Also called: SFX Supervisor
Creates real explosions, rain, snow, fire, and crashes on movie sets.
Effects supervisors rig breakaway walls, pyrotechnics, wind machines, and car flips, keeping actors safe while making scenes look dangerous. Pyrotechnic licenses are required.
Union film pay; income depends on how much you work.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 10 years after high school. Years of on-set experience, often union apprenticeship; state pyrotechnic licenses.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship, Self-taught. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering Technology, Theater Technology.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. CGI and AI video compete for effects budgets, but real explosions, rain rigs and safe car flips on set stay hands-on.
Classes: Theater tech, Physics, Chemistry, Welding or shop.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-4099.
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.