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Job outlook for video production assistants in the United States
Video production assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected video production assistant job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 12,100 new jobs for video production assistants are projected over the next decade.
Video production assistant salaries have increased 13% for video production assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 13,769 video production assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 58,432 active video production assistant job openings in the US.
The average video production assistant salary is $33,779.
Are video production assistant jobs in demand?
Video production assistant job and salary trends over time
Video production assistant jobs over time
Video production assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,769 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 16,972 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 20,129 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 20,668 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 19,797 | 0.01% |
Average video production assistant salary over time
Video production assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,779 | $16.24 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $32,362 | $15.56 | +4.9% |
| 2023 | $30,854 | $14.83 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $29,740 | $14.30 | --0.1% |
| 2021 | $29,768 | $14.31 | +1.9% |
Video production assistant jobs by state
Most common states for video production assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 123 | 18% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 502 | 16% |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 788 | 14% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 711 | 13% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 819 | 12% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 75 | 12% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 494 | 11% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 328 | 11% |
| 9 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 304 | 10% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 186 | 10% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 139 | 10% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 136 | 10% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,165 | 9% |
| 14 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,078 | 9% |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 597 | 9% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 833 | 8% |
| 17 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 507 | 8% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 346 | 8% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 142 | 8% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 57 | 8% |
Most common cities for video production assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stamford | 1 | 1% | $49,888 |
Video Production Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of video production assistant experts
Catawba College
Olympic College
University of Utah
Columbia College Chicago
Drexel University
Florida State University
University of North Texas
Erin Dougherty
Associate Professor of Costume Design Costume DirectorCatawba College
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
What general advice would you give to a Video Production Assistant?
Erin Dougherty: Don't underestimate what you can do. Make sure to advocate for yourself, push for the max salary listed once you've been offered the job, and be firm that you meet the qualifications. Talk about the skills you can do, how you can collaborate, and adjacent skill sets that could come into play, including "soft" skills. Don't lie of course, because that will come back to bite you, and facts are really easy to check these days. You need to express self-confidence if you're going to survive in this industry, and overall, be a good person to work with.
What Video Production Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Erin Dougherty: Skills that broaden communication, and your ability to be flexible. We're seeing design/rendering software and patterning really move electronically to programs like Procreate and even CLO 3D, and of course Vectorworks for Light and Scenic. Pay attention to industry standards. It's helpful to be familiar with technology and have a wide swath of skills in your technical area-people want you to wear multiple hats and be at least a partial generalist as well as your specialty. The other thing is, we really need Technical Directors. That's an industry gap, and if you can fill a gap, you're hireable.
What will help Video Production Assistants increase their earning potential?
Erin Dougherty: Be flexible and don't be afraid to broaden your search. Technical Theatre is in demand around the country, but many times you can't expect to jump into a Design or high-level position right away with a BA degree. Don't be afraid to work your way up from a stitcher or carpenter and make connections or try to build your resources (monetary and personal) before a big jump. Companies want to know your work ethic, your creative eye, and attention to detail. However, you also want to make sure the company isn't going to abuse you. Especially since the pandemic, there has been a call to pay even interns a living wage and/or provide housing as part of the "perks." Unpaid internships should be a thing of the past. It also depends on the market you're trying to get into-NYC is much different than Regional Theatre, and most places won't offer housing in NYC. Ask yourself: what is your ultimate goal. If you're looking at NYC, great, but is it only because you think you should? There's a LOT of fantastic theatre throughout the US or with traveling companies. And your skills are also applicable to other aspects of the Entertainment Industry. Look at all options: film, fashion, commercials, theme parks, cosplay etc.
Amy Hesketh
Full Time FacultyOlympic College
Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) Division
What soft skills should all Video Production Assistants possess?
Amy Hesketh: -Collaboration.
-Teamwork.
-Project management.
-Crew management.
-Professionalism.
What skills stand out on Video Production Assistant resumes?
Amy Hesketh: Ability to work with a variety of editing software (Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro/Audition, Resolve). Screenwriting and story development.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Video Production Assistants?
