytelling. Those with a theater degree have learned how to construct a compelling narrative and to communicate it clearly. They have practiced analytical and presentational skills. They have embodied empathy. All of this position a graduate well in many other occupations, including law, teaching, advertising/marketing, social work, etc.

ScoreManager, Design And ProductionUS Average

Salary

6.2

Avg. Salary $79,444

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.2

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 10.42%

Black or African American 3.42%

Hispanic or Latino 10.63%

Unknown 4.99%

White 70.17%

Gender

female 43.24%

male 56.76%

Age - 37

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 - 37

Stress level

4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a manager, design and production

Explore manager, design and production education requirements

Most common manager, design and production degrees

Bachelor's

63.8 %

Associate

24.4 %

Master's

5.0 %

Start to develop specific manager, design and production skills

Skills	Percentages
Graphic Design	11.00%
Adobe Photoshop	8.72%
CAD	7.13%
Adobe Illustrator	6.72%
Adobe Creative Suite	5.69%

Complete relevant manager, design and production training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New managers, design and production 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 a manager, design and production based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manager, design and production resumes.

Research manager, design and production duties and responsibilities

Manage the full video and copywriting department.
Manage and art direct all ad photography and copywriting.
Build, art direct and manage company website (defybags.com) with some HTML coding.
Train employees how to utilize CMS to manage Psych.org content by assigning department web liaisons in web management tasks

Prepare your manager, design and production resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manager, design and production 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 a manager, design and production resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable manager, design and production resume templates

Build a professional manager, design and production 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 manager, design and production resume.

Apply for manager, design and production jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a manager, design and production job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average manager, design and production salary

The average manager, design and production salary in the United States is $79,444 per year or $38 per hour. Manager, design and production salaries range between $56,000 and $111,000 per year.

Average manager, design and production salary

$79,444 Yearly

$38.19 hourly

What is a manager, design and production and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a manager, design and production?

Manager, design and production career paths

Key steps to become a manager, design and production

Explore manager, design and production education requirements

Most common manager, design and production degrees

Start to develop specific manager, design and production skills

Complete relevant manager, design and production training and internships

Research manager, design and production duties and responsibilities

Prepare your manager, design and production resume

Choose from 10+ customizable manager, design and production resume templates

Apply for manager, design and production jobs

How did you land your first manager, design and production job

Average manager, design and production salary

How do managers, design and production rate their job?