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Film & Video Production

Types of Degrees Film & Video Production Majors Are Earning

Those studying Film & Video Production have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	663
Associate’s Degree	979
Bachelor’s Degree	6,045
Master’s Degree	1,816
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Film & Video Production Majors Need to Know

Studies in Film & Video Production emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Film & Video Production graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Film & Video Production emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Film & Video Production program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Film & Video Production careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Film & Video Production graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Film & Video Production professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—
Cascading style sheets CSS	Web platform development software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Film & Video Production graduates include:

• Arts Teacher
• Makeup Artistry Instructor
• Guitar Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Studio Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Graphic Design Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Art Instructor
• Elementary Art Instructor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Music Lecturer
• Music Theory Teacher
• College Professor
• Piano Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Film & Video Production graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	37.3%
Master’s degree	23.9%
Doctoral degree	14.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.4%
Some college courses	3.0%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%
First professional degree	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Film & Video Production?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 44.1% women and 55.9% men among Film & Video Production graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,205	44.1%
Men	5,339	55.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Film & Video Production graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,429	46.4%
Asian	490	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,857	19.5%
Black or African American	916	9.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	40	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	11	0.1%
Two or More Races	424	4.4%
Race Unknown	258	2.7%
International Students	1,119	11.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Film & Video Production Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Film & Video Production graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$25,545
4 years	$35,590
5 years	$41,647

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,647 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Film & Video Production Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Film & Video Production. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	6
Bachelor’s	4	4
Master’s	5	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Film & Video Production Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Film & Video Production graduates earn a median of $35,590 four years after completion — about 6% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	50.06
Documentary Production	50.0607
Film/Cinema/Media Studies	50.0601
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other	50.0699
Photography	50.0605
Directing and Theatrical Production	50.0507
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General	50.0501
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other	50.0599
Musical Theatre	50.0509
Theatre and Dance	50.0512
Theatre/Theatre Arts Management	50.1004
Acting	50.0506

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.