Arts officers, producers and directors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time arts officers, producers and directors in the UK earned a median £45,534 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 17% more than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That ranks 91st of 382 occupations on this measure.
Median full-time pay: women £39,825 a year, men £46,994 a year.
About 79% of the roughly 29,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 18.0%, from £38,601, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 113,500 people in this line of work, 44% of them in London.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £30,660 | £541.90 | £14.58 | – | – | £13.83 |
| 20th percentile | £33,986 | £632.50 | £16.66 | – | £513.50 | £15.55 |
| 25th percentile | £35,078 | £670.20 | £18.18 | £30,051* | £539.60 | £16.67 |
| 30th percentile | £36,729 | £695.80 | £18.70 | £32,874* | £592.00 | £18.07 |
| 40th percentile | £39,791 | £755.20 | £20.46 | £36,287 | £688.00 | £19.72 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £45,534 | £808.40 | £21.63 | £39,643 | £741.80 | £20.92 |
| 60th percentile | £49,203 | £904.10 | £23.39 | £45,550* | £824.20 | £22.74 |
| 70th percentile | £52,224* | £960.70 | £26.52 | £49,850* | £932.00 | £24.97 |
| 75th percentile | – | £1,054.20* | £27.97 | £51,644* | £958.60* | £27.02* |
| 80th percentile | – | £1,108.10* | £29.54* | – | £1,063.60* | £28.70* |
| Mean | £49,761 | £924.20 | £24.36 | £43,497 | £812.70 | £23.86 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £38,601* | £760.10* | £20.06* | £37,372* | £703.30* | 14* |
| 2022 revised | – | £728.20 | £19.22 | – | £684.70 | 22* |
| 2023 revised | £36,242 | £740.00 | £19.86 | £34,343* | £648.60 | 30* |
| 2024 revised | £38,073 | £728.30 | £19.24 | £35,487* | £684.40 | 29 |
| 2025 provisional | £45,534 | £808.40 | £21.63 | £39,643 | £741.80 | 29 |
Arts officers, producers and directors by region
UK: 113,500 (± 13,100), April 2025 to March 2026. 9 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| London | 49,800* | ± 11,500 |
| South East | 13,900* | ± 4,700 |
| Scotland | 10,100* | ± 3,600 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What arts officers, producers and directors do
Arts officers, producers and directors assume creative, financial and organisational responsibilities in the production and direction of television and radio programmes, films, stage presentations, content for other media, and the promotion and exhibition of other creative activities. (ONS SOC 2020, 3416)
Also covers: broadcast editor, film editor, production assistant (broadcasting), studio manager, television producer, video production assistant, animation director, animation producer, art adviser, art consultant, arts adviser, arts officer, autocue operator, casting director, choir master, content producer, documentary filmmaker and drama organiser (85 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Chooses writers, scripts, technical staff and performers, and assumes overall responsibility for completion of project on time and within budget
- Directs actors, designers, camera team, sound crew and other production and technical staff to achieve desired effects
- Breaks script into scenes and formulates a shooting schedule that will be most economical in terms of time, location and sets
- Prepares rehearsal and production schedule for main events, design of sets and costumes, technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals
- Ensures necessary equipment, props, performers and technical staff are on set when required
- Manages health and safety issues
Entry can be via academic qualifications, BTEC/SQA awards, diplomas or degrees in sector-relevant subjects. Apprenticeships are available at NVQ levels 2 and 3 in some areas.
Related
Artistic, literary and media occupations (median £39,135) · Musicians · Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026