Talent Directors: Career Overview
Audition and interview performers to select most appropriate talent for parts in stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions.
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What Tasks Do Talent Directors Perform?
Typical responsibilities of talent directors span:
- Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.
- Prepare actors for auditions by providing scripts and information about roles and casting requirements.
- Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
- Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
- Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.
- Negotiate contract agreements with performers, with agents, or between performers and agents or production companies.
- Arrange for or design screen tests or auditions for prospective performers.
- Review performer information, such as photos, resumes, voice tapes, videos, and union membership, to decide whom to audition for parts.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective talent directors draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Talent Directors Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Artist Manager
- Artistic Director
- Casting Agent
- Casting Coordinator
- Casting Director
- Contestant Coordinator
- Entertainment Agent
- Extras Casting Director
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 169,297 talent directors working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -3.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Talent Directors
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $73,937 |
| Hourly median | $35.55 |
| 10th percentile | $41,628 |
| 25th percentile | $57,782 |
| 75th percentile | $90,092 |
| 90th percentile | $106,246 |
Pay can vary substantially 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 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for talent directors shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Talent Directors
Most talent directors 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 |
Talent Directors work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: UNIX (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for talent directors is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Education and Training
Most talent directors positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Training and Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes (Primary-Short)
- Human Resources Specialists (Supplemental)
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (Supplemental)
- Training and Development Specialists (Supplemental)
- Directors, Religious Activities and Education (Supplemental)
- Instructional Coordinators (Supplemental)
- Art Directors (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future talent directors commonly pursue programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
9 programs across 3 majors
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from 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: 27-2012.04 (Producers and Directors).
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