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Production internship vs production assistant

The differences between production interns and production assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production assistant has an average salary of $33,405, which is higher than the $33,066 average annual salary of a production internship.

The top three skills for a production internship include video production, production intern and production process. The most important skills for a production assistant are video production, teleprompter, and audio board.

Production internship vs production assistant overview

Production InternshipProduction Assistant
Yearly salary$33,066$33,405
Hourly rate$15.90$16.06
Growth rate8%-5%
Number of jobs98,43751,905
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age3838
Years of experience--

What does a production internship do?

A production internship is a program for a college student who works as a support person and seeks experience in the film or television set. An intern will research topics using various sources such as the internet, assist production staff in developing relevant stories for the television, film, and social media and run errands for a particular project. Aside from running errands, an intern should possess essential computer software like Microsoft Office and excellent communication skills. An intern must be enrolled in an accredited college or university.

What does a production assistant do?

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.

Production internship vs production assistant salary

Production interns and production assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Production InternshipProduction Assistant
Average salary$33,066$33,405
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $41,000Between $25,000 And $44,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCBristol, CT
Highest paying stateHawaiiHawaii
Best paying companyACLU of IllinoisNational Football League
Best paying industryEnergyManufacturing

Differences between production internship and production assistant education

There are a few differences between a production internship and a production assistant in terms of educational background:

Production InternshipProduction Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common college--

Production internship vs production assistant demographics

Here are the differences between production interns' and production assistants' demographics:

Production InternshipProduction Assistant
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 49.9% Female, 50.1%Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%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%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between production internship and production assistant duties and responsibilities

Production internship example responsibilities.

  • Manage all office aspects including general administrative duties and assisting with staff payroll.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for managers to present design concepts to clients.
  • Assist on sets with camera and lighting/task with creating new Instagram video series
  • Research, write, report and edit broadcast news content for local ABC affiliate.
  • Update and maintain SharePoint site using HTML to ensure timely content for end users.
  • Help customers with their groceries, bag and help them out to their car.
  • Show more

Production assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage customer accounts using Quickbooks.
  • Manage cross-departmental communication and collaboration to increase ESPN viewers.
  • Manage QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
  • Manage all office aspects including general administrative duties and assisting with staff payroll.
  • Manage client photography house accounts and submissions, including calculating usage rights and licensing royalty-free and rights-manage images.
  • Manage and refine the metadata system for a photography database -communicate with customers over e-mail with regards to advertisement proofs
  • Show more

Production internship vs production assistant skills

Common production internship skills
  • Video Production, 15%
  • Production Intern, 11%
  • Production Process, 11%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
  • Audio Board, 4%
  • Instagram, 4%
Common production assistant skills
  • Video Production, 18%
  • Teleprompter, 7%
  • Audio Board, 7%
  • Purchase Orders, 4%
  • Production Equipment, 4%
  • Photography, 4%

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