Miriam Albert-Sobrino: The long-term impact of the pandemic is certainly difficult to predict, some indicators foresee one of the worst job markets in decades, in many ways a reflection of the now omnipresent "job freeze" strategies implemented by large corporations and institutions. Young filmmakers and visual artists might see their careers take off later in life and/or at a slower speed, but we are confident that while financially hard, these experiences will enrich their art ultimately delivering a stronger portfolio; one informed by the human experience and with a deeper meaning. Resilience and confidence are key in reducing the negative consequences of the pandemic on the career of these young creatives.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Video Production Assistants?
Miriam Albert-Sobrino: Understanding how collaborative endeavors take off and focusing on entrepreneurship is fundamental. Any course, certificate or training that helps young filmmakers and visual artists understand the process of creation from a collaborative standpoint is going to be most rewarding. We are at the height of independent creation, recent graduates have the tools and knowledge to make, they just have to use those instruments to identify needs and satisfy them. In film, specializing in cinematography, be that, earlier on, through lighting or camera work; or on editing and graphic design can help proficient artists start joint successful endeavors and/or increase their hiring potential. Furthermore, interdisciplinary opportunities that put together specialized forces from different, but relating fields, will quite likely better their job prospects. Working together, expanding and adding on individual strengths is the answer.
What will help Video Production Assistants increase their earning potential?
Miriam Albert-Sobrino: Institutionally, financial help to support new endeavors. At the individual level, a proactive drive is a must. Rather than waiting or stalling for opportunities, it is important to create new ones. While risky, both financially and emotionally, it is the time to take action, try things and seek a break where others haven't ventured yet. Failure is a scary, sometimes incapacitating threat that, more often that not, stops promising endeavors from taking off. It's never too late to try new things, but the sooner we attempt those, the better. A failed endeavor, if anything, speaks of a motivated, bold and driven individual and those qualities are some of the most important things needed in any job market.
What skills stand out on Video Production Assistant resumes?
Duncan MacKenzie: For all young artists, organizational skills, digital and web-based skills, and an ability to communicate verbally and textually are very important; beyond that, craft-based skills relevant to whatever is being made are always crucial.
What skills stand out on Video Production Assistant resumes?
Michael Wagner: Primarily an understanding of how to be productive in virtual teams. Anything that proves that somebody is capable of working independently and reliably.
What general advice would you give to a Video Production Assistant?
Michael Neal Ph.D.: The advice can be tricky, especially since our graduates go into a number of fields. My hope for them is that they continue to build upon what they learned in our program and apply it to new situations and contexts outside of school. I often tell students that editing, writing, and media aren't skills you master and then apply universally across contexts. Instead, we encourage students to keep growing and stretching themselves, since they will most likely face new genres, audiences, and contexts that they didn't see in college. Therefore, we teach them to be flexible, to be close readers, and analyze each rhetorical situation to determine how to best communicate within that context. Good writing isn't one-size-fits-all. Instead, it's a complex, negotiated relationship between writers, texts, contexts, audiences, media, modalities, etc.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Video Production Assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Johnathan Paul: We've slowly seen more and more companies in film, television, and video game development move a portion of their business to online and remote for the past ten years. However, with the global pandemic, we've seen those new models get pushed to the forefront in a concise amount of time. With that said, my classes have been integrating communication and project management apps into the classroom workflow and the core creative tools I use. So apps such as Zoom, Slack, Notion, Frame.io, Evercast, etc. are heavily used in my class, as students will now need to have a working knowledge of some or all of these applications once they move into the industry.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Video Production Assistants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Johnathan Paul: Trying to pinpoint a starting salary in the film and television industry is incredibly challenging. There are so many different avenues that a recent graduate can go into, and each one of those job tracks has a benchmark for what number their starting salary begins at. For example, someone joining a film crew as a Production Assistant will typically make less than someone taking an entry level office job at a studio. The video game industry tends to have better starting salaries; however, many of those jobs are temporarily based on a development cycle. Freelance and contract work are just a reality of the media industry, and it's something I try to prepare my students for.