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The differences between production assistants and assistant production managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant production manager has an average salary of $60,730, 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 production manager are OSHA, production schedules, and safety procedures.
| Production Assistant | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $33,405 | $60,730 |
| Hourly rate | $16.06 | $29.20 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 51,905 | 91,839 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 38 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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.
An assistant production manager is responsible for planning and overseeing an organization's manufacturing operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They work under the directives and supervision of a production manager and present them with regular progress reports. Moreover, an assistant production manager also performs support tasks such as preparing guidelines and timelines, assessing the workforce's performance, liaising with internal and external parties, maintaining records, coordinating staff, and resolving issues and concerns. They must also lead and encourage staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Production assistants and assistant production managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Assistant | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Average salary | $33,405 | $60,730 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $39,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bristol, CT | Piscataway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | National Football League | Pace University |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production assistant and an assistant production manager in terms of educational background:
| Production Assistant | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between production assistants' and assistant production managers' demographics:
| Production Assistant | Assistant Production Manager | |
| Average age | 38 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |