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Film, Video & Photographic Arts Major

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Film, Video & Photographic Arts

1,610 Master's Degrees Annually
46 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#84 in Popularity (Master's)
$78,090 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Film, Video & Photographic Arts Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many film, video and photographic arts graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 1,610
Graduate Certificate 48
Doctor’s Degree 46

What Film, Video & Photographic Arts Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, film majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Film Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Film Majors

A major in film prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Film Majors

Film majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Film, Video & Photographic Arts Major?

People with a film degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors 12.0% $69,960
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture 7.2% $54,570
Communications Professors 10.0% $68,910
Directors- Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio 12.2% $71,680
Film and Video Editors 17.0% $62,650
Producers 12.2% $71,680
Program Directors 12.2% $71,680
Technical Directors/Managers 12.2% $71,680

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Film, Video & Photographic Arts?

1,610 Master's Degrees Annually
53% Percent Women
29% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
Roughly 53% of the graduates are women, and 47% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of film majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 73
Black or African American 203
Hispanic or Latino 138
White 499
International Students 572
Other Races/Ethnicities 125

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Film, too. About 35.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • South Korea
  • India
  • Brazil
  • Mexico

How Much Do Film, Video & Photographic Arts Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in film, video and photographic arts made a median starting salary of $29,896 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $27,088 (25th percentile) and $35,093 (75th percentile).

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Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a film degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $61,750 to $86,830 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to film. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Film, Video & Photographic Arts Major  ( 61750 to 86830 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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Some degrees associated with film may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for film careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 1.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 10.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 4.0%
Some College Courses 8.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 11.4%
Bachelor’s Degree 35.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 0.2%
Master’s Degree 17.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 1.3%
Doctoral Degree 8.6%
Post-Doctoral Training 1.0%

Online Film, Video & Photographic Arts Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 651 schools offered some type of film, video and photographic arts program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 87 2
Certificate (2-4 Years) 8 2
Associate’s Degree 205 9
Bachelor’s Degree 20 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 136 6
Post-Master’s 4 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 19 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Film, Video & Photographic Arts Worth It?

The median salary for a film grad is $78,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 96% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $763,800 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to film.

Major Number of Grads
Music 7,675
Fine & Studio Arts 3,224
Design & Applied Arts 1,979
Drama & Theater Arts 1,699
Arts & Media Management 1,184
General Visual & Performing Arts 390
Dance 257
Other Visual Art 254
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 13

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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