Also called: PA, Set PA, Office PA
Does whatever the production needs: locking down streets, running walkie messages, grabbing coffee, and wrangling extras.
A PA might arrive at 5 a.m. to set up signs, spend hours standing on a corner keeping pedestrians out of a shot, then help move equipment at wrap. It's hard, long work, but it's how many directors and producers got their start.
Approximate. Often paid a daily rate ($200-$300/day); work is irregular.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; reliability and hustle matter most.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Film Production, Communications.
Growing about average. Constant turnover keeps entry-level openings available.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Some paperwork moves to apps, but running errands, locking up sets and helping crews on location stays human, though entry jobs may thin.
Age 18+. One way to start: Search Staff Me Up, ProductionHub and local film Facebook groups for set PA day jobs
Classes: Physical education, Driver's education, Film/video production CTE, Theater tech crew.
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.