Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between production managers and producers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a production manager, becoming a producer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a production manager has an average salary of $78,064, which is higher than the $72,202 average annual salary of a producer.
The top three skills for a production manager include continuous improvement, customer service and quality standards. The most important skills for a producer are work ethic, video production, and client relationships.
| Production Manager | Producer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,064 | $72,202 |
| Hourly rate | $37.53 | $34.71 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 95,561 | 10,610 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Production managers work in show business, whether in film, television shows, or theatre productions. They oversee the whole production and ensure that all agreements are met. They manage finances and budget allocation. They oversee the design of costumes and sets. They also manage the timeline of filming and ensure that the production or filming will finish within the agreed timeline. Production managers also ensure that all stakeholders are satisfied. They build meaningful working relationships with everyone involved, from directors to actors to crew members. They try to mitigate any potential challenges in the production budget and schedule.
A producer is an individual who is responsible for providing infrastructure, resources, and logistics in making a movie, television show, or stage production. Producers hire production staff such as director, crew, and sometimes actors to coordinate their activities throughout the production process. They support the creative team by conducting meetings to discuss the production's progress and ensure adherence to deadlines. Producers also travel often either to film on location for a movie or to tour with a theatre production.
Production managers and producers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Manager | Producer | |
| Average salary | $78,064 | $72,202 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $120,000 | Between $43,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a production manager and a producer in terms of educational background:
| Production Manager | Producer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between production managers' and producers' demographics:
| Production Manager | Producer | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% | Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 14% |