Also called: TV Commercial Director, Spot Director
Directs the filming of TV and online ads, turning an agency's idea into a 30-second film.
You work with the agency on the shot list, direct actors on set for a 14-hour day, then sit in the edit room shaping the final ad. Many commercial directors also make music videos and films.
Paid per day of shooting; top directors earn far more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Film school or a strong reel of short films and music videos.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Film Production.
Growing about average. Competitive; AI video may change production.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI-generated video already replaces some simple product shoots; directing actors and visual storytelling stays human.
Classes: Video production, Theater, Film studies, Photography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.