Media Technical Directors/Managers: Career Profile
Coordinate activities of technical departments, such as taping, editing, engineering, and maintenance, to produce radio or television programs.
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What Do Media Technical Directors/Managers Do?
Typical responsibilities of media technical directors/managers include:
- Switch between video sources in a studio or on multi-camera remotes, using equipment such as switchers, video slide projectors, and video effects generators.
- Observe pictures through monitors and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition.
- Supervise and assign duties to workers engaged in technical control and production of radio and television programs.
- Monitor broadcasts to ensure that programs conform to station or network policies and regulations.
- Operate equipment to produce programs or broadcast live programs from remote locations.
- Test equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Train workers in use of equipment, such as switchers, cameras, monitors, microphones, and lights.
- Act as liaisons between engineering and production departments.
What Media Technical Directors/Managers Need to Know
Successful media technical directors/managers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Broadcast Director
- News Director
- News Technical Director
- Newscast Director
- Operations Director
- Operations Manager
- Production Director
- Production Manager
Employment and Demand
There are about 140,123 media technical directors/managers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Media Technical Directors/Managers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $65,049 |
| Hourly median | $31.27 |
| 10th percentile | $39,310 |
| 25th percentile | $52,179 |
| 75th percentile | $77,918 |
| 90th percentile | $90,788 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $122,150 |
| New Jersey | $107,850 |
| New York | $104,010 |
| District of Columbia | $99,900 |
| Delaware | $93,930 |
| Connecticut | $85,710 |
| Florida | $81,240 |
| Oregon | $80,610 |
| Washington | $79,220 |
| Massachusetts | $79,100 |
| Nevada | $78,050 |
| Georgia | $76,800 |
| Rhode Island | $76,490 |
| Illinois | $76,370 |
| Maryland | $75,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,450 |
| Utah | $71,500 |
| Colorado | $71,480 |
| Virginia | $70,310 |
| Hawaii | $69,760 |
| Maine | $67,000 |
| North Carolina | $66,000 |
| New Mexico | $65,980 |
| Louisiana | $64,370 |
| Alabama | $63,920 |
| Tennessee | $63,410 |
| Texas | $63,400 |
| Wisconsin | $63,200 |
| Michigan | $62,710 |
| New Hampshire | $62,040 |
| Minnesota | $61,300 |
| Ohio | $61,260 |
| Wyoming | $60,260 |
| Arizona | $60,260 |
| Alaska | $58,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $57,770 |
| Missouri | $57,320 |
| Vermont | $56,650 |
| South Dakota | $56,340 |
| South Carolina | $54,870 |
| Kansas | $54,750 |
| Indiana | $54,600 |
| Nebraska | $53,220 |
| Idaho | $52,220 |
| Oklahoma | $51,180 |
| Kentucky | $50,610 |
| Iowa | $50,130 |
| Montana | $49,100 |
| North Dakota | $48,290 |
| Mississippi | $44,290 |
| Arkansas | $39,420 |
| West Virginia | $39,150 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for media technical directors/managers vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $115,395 | 28.9% | 1.92 |
| Middle Atlantic | $99,368 | 28.9% | 2.79 |
| New England | $78,945 | 4.7% | 1.05 |
| Southeast | $70,450 | 17.0% | 0.73 |
| Rocky Mountains | $66,837 | 2.8% | 0.73 |
| Great Lakes | $65,682 | 7.1% | 0.51 |
| Southwest | $62,230 | 6.9% | 0.56 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $57,770 | 0.3% | 0.47 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $127,590 | 24,110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $122,210 | 4,850 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $106,730 | 28,760 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | FL | $101,840 | 2,410 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $98,920 | 790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $96,530 | 4,610 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $95,540 | 660 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $88,090 | 1,040 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of media technical directors/managers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 90,050 | $90,790 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 19,690 | $74,090 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16,990 | $100,630 |
| Educational Services | 6,130 | $68,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 3,700 | $98,180 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,100 | n/a |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,370 | $67,000 |
| Wholesale Trade | 430 | $112,330 |
Below are examples of industries where media technical directors/managers work:
Tech Stack
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Project management software: Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for media technical directors/managers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Time Pressure
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Getting Started in This Career
Typical media technical directors/managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Architects (Supplemental)
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators (Supplemental)
- Web Administrators (Supplemental)
- Information Technology Project Managers (Primary-Short)
- Art Directors (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Aspiring media technical directors/managers often complete programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
9 programs across 3 majors
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-2012.05 (Producers and Directors).
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