Media Technical Directors/Managers
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and CommunicationsO*NET 27-2012.05United States
Coordinate activities of technical departments, such as taping, editing, engineering, and maintenance, to produce radio or television programs.
- Median annual earnings
- $85,168
- Projected change
- +9.4%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 178.94K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
92.1% of the workforce
Growing to 195.79K by 2035
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The work
What media technical directors/managers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Switch between video sources in a studio or on multi-camera remotes, using equipment such as switchers, video slide projectors, and video effects generators.
- Observe pictures through monitors and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition.
- Supervise and assign duties to workers engaged in technical control and production of radio and television programs.
- Monitor broadcasts to ensure that programs conform to station or network policies and regulations.
- Operate equipment to produce programs or broadcast live programs from remote locations.
- Test equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Train workers in use of equipment, such as switchers, cameras, monitors, microphones, and lights.
- Act as liaisons between engineering and production departments.
- Collaborate with promotions directors to produce on-air station promotions.
- Confer with operations directors to formulate and maintain fair and attainable technical policies for programs.
- Schedule use of studio and editing facilities for producers and engineering and maintenance staff.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $39,558
- 25th percentile
- $56,946
- 50th percentile
- $85,168
- 75th percentile
- $129,016
- 90th percentile
- $203,863
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $85,168 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+9.4%faster than average
2025178,939 jobs
2035 projected195,786 jobs
16,847 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 92.1%
- High school diploma or less
- 4.2%
- Certificate
- 1.5%
- Associate degree
- 1.4%
- Some college
- 0.4%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 0.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01News Directors165 postings
- 02Vice Presidents/News Directors87 postings
- 03Radiography Program Directors26 postings
- 04Casino Cashiers5 postings
- 05News Video Editors5 postings
- 06News Directors/Anchors4 postings
- 07News and Sports Directors4 postings
- 08Science Policy Analysts4 postings
- 09Assistant Directors3 postings
- 10Assistant Directors of Programs3 postings
- 11Assistant/Associate Directors3 postings
- 12Deputy Digital Directors3 postings
- 13Directors of Innovation3 postings
- 14Directors of Insights3 postings
- 15Directors of Post Production3 postings
- 16Directors of Publicity3 postings
- 17Executive Directors3 postings
- 18Executive Directors of Public Relations3 postings
- 19Program Directors3 postings
- 20Show Directors3 postings
Top employers
- 01TEGNA20 postings
- 02Graymedia19 postings
- 03NBC17 postings
- 04Nexstar Media Group17 postings
- 05Sinclair Broadcast Group14 postings
- 06Gray Television11 postings
- 07Hearst Media Services8 postings
- 08Cox Media Group7 postings
- 09Hearst Television7 postings
- 10Spectrum Networks7 postings
- 11Gannett6 postings
- 12Pima Medical Institute6 postings
- 13South College6 postings
- 14Hearst5 postings
- 15Scripps Media5 postings
- 16North Idaho College4 postings
- 17Univision Communications4 postings
- 18Walt Disney4 postings
- 19Allen Media Broadcasting Lafayette3 postings
- 20American Institute Of Physics3 postings
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