Also called: Props Master
Finds, builds, or buys every object actors touch: phones, swords, wands, coffee cups, and fake money.
A prop master might source 12 identical vintage typewriters, create fake newspapers for a scene, and hand an actor their prop right before 'Action!'. They track each item for continuity.
Approximate, based on IATSE local rate cards and typical weeks worked; freelance crew income depends on how much work they book.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Often theater background; IATSE Local 44.
Ways in: On-the-job training, 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Theater Design, Industrial Design, Fine Arts.
Growing about average. Follows production levels.
Low risk for 10 years. 3D printing and AI help make props faster; tracking every handheld item and keeping it safe and continuous on set stays human.
Classes: Art or sculpture, Woodshop, History, Theater tech crew.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1027.
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.