Average Production Director Salary in Cleveland, United States for 2026
In this article, we will look at the average Production Director salary for 2026 in Cleveland and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!
The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.
All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.
How Much Does a Production Director Make in Cleveland?
A Production Director working in Cleveland will typically earn around 107,700 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 49,300 USD to the highest average salary of 169,700 USD.
These are average salaries for a Production Director in Cleveland and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Production Director to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.
Production Director salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.
Distribution of Production Director Salaries in Cleveland
So we've looked at the average salaries a Production Director will earn in Cleveland. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.
Salary ranges
We already know that a Production Director can earn between 49,300 USD and 169,700 USD on average in Cleveland. This is known as the range in statistics.
The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.
Median salary
The median salary for a Production Director in Cleveland is 116,400 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.
What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 116,400 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 116,400 USD.
If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.
If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).
Percentiles
Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.
For the average Production Director salary in Cleveland, 25% of the population are earning less than 72,400 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 72,400 USD.
75% of the population earn less than 152,700 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 152,700 USD.
Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.
The difference between a median and an average salary
The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.
- If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
- If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
- If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.
Production Director Salary by Experience Level in Cleveland
The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.
We have researched the average Production Director salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.
- 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Production Director in Cleveland that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 54,500 USD.
- 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Production Director salary would increase to 74,100 USD.
- 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Production Director, the average salary would be 108,200 USD.
- 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 134,100 USD.
- 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Production Director with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 147,900 USD.
- 20+ Years Experience. For a Production Director with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 158,900 USD.
Average Salary by Experience Chart
| 0-2 Years | - | 54,500 USD |
| 2-5 Years | +34% | 74,100 USD |
| 5-10 Years | +48% | 108,200 USD |
| 10-15 Years | +22% | 134,100 USD |
| 15-20 Years | +9% | 147,900 USD |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 158,900 USD |
Production Director Salary by Education Level in Cleveland
As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?
In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.
The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.
In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Production Director in Cleveland based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.
- High School. A Production Director in Cleveland with a high school education can earn an average salary of 70,000 USD.
- Certificate or Diploma. A Production Director in Cleveland with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 80,400 USD.
- Bachelor's Degree. A Production Director in Cleveland with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 115,600 USD.
- Master's Degree. A Production Director in Cleveland with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 152,900 USD.
Average Salary by Education Chart
| High School | - | 70,000 USD |
| Certificate or Diploma | +18% | 80,400 USD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +45% | 115,600 USD |
| Master's Degree | +31% | 152,900 USD |
How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?
The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.
As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.
It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.
Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.
Production Director Salary Compared by Gender
In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.
In Cleveland, a male production director will earn an average of 130,400 USD, while a female production director will earn around 123,800 USD.
This means that a male production director earns approximately 5% more than a female production director for performing the same job.
Average Salary by Gender Chart in Cleveland
| Male | - | 130,400 USD |
| Female | -5% | 123,800 USD |
Production Director Average Pay Raise in Cleveland
In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.
From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Production Director in Cleveland is around 12% every 16 months.
The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.
In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.
To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:
Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12
So for this example, it would be:
Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 16 ) × 12 = 9%
What this means is that a Production Director in Cleveland can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.
Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Cleveland for 2026
In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.
You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.
| Banking | - | 4% |
| Energy | - | 8% |
| Information Technology | - | 3% |
| Healthcare | - | 7% |
| Travel | - | 2% |
| Construction | - | 6% |
| Education | - | 1% |
Production Director Bonus and Incentive Rates in Cleveland
Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.
Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.
A Production Director is a high bonus based job, with 80% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.
20% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.
For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8%.
| Received Bonus | - | 80% |
| No Bonus | - | 20% |
What are the Types of Bonus?
There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:
- Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
- Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
- Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
- Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.
Government vs Private Sector Salaries
Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.
Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.
| Public Sector | - | 98,800 USD |
| Private Sector | -6% | 93,100 USD |
Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Production Director
In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Production Director in Cleveland.
