And are you earning as much as you did last year?
Well, yes and no – according to findings in Televisual’s latest annual salary survey which makes for some interesting reading.
It seems that despite the recent recession, almost half (46%) of TV workers actually saw their total earnings increase last year. Coupled with that, many key TV jobs (producers - £44.9k; production manager - £38.5k; editors - £40.2k) still earn well above the national average (£26.2k)
But it’s not all good news.
A majority of respondents said their rates had stayed the same (33%) or fallen (19.6%) over the past year. Taking this into consideration over a longer period, the consensus was that average earnings are stagnating, and that TV workers are effectively taking a pay cut due to inflation.
One producer was quoted saying salaries had reached ‘’a depressing plateau.’’ ‘’My Salary has not changed in over six years with no bonuses or salary rises. We are an industry with no income protection, and yet the perception is that we are all highly paid.”
Other key findings included the pay gap between genders (on average £56k for men, £49k for women), the fact that things get worse once you’re over 45, and that the disparity between those at the top and bottom of the industry is as wide as ever. Among the respondents were a script writer and an Indie MD each earning £500k, a DoP on £200k, and a colourist on £160k.
Interestingly, the article also noted the decline in pay for mid-level production workers.
One exec producer (on £75k) said: “TV is now a hit business – there is no ‘middle market’. So if you create a hit you earn megabucks, if you make small shows you get paid peanuts. It’s now a totally open market which is exciting and also very insecure”.
What do you think? Do the results reflect your experiences? Is it fair? Televisual said the survey was based on 611 responses – but it’s worth bearing in mind that the majority of respondents work full time for a single employer (53%).
How does your salary compare?
Production Average Pay (£)
Runner ---------------------------- 14,549
Researcher ---------------------- 20,268
Producion Co-ordinator ------ 24,957
Prodcuer/ Director ------------- 34,794
Head of Development --------- 54,333
Series Producer ---------------- 61,255
Executive Producer ----------- 79,458
Commissioning Editor ------- 80,375
Post Average Pay (£)
Editor (offline) ------------------- 40,227
Facilities Manager ------------ 53,255
Colourist -------------------------- 94,875
