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The differences between production assistants and assistant directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant director has an average salary of $63,063, which is higher than the $33,405 average annual salary of a production assistant.
The top three skills for a production assistant include video production, teleprompter and audio board. The most important skills for an assistant director are customer service, CPR, and child care.
| Production Assistant | Assistant Director | |
| Yearly salary | $33,405 | $63,063 |
| Hourly rate | $16.06 | $30.32 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 51,905 | 25,087 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
Production assistants are employees in show business, working behind the scenes. They work in film, television, or even theatre sets primarily to provide support. They usually work directly under directors or producers. Production assistants are responsible for ensuring that the day will run smoothly, be it for a television or film shoot or a performance at the theatre. They should be familiar with all the scenes, ensure that the cast and crew are ready, and cue them when it is their time to go on. They should also be able to anticipate needs that may arise and should be able to quickly mitigate any challenges. Production assistants should be flexible and have quick decision-making skills.
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.
Production assistants and assistant directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Assistant | Assistant Director | |
| Average salary | $33,405 | $63,063 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $37,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bristol, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | National Football League | Mayer Brown |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a production assistant and an assistant director in terms of educational background:
| Production Assistant | Assistant Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between production assistants' and assistant directors' demographics:
| Production Assistant | Assistant Director | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 14% |