| Job Title | Category | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Artist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 87,500 USD |
| 3D Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 83,000 USD |
| 3D Generalist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 68,300 USD |
| 3D Visualization Specialist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 87,900 USD |
| Acrobatic Rigger | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 57,900 USD |
| Actor | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 116,400 USD |
| Art Administrator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 94,000 USD |
| Art Director | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 115,600 USD |
| Art Lead | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 114,900 USD |
| Associate Media Director | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 103,600 USD |
| Associate Producer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 121,800 USD |
| Broadcast Associate | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 63,900 USD |
| Broadcast News Analyst | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 92,300 USD |
| Broadcast Technician | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 51,800 USD |
| Broadcast and Sound Engineer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 72,400 USD |
| Broadcasting Journalist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 107,700 USD |
| Broadcasting Presenter | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 107,700 USD |
| CAS Engineer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 92,100 USD |
| Camera Equipment Repairer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 62,500 USD |
| Camera Operator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 55,400 USD |
| Cartoonist / Animator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 79,600 USD |
| Censorship Executive | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 99,700 USD |
| Choreographer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 73,300 USD |
| Colorist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 46,200 USD |
| Communications Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 130,400 USD |
| Correspondent | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 99,700 USD |
| Dance Director | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 92,300 USD |
| Dancer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 76,000 USD |
| Director of Photography | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 95,500 USD |
| Disc Jockey | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 58,200 USD |
| Editorial Assistant | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 46,200 USD |
| Events Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 91,600 USD |
| Graphic Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 63,500 USD |
| Illustrator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 70,800 USD |
| Industrial Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 57,100 USD |
| Instructional Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 54,200 USD |
| Journalist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 108,200 USD |
| Makeup Artist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 58,100 USD |
| Media Design Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 151,800 USD |
| Media Equipment Operator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 49,200 USD |
| Media Operations Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 124,500 USD |
| Media Planner | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 77,100 USD |
| Media Producer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 108,200 USD |
| Media Product Development Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 152,700 USD |
| Media Production Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 152,700 USD |
| Media Program Director | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 160,600 USD |
| Media Relation Executive | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 160,600 USD |
| Media Relations Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 156,200 USD |
| Media Sales Manager | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 168,700 USD |
| Movement and Dance Coordinator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 90,900 USD |
| Multimedia Coordinator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 63,700 USD |
| Multimedia Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 56,600 USD |
| Music Consultant | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 75,900 USD |
| Musician | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 65,100 USD |
| News Associate | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 78,900 USD |
| News Reporter | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 107,300 USD |
| Post Production Assistant | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 51,500 USD |
| Producer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 142,100 USD |
| Product Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 59,900 USD |
| Product Planner | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 74,600 USD |
| Production Artist | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 75,900 USD |
| Production Assistant | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 55,600 USD |
| Production Technician | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 52,800 USD |
| Program Researcher | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 92,200 USD |
| Promotion Coordinator | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 73,700 USD |
| Sound Engineer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 75,000 USD |
| Sound Engineering Technician | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 46,400 USD |
| Stage Technician | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 45,600 USD |
| Sub Editor | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 54,600 USD |
| Television Executive Producer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 172,300 USD |
| Transmission Engineer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 86,100 USD |
| Video Editor | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 64,400 USD |
| Video Producer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 83,300 USD |
| Videographer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 79,000 USD |
| Visual Designer | Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | 78,700 USD |
Salary Comparison by City
If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | 142,050 USD |
| Austin | 165,000 USD |
| Baltimore | 142,750 USD |
| Boston | 147,050 USD |
| Bristol | 118,200 USD |
| Chicago | 166,700 USD |
| Cincinnati | 128,050 USD |
| Dallas | 157,100 USD |
| Denver | 152,100 USD |
| Detroit | 148,800 USD |
| Honolulu | 121,950 USD |
| Houston | 174,050 USD |
| Indianapolis | 157,600 USD |
| Iowa City | 124,050 USD |
| Jacksonville | 159,200 USD |
| Kansas City | 142,250 USD |
| Kent | 122,500 USD |
| Las Vegas | 147,900 USD |
| Long Beach | 137,750 USD |
| Los Angeles | 166,050 USD |
| Memphis | 152,000 USD |
| Miami | 137,450 USD |
| Minneapolis | 130,300 USD |
| New Orleans | 134,650 USD |
| New York | 176,050 USD |
| Oakland | 130,900 USD |
| Oklahoma City | 148,200 USD |
| Orlando | 121,150 USD |
| Philadelphia | 169,200 USD |
| Phoenix | 168,100 USD |
| Sacramento | 139,550 USD |
| San Antonio | 164,900 USD |
| San Diego | 169,650 USD |
| San Francisco | 159,200 USD |
| San Jose | 161,150 USD |
| Seattle | 155,200 USD |
| Tampa | 127,100 USD |
| Vancouver | 124,850 USD |
| Washington D.C. | 150,250 USD |
Salary Comparison by State
The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.
| State | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 153,500 USD |
| Alaska | 131,250 USD |
| Arizona | 149,600 USD |
| Arkansas | 148,450 USD |
| California | 165,400 USD |
| Colorado | 148,950 USD |
| Connecticut | 140,700 USD |
| Delaware | 135,150 USD |
| District of Columbia | 132,200 USD |
| Florida | 161,550 USD |
| Georgia | 168,550 USD |
| Hawaii | 138,800 USD |
| Idaho | 135,050 USD |
| Illinois | 159,700 USD |
| Indiana | 157,550 USD |
| Iowa | 140,450 USD |
| Kansas | 142,200 USD |
| Kentucky | 143,350 USD |
| Louisiana | 151,300 USD |
| Maine | 136,600 USD |
| Maryland | 150,250 USD |
| Massachusetts | 150,650 USD |
| Michigan | 160,000 USD |
| Minnesota | 153,500 USD |
| Mississippi | 140,950 USD |
| Missouri | 145,750 USD |
| Montana | 137,550 USD |
| Nebraska | 138,000 USD |
| Nevada | 141,900 USD |
| New Hampshire | 132,700 USD |
| New Jersey | 157,000 USD |
| New Mexico | 142,050 USD |
| New York | 161,700 USD |
| North Carolina | 149,850 USD |
| North Dakota | 133,200 USD |
| Ohio | 159,300 USD |
| Oklahoma | 144,500 USD |
| Oregon | 147,950 USD |
| Pennsylvania | 160,000 USD |
| Rhode Island | 133,050 USD |
| South Carolina | 145,600 USD |
| South Dakota | 137,550 USD |
| Tennessee | 154,550 USD |
| Texas | 161,700 USD |
| Utah | 139,150 USD |
| Vermont | 130,550 USD |
| Virginia | 161,300 USD |
| Washington | 155,500 USD |
| West Virginia | 133,050 USD |
| Wisconsin | 155,600 USD |
| Wyoming | 129,000 USD |
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