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Film and Television Director salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a film and television director is $80,600 per annum, before tax, up $17,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Directing pay is usually a project fee or a weekly rate, and it moves with the budget and type of production, so a national commercial pays differently from a low-budget documentary.
- Freelance directors also spend unpaid time developing projects and pitching them, which is part of why annual earnings swing from year to year.
- Directors who also write or produce their work can take a share of the back end, though that money often arrives long after the shoot.
The median salary rose by $17,000 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than film and television director
The largest typical pay rise is $22,100 a year, moving into Video Editor.
- Video Editor+$22,100/yr
- Art Director+$22,100/yr
- Film and Television Producer+$15,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher film and television director salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time film and television director salary is $80,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Creative software production and Visual design tend to command a premium over general film and television director experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Video Editor pays a typical $22,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Film and Television Director salary questions
How much do film and television directors earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a film and television director is $80,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is film and television director pay rising or falling?
The median film and television director salary is up $17,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than film and television director?
Video Editor pays a typical $22,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to film and television director.
Related salaries
- Film and Television Producer salary
- Video Editor salary
- Broadcast Program Director salary
- Art Director salary
- Music Producer salary
- Production Assistant salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.