2025 Film Entry-level Jobs in Illinois

If you have a film degree and/or a strong interest in film, you may be wondering what kind of entry-level jobs in film exist. You’ll be happy to know that there are many, though it’s important to understand that every job isn’t going to have you behind the camera directing blockbuster masterpieces. While those jobs do exist, no one gets them right off the bat. That isn’t to say, however, that there aren’t some exciting jobs in film for the recent graduate. As you probably already know, movies and other forms of entertainment aren’t shot continuously or even linearly. Instead, someone is behind the scenes editing clips together and maybe even adding in a song or two to make a perfect final product. If you’d like to be the person putting those pieces together, you could look into a career as a film or video editor. There are currently around 21,500 individuals employed in this profession, and the average salary is a comfortable $64,060. Plus, if you’re good at what you do, working on that hit reality television show or making music videos for a hot new band isn’t that far-fetched of a dream. For those who’d rather handle the camera than the footage, film entry-level jobs such as artistic director or camera operator are viable options. The average film director makes around $68,440 per year, while a camera operator will likely earn around $45,490 per year. And, if you find you’d rather be in front of the camera than behind it, you can always pursue film jobs in acting. Beginning actors typically bring in around $17.44 an hour and work varied hours. The great thing about the film industry, however, is that once you’ve gotten a good start in it, the possibilities for earnings and success are endless.

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