Most film directors earn between $250,000 and $2 million for each project, depending on their experience. New filmmakers can expect to make between $250,000 and $500,000 every film, while studio film directors can expect to make around $1 million per picture.
Steven Spielberg is a legendary director who receives one of the highest incomes in the industry, with box office receipts of nearly $9 billion. With box office totals of nearly $6 billion, Peter Jackson and James Cameron are in a comparable position.
Directors do not always have to work their way up through the ranks of the industry. Instead, thanks to surprising film office hits, directors like Rian Johnson and Jordan Peele have quickly acquired acclaim and bigger wages.
According to Vanity Fair, just because a director has a 10-year-old blockbuster under their belt doesn’t imply they can get high pay today. As a result, Justin Lin, who has more recent hits on his record, can demand greater compensation than Michael Bay, whose recent films haven’t fared as well.
Directors who have worked on Star Wars films know that these projects can make or break their careers. Since he needed a co-director, Gareth Edwards’ financial potential has dwindled, whereas Tony Gilroy has been able to command high fees.
Only a few directors write and produce their films. For taking on this additional work and creative authority, M. Night Shyamalan and Peter Jackson are said to have earned at least $20 million per picture. On the little screen, directors can also make it large. TV shows by award-winning directors like Ron Howard and James Marsh have received great ratings.
A minimum of $19,000 is paid to directors for each project. According to research, the typical hourly wage for directors is $34.46. The typical base pay for directors, according to another research, is around $36,000 per year. Some directors are paid a percentage of box office sales or profits in addition to a base salary.
